The Private Ensign Stakes, named after one of many sport’s most celebrated feminine racehorses, has lengthy been a fixture within the older feminine division and lately has grow to be a strong steppingstone to year-end championship honors.
The final three winners, Idiomatic (2023), Malathaat (2022), and Letruska (2021), went on to win the Eclipse Award as champion older dust feminine, as did six of the final 11 winners of the Private Ensign. Idiomatic will try and grow to be the primary repeat winner since Lovely Pleasure in 1999-2000 in Friday’s race towards 4 challengers.
Corridor of Famer Private Ensign closed out an unbeaten 13-for-13 profession with a thrilling win over that 12 months’s Kentucky Derby winner Successful Colours within the 1988 Breeders’ Cup Distaff.
1. Xigera (10-1 morning-line odds): She received 5 of her six races in 2023 however appears to have misplaced her prime type in 2024. Nyquist filly is winless in three races this 12 months and enters off an unplaced end in a Grade 2 race June 29 at Churchill Downs. Tough to see this 12 months’s model of Xigera discovering the winner’s circle right here.
JOCKEY: Tyler Gaffalione; TRAINER: Phil Bauer
2. Soul of an Angel (5-1): Completed only a head behind Idiomatic within the Grade 3 Molly Pitcher Stakes July 20 at Monmouth Park, the place she gave up the lead late within the 1 1/16-mile race. In career-best type, however she stretches out one other sixteenth of a mile to a 1 1/8-mile distance at which she is unplaced in two tries. Might fill out the exacta or trifecta at a value.
JOCKEY: Irad Ortiz Jr.; TRAINER: Saffie Joseph Jr.
3. Raging Sea (9-2): Solely defeat in her final 5 races got here when fourth behind fellow Private Ensign contenders Randomized and Idiomatic within the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps Stakes Offered by Ford right here at Saratoga Belmont Stakes weekend. Adopted with a 2 ½-length win in a Grade 2 stakes and she or he has earned her career-best Equibase Pace Determine on this observe and at this distance. An actual risk to the highest two simply to her exterior.
JOCKEY: Flavien Prat; TRAINER: Chad Brown
4. Idiomatic (6-5): Her solely loss in final eight begins got here by a head to the filly simply to her exterior, Randomized, within the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps June 8 at this observe and distance. She returned six weeks later with a hard-fought win by a head over Soul of an Angel within the Molly Pitcher Stakes. A win right here relies on her regaining her finest type from final 12 months when she was operating considerably sooner races, nonetheless a tepid prime decide to grow to be the primary repeat winner in almost a quarter-century.
JOCKEY: Florent Geroux; TRAINER: Brad Cox
5. Randomized (8-5): Completed second by a half-length as a 3-year-old to Idiomatic in final 12 months’s Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff, however Randomized bought the higher of her by a head June 8 when main from begin to end within the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps at this observe and distance. May very well be poised to take a step ahead in her third begin of the 12 months. Like Idiomatic, a prime participant within the older dust feminine division.
JOCKEY: Joel Rosario; TRAINER: Chad Brown
THE PICK: Idiomatic
LIVE LONGSHOT: Soul of an Angel
TRIFECTA: 4-5-3
