Songbird continues to impress Smith

ARCADIA, Calif. – After working Songbird at Santa Anita on Friday, Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith said we haven’t yet seen her best.

She was virtually unchallenged as a 2-year-old in 2015, winning her four starts – all with Smith aboard – and ending with an easy win in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland on Oct. 31. More than two months later, little has changed.

Training comes easily for Songbird, who worked five furlongs in 58.20 seconds. Smith said he’s in awe of her ability as she approaches her first start of the year in the $300,000 Las Virgenes Stakes at a mile at Santa Anita on Feb. 6.

“I never did anything,” Smith said of the workout. “She wasn’t blowing much.”

Asked how good Songbird can be, Smith had a quick answer.

“I don’t know,” he said. “She’s special.”

Songbird worked alone shortly after 7:45 on a crisp, clear morning. Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer timed Songbird in 58.98 seconds, including an opening quarter-mile in 22.63.

Hollendorfer had planned to work Songbird at lunchtime, just before the races started, but opted to move the workout forward early Friday morning.

Owned by Rick Porter, Songbird has won three Grade 1 stakes – the Del Mar Debutante and Chandelier Stakes at Santa Anita in September and the BC Juvenile Fillies. Her goal for the spring is the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on May 6, Hollendorfer said.

The Grade 2 Las Virgenes Stakes might include Belvoir Bay, trainer Peter Miller said. She won her California debut by 7 1/4 lengths in the one-mile Blue Norther Stakes on turf here Dec. 27. She had previously raced in England and at Belmont Park.

Owned by the Team Valor International partnership and Gary Barber, Belvoir Bay has won 3 of 7 starts and $88,831.

“It’s worth taking a shot,” Miller said of the Las Virgenes. “We’ll look at the race. I don’t know if we can beat Songbird.”

There were 103 workouts on the main track Friday, the first full day of training after three days of rain. Approximately five inches of rain fell at Santa Anita during that span. As a result, there was no turf racing at Santa Anita this week.