If it's still the graveyard of favorites, the indomitable Songbird (Medaglia d'Oro) didn't get the memo, as she turned back a valiant Carina Mia (Malibu Moon) and sailed home a dominant winner of the GI Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga Sunday. Breaking on top at 3-10 under regular rider Mike Smith, the dark bay took up her usual position on the lead, showing the way into the clubhouse turn, as Julien Leparoux sent Carina Mia to stalk her about a length back. Songbird clicked off a :23.86 quarter-mile and extended her advantage just a bit past a :47.52 half. Carina Mia was spurred on by Leparoux heading into the far bend, drew up alongside and may have even stuck her nose in front of the champion as the two of them hit the stretch together. Asked the question by Smith, Songbird dug in resolutely, turning back the bid of her rival, and drew away in the final furlong to notch her most impressive win yet by 5 1/4 lengths.
“We thought we were going to get tested and we thought [jockey] Julien [Leparoux] would send [Carina Mia] at us early, which he did,” said winning trainer Jerry Hollendorfer. “We got a chance to test our filly and she dug in. Great race from [trainer] Billy [Mott]'s filly, too.”
Hollendorfer said he wasn't worried about Saratoga's reputation as a house of upsets. “I'm not superstitious,” the Hall of Famer said. “I was trying to think positive. This is a very difficult place to win races, and that's because there are great horses and great trainers here.”
“We came here because we thought these two races [CCA Oaks and Aug. 20 GI Alabama S.] here would fit into our program if we could do it,” Hollendorfer continued. “We had a good trip over and got lucky and prevailed, so we're very pleased to win the race.”
Heading into the CCA Oaks, Songbird was unbeaten and largely unchallenged in eight career starts, outings which included last term's GI Del Mar Debutante, GI Chandelier S. and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, as well as this year's GI Santa Anita Oaks. But jockey Mike Smith admitted the champion, making her first start at nine furlongs and second start since missing the GI Kentucky Oaks due to illness, was tested Sunday.
“I asked her more than I've ever had to,” Smith said. “I take my hat off to Carina Mia, she made her run a little bit. But once I got going, I was comfortable.”
Of Carina Mia's challenge, Smith continued, “Songbird's got a big, beautiful stride. I didn't panic. The more [Carina Mia] got on top of her, the more it made her aggressive. I got after her a couple times right then, and that was pretty much it. I was surprised at how at the end she was actually pulling away again. But I knew at some point that Carina Mia was going to give me a serious test, an acid test, and she did–she made her do something she never had to do before. We'll see what happens. A lot of times, a true champion, this will move them up. This was the first time someone got inside of her gut. A lot of times it'll really move them up, and if that happens, oh my. If this race moves her up like I think it will, there's no telling how good this filly is.”
Julien Leparoux admitted there was a brief moment he thought he might be the winner aboard Carina Mia.
“At the quarter pole I thought that I might win the race, but I was second best today,” Leparoux said. “At that one point, I thought I got her but she [Songbird] switched on again. Songbird is a champion, champions are supposed to do that and my filly [Carina Mia] ran a huge race.”
Trainer Bill Mott saw no disgrace in his filly's runner-up effort.
“She ran well,” Mott said. “I mean, she did what we asked her to do, she laid close. We took it to her leaving the three-eighths pole; it looked like when they turned from home we were in for the shot, but the other filly had a little too much left. She definitely has some stamina that the others don't. She's a top filly and I'm definitely impressed. I don't think it's any disgrace or embarrassment to run second to Songbird. We tried her and we had our chance and we have no excuse, she was doing great going into it. She ran the way we envisioned it, we couldn't have written this out on paper any better.”
Pedigree Notes:
Songbird's dam Ivanavinalot (West Acre), in foal to Tapizar, RNA'd for $885,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton November sale. The mare won the 2003 GII Bonnie Miss S. for her breeder Gilbert Campbell, who stood her sire West Acre at his Stonehedge Farm in Williston. Ivanvinalot has a yearling filly by Ghostzapper catalogued in the upcoming Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale. She produced a filly by Tapizar this term and was bred back to Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. Ivanavinalot's first foal Wide Range (Mineshaft) is the dam of GIII Carry Back S. winner Mico Margarita (Run Away and Hide). The mare RNA'd for $625,000 while carrying Wide Range at the 2004 Keeneland November sale.
Sunday, Saratoga
COACHING CLUB AMERICAN OAKS S.-GI, $294,000, SAR, 7-24, 3yo, f, 1 1/8m, 1:49.56, ft.
1–SONGBIRD, 121, f, 3, by Medaglia d'Oro
1st Dam: Ivanavinalot (GSW, $647,300), by West Acre
2nd Dam: Beaty Sark, by Deputy Minister
3rd Dam: Torsion Belle, by Torsion
($400,000 Ylg '14 FTSAUG). O-Fox Hill Farms, Inc.; B-John
Antonelli (KY); T-Jerry Hollendorfer; J-Mike E. Smith. $180,000.
Lifetime Record: Ch. 2yo filly & MGISW, 9-9-0-0, $2,282,000.
Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”hillndale-consigned”][bullet ad=”hill-n-dale-hip-61″][bullet ad=”lynwood-stable-graduate”]2–Carina Mia, 121, f, 3, Malibu Moon–Miss Simpatia (Arg), by
Southern Halo. ($410,000 Ylg '14 KEESEP). O-Three Chimneys
Farm; B-Spendthrift Farm LLC (KY); T-William I. Mott. $60,000.[bullet ad=”bridlewood-farm-training-graduate”][bullet ad=”niall-brennan-nbs-training-and-sales-graduate”][bullet ad=”warrendale-sold-congratulations-to-all-the-connections”]3–Flora Dora, 121, f, 3, First Dude–Aidan, by Dixieland Band.
($87,000 Ylg '14 FTSAUG). O-Coffeepot Stables; B-Dizney
Double Diamond LLC (FL); T-Marialice Coffey. $30,000.[bullet ad=”double-diamond-bred-by-raised-at”][bullet ad=”taylor-made-tm-for-you”]Margins: 5 1/4, 4, 1 3/4. Odds: 0.30, 2.35, 63.25.
Also Ran: Mo d'Amour, Weep No More.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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