Songbird Sis Progressing at Payson

Song of Mine (Ghostzapper), the unraced 2-year-old half-sister to champion Songbird (Medaglia d'Oro), has been working steadily at Payson Park, most recently going five furlongs in 1:02.00 (1/7) for trainer Dane Kobiskie Monday. The filly (hip 61) was purchased by the Haughey family's PTK LLC for $800,000 at the 2016 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Selected Yearling Sale.

“We try to let all our young horses dictate when they are ready to move forward, and Song of Mine is no different,” Kaitlin Haughey said when asked for an update on the filly. “That mentality has influenced her schedule and progression so far, and all the people involved with her have had the same philosophy. Her early training was handled by the McCutchen family at the McCutchen Training Center in Kingstree, South Carolina. They did a fantastic job with her and were very patient, as they are with all of our young horses. From there, she moved to The Thoroughbred Center here in Lexington under the supervision of Dane Kobiskie, and then she moved down to Payson when Dane took a string there in November.”

Song of Mine's first recorded work at Payson Park was a three-furlong drill in :36.40 Nov. 9–three days after her celebrated half-sister sold for $9.5 million at the Fasig-Tipton November sale. She had four-furlong works Nov. 18 (:49.00) and Nov. 27 (:48.20).

“Song of Mine was a pretty sizeable yearling when we bought her, and she's continued to grow like a weed in her time with us,” Haughey said. “She's really filled out since the summer, and Payson seems to be agreeing with her as Dane tells us she's blossoming down there. She's never balked at anything she's been asked to do, and has really been a class act from day one. She seems to have all the qualities one would want in a racehorse, but you never know until you know.”

Connections are hopeful that Song of Mine will be making her career debut early in the New Year.

“If all goes well, Dane thinks she'll be ready to run around early January if the right race comes up,” Haughey said. “Until then, we'll just love on her and keep our fingers crossed.”