Spa's Personal Ensign Next Target for Played Hard

A day after the disappointment, trainer Philip Bauer has a new goal for his 5-year-old mare Played Hard . 

Standing outside his barn on the Oklahoma Training Track on the morning of July 21, Bauer said Played Hard will be pointed to the $500,000 Personal Ensign Stakes (G1) Aug. 25 at Saratoga Race Course.

The original plan was for Played Hard, who won the La Troienne Stakes (G1) at Churchill Downs on May 5, to run in the $200,000 Shuvee Stakes (G2) on July 23 at the Spa, but the daughter of Into Mischief   was not entered after spiking a temperature.

"It was one of those things that maybe we could have entered and ran, but if she did run bad, then you are mad at yourself," Bauer said. "With that caliber of horse, we did the right thing."

Bauer said Played Hard got the temperature sometime Wednesday afternoon and was coming out of it the next day. He decided to be cautious and not enter the 5-year-old mare, who is owned by Rigney Racing.

The plan is for Played Hard to head back to the track on July 22; she would have likely gone on July 21 but overnight rains nixed that idea.

Then, it's onto the Personal Ensign.

"It's pretty frustrating," Bauer said about missing the Shuvee. "This game is full of disappointments so you have to focus on the positives. It's one thing if she is hurt; that's the big killer. This is no big deal, very minor. You jump on top of it, you treat it, and it's water under the bridge. The Personal Ensign is a great race and it's our new target."