It was a beautiful time of year to be in the Bluegrass State, and I was lucky enough to get a personal tour of Claiborne Farm by Gus Koch, who was the Paris nursery's longtime manager (now retired). Koch took me all over the famed establishment in his pickup truck, to the stallion barn (of course) where they brought out Mr. Prospector, Danzig and Easy Goer, and then into a big pasture where the retired broodmares lived out their remaining days. I recall being surrounded by several famous old girls, who were curious about their visitor and sniffed and poked me with their noses, including gray Laughter, a half-sister to the immortal Ruffian and the dam of millionaire and sire Private Terms; shaggy and sway-backed Obeah, the dam of the great Go For Wand, and champion Numbered Account, who was the "alpha mare" in that prestigious group.
After leaving the retired broodmares, Koch drove up a paved pathway to a barn that sat at the top of a small rise. He opened the door and we went inside, and then he walked over to the first stall on the left side, whose top and bottom doors were closed. As he opened the top door, he said to me, "Here's a nice filly that I think you may remember."
Almost immediately, out popped the head of Personal Ensign, who looked around with her ears pricked. I was able to touch her, and Koch said he believed she was going to make a fine broodmare. Truer words were never spoken, as the undefeated champion became the dam of Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (Gr. 1) winner My Flag, as well as Gr. 1 winner Miner's Mark. Personal Ensign, a daughter of Private Account, was named Broodmare of the Year in 1996.
My morning at Claiborne was every thoroughbred lover's deam, and the news that Personal Ensign had died of natural causes in her paddock on Thursday made me relive that day anew. All of the horses I've mentioned in this post are now gone, so I am very grateful that I had the chance to see them, and especially grateful to Gus Koch, who took time out of his busy schedule to give me that "tour of a lifetime."
(photo provided to the media courtesy of Barbara Livingston)
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