The Phipps family had lots of success with foals by Private Account out of the mare Gracian Banner. Three foals who where produced from this combo where multiple race winners. Two of them became millionaires. While G1 winner Personal Flag was a nice horse, it was his kid sister Personal Ensign who stood out from them all. Trained by Shug McGaughey, Personal Ensign had defeated males earlier that year in the Whitney and was coming off a win in the Beldame. She was trying to finish her career undefeated in the 1988 Distaff. In that same race however was Winning Colors, on the same track where she defeated the boys earlier the same year in the Kentucky Derby. It turned into a fantastic race that lead to this:
That capped a perfect career for Personal Ensign, the first major stakes winner to do so since Colin (Zenyatta will try to do what Personal Ensign did on Saturday). As a broodmare Personal Ensign turned out to be successful.
Her son Miners Mark would win the Jockey Club Gold Cup, another son Our Emblem is the sire of War Emblem. Her daughter Pennant Champion is the granddam of Interactif, and another daughter Title Seeker is the dam to Seeking the Title. However, like her mother, the Easy Goer filly My Flag would stand above her brothers and sisters.
While not undefeated like her dam, My Flag entered the 1995 Juvenile Fillies off a second in the Fritzette to Golden Attraction. My Flag went off as the second choice and was able to not only run down Golden Attraction, but her stablemate Cara Rafela as well.
Golden Attraction had done enough to grab 2yo Filly honors however, her stablemate Cara Rafela is better known as the dam of Bernardini. Ironiclly, both GA and Cara where trained by Wayne Lukas, the trainer of Winning Colors who Personal Ensign had run down seven years before. My Flag went on to finish third in the Belmont the next year behind Editors Note and Skip Away (who would becoming a Hall of Famer like her dam). In the shed, she hasn't been as successful as her dam. Although her daughter On Parade is the dam of Parading.
Then there is Storm Flag Flying, granddaughter of Personal Ensign, daughter of My Flag. The daughter of Storm Cat certinally had some huge shoes to fill. Like her mother did seven years before (see the pattern), Storm Flag Flying prepped in the Frizette. However, instead of finishing in second, she won. Entering the 2002 Juvenile Fillies as the favorite, she had a simlar running style that of her granddam and dam. Sitting off the pace and making her run in the stretch. Like the both of them she was able to run down stablemates. This time they where Composure and Santa Catarina who where trained by Bob Baffert.
This completed a perfect season for Storm Flag Flying, netting her Champion 2yo Filly honors. After a poor 3yo season where she only raced twice, she returned as a four year old. While she really was never the same horse again, she did win another G1. That was in the Personal Ensign at Saratoga. She showed the same heart that her grandmother and mother had defeating Azeri in the process. She ended her career with a solid second place finish in the 2004 Breeders' Cup Distaff behind Ashado.
Storm Flag Flying hasn't had the best of luck in the shed, however her son Colors Flying has won a race. She had a Smart Strike filly this year and is foal to Unbridled's Song.
Later today: 2007 Mile
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