Common Goal, Different Outlook for Parx Headliners

Fox Hill Farm's Songbird (Medaglia d'Oro) and Reddam Racing's Nyquist (Uncle Mo) will both be at Parx Racing Saturday, respectively chasing lucrative pots in the GI Cotillion S. and GII Pennsylvania Derby, but the champions' connections approach an important crossroads on the racing calendar with decidedly different perspectives. As two of the final races of the year restricted to 3-year-olds, the Parx co-features offer Songbird a chance to add to her flawless resume and GI Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist a shot at redemption following two sub-par efforts.

For Songbird's trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, the Cotillion is yet another chance to reaffirm her status as a superior 3-year-old filly–arguably one of the greatest of all time. The dark bay recently ran her record to a perfect 10-for-10 with a pair of Grade I scores in Saratoga's July 24 Coaching Club American Oaks and Aug. 20 Alabama S., but the Hall of Fame trainer is not taking her 1-2 morning line favoritism in the Cotillion for granted.

“All I ever think about is that you constantly have to prove yourself, no matter how many races you've won,” Hollendorfer said on an NTRA teleconference Tuesday. “Going to Saratoga and winning two races proved that she can do that in a very tough environment to win races. As far as we're concerned, we have to be at Parx and prove ourselves again against some nice fillies.”

In the Cotillion, Songbird will face her two most accomplished contemporaries and fellow 'TDN Rising Stars', GI Kentucky Oaks winner Cathryn Sophia (Street Boss) and GI Acorn S. heroine and CCA Oaks runner-up Carina Mia (Malibu Moon). Songbird capped off her preparations for the race with a four-furlong breeze in :47.60 (5/61) Sunday at Santa Anita prior to shipping to Pennsylvania Monday.

“She did her very best,” Hollendorfer said of the Sunday workout. “She did it easily. She was given a breezing [designation], which they don't give too much in California. We're very pleased with the work–she came out of it very well and shipped very well to Parx.”

Like Songbird, Nyquist enters the Pennsylvania Derby as the morning-line favorite, but with two consecutive defeats to chief rival Exaggerator (Curlin) lingering on his past performances, the bay's connections are hopeful that their charge can rebound with a change in tactics. Following a tiring fourth-place finish in the GI Haskell Invitational July 31, O'Neill opted to send Nyquist to San Luis Rey Training Center in search of a more serene environment apart from the hustle and bustle of Del Mar.

“After the Haskell, he was definitely going through a little growth spurt where he had gotten taller and a little light on us,” O'Neill acknowledged. “We decided he needed a tranquil setting where he could get some cardio and exercise in, but not be overwhelmed with the stress of what racetracks sometimes do… He's really flourished. He's put on a lot of weight, and he's doing really well. We're very happy with the decision, and hopefully we'll see some positive results come Saturday.”

Nyquist has posted four consecutive one-mile workouts at San Luis Rey, culminating with a sharp move in 1:38.20 last Saturday. O'Neill said he is hopeful that the revitalized colt will be able to relax in the early stages of the Pennsylvania Derby–something he was unable to do when defeated by Exaggerator in both the GI Preakness S. and Haskell.

“I'd definitely love to see him off the pace,” the 48-year-old trainer remarked. “I think whether we drew the one or the nine in the Pennsylvania Derby, all of Team Nyquist has been thinking that the only way we find ourselves on the lead is if they just hand it to us. And obviously, looking at this field, it's a really competitive field with some fast horses in there. I envision seeing more of a race like you saw in the [GI] Breeders' Cup Juvenile, even though that was full of some unlucky breaks and unlucky loss of ground. We're going to let the race unfold and have a target–so that's the thinking going into it.”

O'Neill said he is well aware of the Pennsylvania Derby's implications for 3-year-old championship honors. Although Nyquist has defeated Exaggerator in four of their six total meetings, the latter has claimed two of the season's top prizes in the Preakness and Haskell.

“Exaggerator is a really, really top horse,” O'Neill added. “So I would think that right now those two are battling for the top 3-year-old. I think [GI Travers S. winner] Arrogate (Unbridled's Song) was just a little bit too late on the scene, unless he were to win the Classic or something. We're definitely thinking, hey, we need to run a big race on Saturday to reclaim the [title of] leading 3-year-old. And I think we will.”

If all goes according to plan, Nyquist will compete in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic Nov. 5 before eyeing a potential 2017 campaign.

As for the possibility that Nyquist and Songbird could square off in the same race in the future? Hollendorfer said that a start in the Breeders' Cup Classic was unlikely, but did not rule out the idea that Songbird's 4-year-old season could include a start in Gulfstream Park's newly created GI Pegasus World Cup in late January. Not coincidentally, Paul Reddam was one of the first owners to purchase a reserved spot in the starting gate for the world's richest race.

“The Pegasus is quite another consideration,” Hollendorfer responded when asked about the possibility of Songbird facing male rivals. “That's a long way away. Something like that would be in the back of our minds, maybe, but we're not pointing to that particular race. We didn't buy a slot, although perhaps some slots would be available [eventually]… We want to get past the Cotillion first, and then think about other things later.”