The #metoo movement in American culture and politics has reminded us all of the gender inequality baked into our small world’s traditionally, historically patriarchal culture. There are few better examples of gender inequality, though, than in the world of Thoroughbred breeding. That inequality is, of course, enforced by the simple reality that the record number of foals produced by a single broodmare is 18, while successful contemporary stallions routinely sire more than 2,000 foals in their lifetimes. It is undeniable, though, that lazy habits of discourse and, yes, perhaps more than a little patriarchialism contribute to the fact that the racing intelligentsia is generally aware of the successes of popular male lines but could tell you very little indeed about the other half of the pedigree of even the most prominent current racehorses. It also is true that the greatest male racehorses are expected to become great sires, while more than a few breeders still believe that great racemares rarely reproduce themselves. The victory by Fire Away in the Grade 3 Dixie on the Preakness undercard, though, should remind us just how thoroughly the undefeated Hall of Famer Personal Ensign has turned that paradigm on its head. Bred and owned by the late Ogden Phipps, Personal Ensign won all 13 of her starts for trainer Shug McGaughey, winning the Grade 1 Frizette at 2, returning from serious injury to win the Grade 1 Beldame at 3, and dominating at 4 with wins in the Grade 1 Maskette, Hempstead, Shuvee, Beldame, and Whitney (beating males). She closed her career with a dramatic last-gasp victory over Kentucky Derby winner Winning Colors in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at 4, despite clearly struggling with the muddy track. By the outstanding sire Private Account, by Damascus, out of Grecian Banner, by the great sire Hoist the Flag, she was a full sister to multiple Grade 1 winner Personal Flag. Grecian Banner was only a maiden winner, but was half-sister to Grade 3 winner Our Hero, by Bold Ruler. Personal Ensign’s second dam, Dorine, by Aristophanes, was one of several beautifully bred, high-class racemares Phipps imported to breed to his family’s eight-time leading sire Bold Ruler. Winner of seven stakes in Argentina, including races later designated Group 1, she was a full sister to another Group 1 equivalent winner, Doretta, and to Dorileo, who ran second in the classic Argentine 2000 Guineas equivalent and set a new track record in the William Penn Handicap in the United States. Personal Ensign produced 10 foals to live past their yearling year in her 18 years as a broodmare, including Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and Coaching Club of America Oaks winner My Flag, by Easy Goer; Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Miner’s Mark, by Mr. Prospector; Grade 1 winner Traditionally, by Mr. Prospector; Grade 1-placed Our Emblem, by Mr. Prospector, (sire of Kentucky Derby winner War Emblem); and Grade 3-placed Proud and True, by Mr. Prospector. My Flag, in turn, produced champion and Breeders’ Cup winner Storm Flag Flying, by Storm Cat. Her daughters Pennant Champion, by Mr. Prospector, and Title Seeker, by Monarchos, are stakes producers, and Title Seeker is granddam of Grade 1 winner Seeking the Soul, by Perfect Soul. Personal Ensign’s daughter Salute, by Unbridled, ran second in the Grade 2 Demoiselle, and also is the dam of Grade 1 winner Mr. Speaker, by Pulpit. In case you lost count, that’s six Grade 1 winners tracing within three generations back to Personal Ensign in female line. Fire Away could conceivably become a seventh. A half-brother to Mr. Speaker, he is one of 69 stakes winners from 565 foals age 3 and up, a number that includes 17 Grade 1 or Group 1 winners. War Front is without doubt one of the top five stallions in the world, but his percentages of 12.2 percent stakes winners to foals and 3 percent Grade/Group 1 winners to foals do not exactly compare favorably to Personal Ensign’s 30 percent strike rate of both stakes winners and Grade/Group 1 winners. There are, of course, ample reasons why even the greatest stallions cannot match the percentages of the greatest broodmares. Most obviously, Personal Ensign’s 10 living foals were sired by Mr. Prospector (five), Easy Goer, A.P. Indy, Unbridled, Monarchos, and Kingmambo, all top-class racehorses, and five of the six very good to great sires. As high-class as War Front’s book undoubtedly is, his percentage of top-class mates can never match that of Personal Ensign. Three generations on, Personal Ensign’s descendants are, indeed, still firing away.