Familiar Rivals Try Songbird in Santa Ysabel

Nine fillies were entered to take on undefeated champion Songbird in the $100,000 Santa Ysabel Stakes (gr. III) March 5 at Santa Anita Park, and more than half of them were previously humbled by the Fox Hill Farms runner.



No filly has had more tough luck being matched up with Songbird than Reddam Racing's Land Over Sea, who would probably be a multiple graded stakes winner if not for the daughter of Medaglia d'Oro  's presence on the West Coast.



A winner at second asking, over the Del Mar turf in July, the Bellamy Road   filly has finished behind Songbird in her last four starts, including second-place efforts in the Las Virgenes (gr. II) last time out and in the Chandelier (gr. I) back in September, both at Santa Anita.



BALAN: Songbird Untouchable in Las Virgenes



"We're not totally sure what we're going to do. We'll check the weather and some other things, and make a decision," said Doug O'Neill, who trains Land Over Sea, referencing a 40% percent chance of rain in Arcadia, Calif. on raceday. "You'd hate to lead her over there (to lose) like that again, but I bet you a lot of the connections of the other fillies are thinking what we're thinking—if it starts raining, maybe she doesn't run her race and you can take advantage.



"But if Songbird shows up, we're all running for second."



Land Over Sea may be the most frequent competitor against the Jerry Hollendorfer-trained Songbird, but she's not alone in tasting defeat against the 2015 champion 2-year-old filly.



Merirosvo, Jade Princess, and Starlet (gr. I) winner Street Fancy are returning from the Las Virgenes (fourth, fifth, and sixth, respectively), but stakes-placed My Dynamo also ran ninth to Songbird in the Del Mar Debutante (gr. I) back in September.

BALAN: Songbird Dazzles in Del Mar Debutante



Four new shooters enter, however, for the 1 1/16-mile Santa Ysabel—and two have shown noteworthy talent against graded competition.



J K Racing Stable's Mokat came up just a half-length short in the Jimmy Durante (gr. IIIT) over the Del Mar grass in November, and J. C. Racing Stable's Code Warrior also was just a half-length behind in her only graded try, sprinting two starts back in the Santa Ynez (gr. II).



Recent maiden winners stepping into graded stakes competition for the first time, Not Now Carolyn and Pageant Material, complete the field.