Songbird breezes through five-furlong work

ARCADIA, Calif. – Songbird worked five furlongs in 59.60 seconds at Santa Anita on Wednesday with such ease that the track’s official clockers designated the exercise as “breezing” and not the more vigorous “handily.”

Four of Songbird’s last five workouts since mid-February have been rated as breezing.

Wednesday’s workout was designed to keep Songbird on schedule for the $400,000 Santa Anita Oaks on April 9. The Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks is run at 1 1/16 miles and will be the seventh start of Songbird’s career. The undefeated champion 2-year-old filly of 2015, Songbird has earned $1,742,000 in her first six wins. She is owned by Rick Porter and trained by Jerry Hollendorfer.

On Wednesday, Santa Anita clockers recorded Songbird going the first quarter-mile in 23.80 seconds and a half-mile in 48. She galloped out six furlongs in 1:12.20. Exercise rider Edgar Rodriguez rode Songbird.

“She’s very consistent in her workouts, and that’s what catches your eye,” Hollendorfer said. “She’s like a lot of good horses, very consistent in the things she does. She hasn’t changed much.”

Songbird has started twice this year, winning the Las Virgenes Stakes at a mile here Feb. 6 and the Santa Ysabel Stakes at 1 1/16 miles here March 5.