Songbird Notches Ninth Grade I Win

Porter, Songbird & Smith | Sarah Andrew

Two-time champion Songbird (Medaglia d'Oro) did what she does best, going from gate-to-wire to score her ninth Grade I victory in Saturday's GI Delaware H. Hammered down to 1-9 favoritism against a field of four seemingly overmatched rivals, the “TDN Rising Star” broke sharply from the outside post and swept up two wide to seize the early advantage. Loping along through early fractions of :24 1/5, :48 1/5 and 1:12 3/5 under a motionless Mike Smith, the Fox Hill Farm runner was confronted by Martini Glass (Kitalpha) turning for home, but Smith still had not asked the Eclipse winner to run. The Hall of Fame pilot shook the reins at Songbird at the top of the stretch and she began to edge clear, but Martini Glass would not let her go that easy. The 21-1 shot kept on coming for the champion, forcing Smith to go to the whip–something he rarely does on this filly–and Songbird held strong for a one-length victory.

“She's not back to the barn yet, but she looks like she came off the racetrack good,” winning trainer Jerry Hollendorfer told the TDN when reached by phone shortly after the race. “That is a difficult race for her to run, going a mile and a quarter, carrying 124 [pounds], so I was very proud of her. She did her job like she always does and that's why we love her.”

As for her next start, the Hall of Famer said, “I'd like to enjoy this win and then I will get with Mr. [Rick] Porter and we will try to figure out another race for her. She could run at Saratoga [in the GI Personal Ensign S. Aug. 26].”

It is was a meaningful win for Delaware native Porter, who grew up going to Delaware Park with his parents. The 77-year-old's Horse of the Year Havre de Grace (Saint Liam) lost the 2011 Del 'Cap by a nose as the 3-5 favorite and his MGISW Jostle (Brocco) was fourth as the 4-5 chalk in 2001. Porter, who has been battling lymphoma, was able to attend Saturday's race after being released from Massachussetts General Hospital Thursday, where he underwent a clinical trial (click here for more).

Songbird was named 2015's champion juvenile filly after a four-for-four season with three Grade I victories, capped by the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Opening her sophomore account with a trio of victories in California, including the GI Santa Anita Oaks, the bay was forced to miss the GI Kentucky Oaks, where she was expected to be the heavy favorite, after coming down with a fever and being forced to miss training.

Proving no worse for wear with a facile victory in the GII Summertime Oaks when she returned to the track last June, Songbird took her show on the road to Saratoga, where she dominated in both the GI CCA Oaks and GI Alabama S. Winning for fun yet again over GISWs Carina Mia (Malibu Moon) and Cathryn Sophia (Street Boss) in Parx's GI Cotillion S. last September, the Hollendorfer pupil suffered the first loss of her career when a nose second to four-time Eclipse winner and future Hall of Famer Beholder (Henny Hughes) after a gritty stretch battle in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff at Santa Anita Nov. 4 (video), after which she collected her second Eclipse statue. Songbird kicked off this season with a determined one-length victory over GSW Paid Up Subscriber (Candy Ride {Arg}) in the GI Ogden Phipps S. on the GI Belmont S. undercard June 10 (video).

 

Pedigree Notes:

Bred on the same cross over Forty Niner responsible for Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra, Songbird is a half-sister to the dam of GSW Mico Margarita (Run Away and Hide) and is a daughter of Ivanavinalot (West Acre), one of the best horses to ever race in the green-and-white colors of her breeder Gil Campbell's Stonehedge Farm. Her marquee win came in the 2003 GII Bonnie Miss S. Ivanavinalot is a half-sister to the talented six-time stakes winner Shananie's Beat (Shananie) and to MSP Beatie's For Real (Unreal Zeal), the dam of GSWs Friel's For Real (Sword Dance {Ire}) and Ryan's For Real (Sword Dance {Ire}) as well as the Medaglia d'Oro filly Onepointhreekarats, a $1.3 million Keeneland September yearling who went on to win three stakes for Charlotte Weber's Live Oak Plantation. Songbird is kin to the 2-year-old filly Song of Mine (Ghostzapper), an $800,000 acquisition by PTK LLC at last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale, and to a yearling filly by Tapizar. Ivanavinalot, who was bought back out of the 2015 Fasig-Tipton November sale on a bid of $885,000, produced a filly from the first crop of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah this past Apr. 23.

Saturday, Delaware
DELAWARE H.-GI, $750,000, DEL, 7-15, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/4m, 2:03.96, ft.
1–SONGBIRD, 124, f, 4, by Medaglia d'Oro&log=">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. $450,000.
Lifetime Record: Ch. 2yo filly & Ch. 3yo filly & MGISW,
$4,562,000. 14-13-1-0, $4,562,000. Werk Nick Rating: A+++
*Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”hillndale-consigned”][bullet ad=”lynwood-stable-graduate”][bullet ad=”equiair-2″]2–Martini Glass, 116, f, 4, Kitalpha–Glassy, by Run Softly.
O-Vince Campanella & Nations Racing Stable LLC; B-Aschinger
Bloodstock, LLC (KY); T-Keith Nations. $150,000.[bullet ad=”war-horse-place-born-raised”]3–Line of Best Fit, 113, m, 7, Trajectory–Dan's Duchess, by
Domasca Dan. O-Sheffield Stable; B-Frank Di Giulio (ON);
T-Kieron Magee. $82,500.[bullet ad=”ontario-bred”]Margins: 1, 2, 10HF. Odds: 0.05, 21.50, 35.80.
Also Ran: Miss Mo Kelly, Weep No More. Scratched: Hone In.
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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