Jenny Kellner
NYRA/Saratoga Race Course

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – A little more than two months ago, in her first race on dirt, Andrew Rosen’s Icon Project ran off to a 13¼ length victory on the off-the-turf Grade 3 New York Stakes at BelmontPark. Sunday afternoon at Saratoga Race Course, Icon Project became a Grade 1 winner on dirt as she drew away to an equally impressive 13½-length victory in the 62nd running of the $400,000 Personal Ensign Stakes.

Sent off as the 9-5 favorite in the field of eight fillies and mares, the 4-year-old daughter of Empire Maker stayed just off early fractions of 23.81 and 47.62 set by longshot Weathered, then moved up willingly on the turn to take command at the head of the stretch, pulling clear to hit the wire in 2:02.37 for the 1¼ miles over a “good” track.

“For once she left the gate well, so I lay pretty close to the pace today,” said winning jockey Julien Leparoux. “At the three-eighths pole she just grabbed the bit from me, and she kept on going. She didn’t get tired at all, she just kept going the whole way.”

Swift Temper, ridden by Alan Garcia, closed to finish second, 5½ lengths ahead of Morena.

“That filly (Icon Project) ran a freaky race,” said Dale Romans, trainer of the runner-up. “It was very impressive. Of course, we are disappointed that we didn’t win but we’re still happy with the way our mare ran. She finished second in a Grade 1 race.”

Completing the order of finish were Miss Isella, Weathered, with Flying Colors, Sea Chanter, and Unbridled Belle.

Icon Project, who spent the first part of her career in England and France, made her American debut this winter at GulfstreamPark on the turf, taking an allowance in her second start and finishing third in the Grade 3 La Prevoyante. After her victory at BelmontPark, she finished second to Swift Temper in the Grade 2 Delaware Handicap in her second start on dirt.

“I think she would have won the Delaware Handicap if she had been laying where she was today,” said trainer Marty Wolfson. “I had been wanting to run her on dirt, because she had trained so well on it.  When she was tugging at [Julien] at the three-eighths pole, it was just a question of how far she was going to win by.”

The victory was the fourth Grade 1 at Saratoga for Wolfson, who saddled Chaposa Springs to win the 1995 Test and the 1996 Ballerina Stakes and Pomeroy to win the 2006 Forego.

With the victory, worth $240,000, Icon Project improved her record to 4-2-2 from 11 lifetime starts and her bankroll to $660,965. A $2 win bet was worth $5.60 to her backers in the crowd of 18,014.