'Bullet' Work for Champion Songbird
Image:
Description:
Photo: Benoit Photo
Songbird wins Santa Ysabel
Fox Hill Farm's undefeated filly Songbird continued to progress toward the April 9 Santa Anita Oaks (gr. I) the morning of March 29. The daughter of Medaglia d'Oro worked six furlongs in 1:12 4/5 with Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith aboard.
The work was the fastest of the day among eight horses at the distance on the main track at Santa Anita Park, leaving Smith and owner Rick Porter beaming.
"Mike and I are good friends and he usually calls me after her works, and he was more excited than usual this time," Porter said. "He said they didn't want a really fast workout, but she just gobbles up so much ground."
Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said "she couldn't be doing better," Porter said.
Porter said the plan now is for Songbird, the 2-year-old champion filly of 2015 who has barely been tested in her undefeated six-race career, to have a fast three-eighths of a mile "blowout" work the week before the Santa Anita Oaks. The goal for Songbird is the May 6 Longines Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) at Churchill Downs.
The owner said he and Hollendorfer are considering requesting permission to let Songbird continue racing on past the wire in the Santa Anita Oaks as a way to "get something out of it."
Porter said Songbird has the potential to be the best horse he has ever owned, pretty lofty company considering he raced Horse of the Year Havre de Grace and Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) runners-up Hard Spun and Eight Belles.
"She has the mind Havre de Grace had," Porter said. "She has speed and she has stamina. She is the whole package."
Songbird won all four 2015 starts, including the Chandelier Stakes at Santa Anita and the 14 Hands Winery Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, both grade I, and this year has won the Las Virgenes Stakes (gr. II) and Santa Ysabel Stakes (gr. III) in her two starts. She has earned $1,742,000.
Bred in Kentucky by John Antonelli, Songbird was purchased by Tom McGreevey on behalf of Porter for $400,000 at the 2014 Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga select yearling sale.