Close Hatches and Princess of Sylmar Face Off in $500,000 Personal Ensign

Close Hatches and Princess of Sylmar Face Off in $500,000 Personal Ensign

Category : News - Thu 21/08/2014 - 16:25 EDT

On Friday at Saratoga, the Grade 1 Personal Ensign will feature a much anticipated rematch between Close Hatches and Princess of Sylmar. With a purse of $500,000, the mile and an eighth contest has drawn a field of seven of the best fillies and mares on the East Coast.

The morning line favorite at 8-5 is Close Hatches who will try to remain undefeated on the year. Trained by Bill Mott, the four-year-old daughter of First Defence will have Joel Rosario aboard carrying the colors of Juddmonte Farms. She defeated rival Princess of Sylmar by a head in the Ogden Phipps (G1) and has won three consecutive graded stakes this season. She will break from post position six as she goes for her ninth career win.

Princess of Sylmar gets blinkers on

Princess of Sylmar is the second choice at odds of 9-5 and will break from the outside post under Javier Castellano. The four-year-old daughter of Majestic Warrior will get the addition of blinkers for the first time following a pair of runner-up performances, most recently to Belle Gallantey in the Delaware Handicap (G1). Trained by Todd Pletcher, the chestnut filly has won nine of her fourteen career starts and is going for her fifth Grade 1.

Antipathy trying for two in a row

Also in the field is Antipathy, tabbed at 5-1 on the morning line for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. Irad Ortiz, Jr. will be in the irons for Godolphin Racing and the pair will break from the inside. A four-year-old daughter of A.P. Indy, Antipathy earned the first graded stakes victory of her career last time out in the Shuvee Handicap (G3) and was third in the Ogden Phipps (G1), beaten only a neck behind Close Hatches and Princess of Sylmar.

Category : News

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