Bird Song Scores in Fred W. Hooper

Marylou Whitney's homebred Bird Song took the lead after a half-mile and kept Realm and Tale of S'avall at bay in the stretch to earn his first graded stakes victory in the $100,000 Fred W. Hooper Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park March 4. 

The one-turn-mile stakes marked the third win in five races Saturday and second straight in a stakes for jockey Julien Leparoux following the $100,000 Herecomesthebride (G3) with Dream Dancing.

Leparoux positioned Bird Song to the right of multiple stakes-winning pacesetter Mr. Jordan through an opening quarter-mile in :23.17 until assuming the lead without resistance after a half in :46.06. Bird Song turned for home in front as Mr. Jordan began to retreat, and was able to turn back late bids from Realm and Tale of S'avall, both trained by Barclay Tagg, to win by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:36.07 over a fast main track.

"Today there was not too much speed in the race, so I got him set up pretty nice, and he had a nice kick at the end," Leparoux said. "He's a nice horse. Last time he ran a big race, and today he ran an even bigger one."

Last time out, the Unbridled's Song colt dueled but ultimately faded to second In the Jan. 14 Hal's Hope (G3), also at a mile at Gulfstream. It was his first start since an allowance win at Churchill Downs Nov. 24.

"I think he did (need his last race)," said winning trainer Ian Wilkes. "It was a last-minute decision to go in (the Hal's Hope) last time and this time I had him ready."

Realm finished three-quarters of a length ahead of Tale of S'avall in third. Frammento, War Story, Mr. Jordan, grade 1-winning 2-1 favorite Greenpointcrusader, and Hy Riverside completed the order of finish.

Bird Song is a Kentucky-bred son of Unbridled's Song out of the Cape Town mare Bird Town.