Songbird Fleet in First Work Back

Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer had a plan for champion Songbird's first work back since a fever put her on the sidelines and caused her to miss the Longines Kentucky Oaks (gr. I). He would leave Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith off the fleet filly, and use an exercise rider to keep her from doing too much. 

May 22 at Santa Anita Park, Songbird showed just what she thought of that idea.

The 3-year-old Medaglia D'Oro filly, who has won all seven of her starts for Hollendorfer and owner Rick Porter's Fox Hill Farm, went four furlongs in :46 2/5.

"(Hollendorfer) called me and he said, 'This horse is unbelievable,'" Porter said. "He was telling me how fit she was after (the fever), but he said he was just going to do an easy half. He said she didn't look like she was going that fast. That tells me what she can do. If she was breezing that easy first work back, I think nobody can keep up with her."

The June 18 Summertime Oaks (gr. II) at Santa Anita is the hopeful target for Songbird's return, if all goes well as she gears up in training. After that, Porter said, "there's a lot of good races on the East Coast."

"The Summertime isn't a big race, but it's the first thing we can get that she might be ready for," Porter said. "After this, she looks like she's going to be ready for it. If she's ready, we're going to run her in that race. We just want to get her running, and then we're going to take her east. That's good enough to get her back."

Many believe the undefeated filly, who has aired geared down and by open lengths in all her races, is one of the best sophomores in the country in either division, if not the best. And while the setback, which came after her April 9 victory in the Santa Anita Oaks (gr. I), has kept her from proving herself against the top contenders female or male in recent months, Porter said he is realistic about her return.

BALAN: Songbird Out of Kentucky Oaks

"I'm more conservative with this horse because she's so good," he said. "I want to run her against the boys at the right time. I want to see her run against the best girls first, and we'll have plenty of time to run against the boys if she stays sound. I wouldn't mind running against the boys as a 4-year-old, and I might run her as a 5-year-old. That's why I'm in it, for the fun of running really good horses."

Porter outlined the July 24 Coaching Club American Oaks (gr. I) at Saratoga Race Course, the Aug. 20 Alabama Stakes (gr. I) at the upstate oval, and the Sept. 24 Cotillion (gr. I) at Parx Racing as potential targets for Songbird's summer campaign.

"We definitely want to run in the Cotillion. I need to see what the timing is to make sure we run there," he said.

Porter also had a little smack to talk for the 3-year-old colt division.

"I honestly believe we can beat Nyquist, because I don't think Nyquist can keep up with her," he said of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner, who finished third in the Xpressbet.com Preakness (gr. I) won by Exaggerator May 21. "Exaggerator, I picked him because of the mud. I thought he was going to win. Nyquist handled the mud OK, but I wouldn't want to run against Exaggerator on an off track."