Private Account, has died at age 28.
Private Account, whose champion daughter Personal Ensign retired unbeaten after 13 starts, died Nov. 25 at the Hancock family's Claiborne Farm near Paris, Ky., because of complications from the infirmities of old age. The 28-year-old son of Damascus had stood his entire career at the farm after racing as a homebred for the late Ogden Phipps.Private Account, who traced in female family to the great broodmare La Troienne, sired Personal Ensign for Phipps. Personal Ensign concluded her race career with a dramatic come-from-behind score over Kentucky Derby (gr. I) winner Winning Colors in the 1988 Breeders' Cup Distaff (gr. I) in her final start.Personal Ensign's record as a broodmare is equally as impressive. Her offspring include Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) winner My Flag and other grade I winners Miner's Mark and Traditionally, plus Our Emblem, sire of dual classic winner War Emblem. This year, Personal Ensign's 2-year-old daughter Salute ran second in the Nov. 27 Demoiselle Stakes (gr. II) at Aqueduct.Private Account, a grade I winner himself, sired 61 stakes winners, including millionaire Inside Information, the 1995 Distaff winner for Phipps' son, Ogden Mills (Dinny) Phipps. Private Account's other stakes winners included French champion East of the Moon, English and Irish group I winner Chimes of Freedom and millionaires Valley Crossing, Personal Flag, Private Terms, Public Purse, and Corporate Report. Overall, Private Account's runners earned $44 million.Private Account, who was produced from Ogden Phipps' champion Numbered Account (by Buckpasser), won the 1980 Widener (gr. I) and Gulfstream Park (gr. I) Handicaps and the 1979 Jim Dandy Stakes (gr. III). He retired with $339,396 in earnings.Private Account was pensioned from stallion duty following the 1995 breeding season during which he failed to impregnate any of his mares.
