Songbird Easy Winner of Santa Anita Oaks

Fox Hill Farms' Songbird grabbed the early lead and easily captured her seventh win in seven starts to take the grade I Santa Anita Oaks at Santa Anita Park April 9 and remain the dominant favorite for the Longines Kentucky Oaks (gr. I).

The Medaglia d'Oro   filly, bred in Kentucky by John Antonelli and ridden by Mike Smith, won by 3 3/4 lengths over Mokat, who had a neck over She's a Warrior.

Time for 1 1/16 miles on a sloppy, sealed track was 1:44.14.

Songbird paid $2.20 to win as the heavy favorite for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer.

"She's just incredible," said Smith, who has been aboard for all seven wins. "I feel so blessed and I keep pinching myself, having to remind myself that I'm the one that gets to keep the weight on her. That's really all I do.

"She was spinning her wheels a little bit going into the first turn, but once again we got to the backside, she found her rhythm, and she got comfortable and it was all her again."

 "She's just incredible," said Smith, who's been aboard for all seven wins.  "I feel so blessed and I keep pinching myself, having to remind myself that I'm the one that gets to keep the weight on her. That's really all I do."

Forever Darling attempted to take the early lead from Songbird, who broke from the rail, but the heavy favorite took command and easily opened up a 1 1/2-length lead through an opening quarter-mile in :23.34 on a sealed, sloppy track. Songbird clicked through fractions of :47.17 for a half-mile and 1:11.21 for three-quarters and opened up a six-length lead into the stretch.

Songbird's lead diminished but she wasn't under pressure to the wire.

"She's just so fun to watch," said Rick Porter of Fox Hill Farms.