Songbird cooperates with Smith in workout
Songbird worked seven furlongs in 1:25.80 under jockey Mike Smith at Santa Anita on Wednesday as she prepares for the Grade 1 Delaware Handicap on July 15.
Smith said he is pleased by Songbird’s willingness to go only as fast as asked in her works.
“She’s been doing anything I want her to do,” Smith said. “If I ask her to pick it up, she will. If I ask her to gear down, she does.”
Songbird was the champion 2-year-old filly of 2015 and champion 3-year-old filly of 2016. In her only start this year, Songbird won the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Belmont Park on June 10. The $750,000 Delaware Handicap at Delaware Park is run at 1 1/4 miles, which would equal the longest race of Songbird’s career.
Owned by Rick Porter and trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, Songbird has won 12 of 13 starts and earned $4,112,000. She won the Grade 1 Alabama Stakes at 1 1/4 miles for 3-year-old fillies at Saratoga last August.