Songbird could run even better in Alabama
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – In the Saratoga winner’s circle following Songbird’s 5 1/4-length victory in the Coaching Club American Oaks, jockey Mike Smith suggested that the test she received from Carina Mia might only serve to move the undefeated champion filly forward.
“If that happens,” Smith said, “that would be amazing.”
All indications are that in the four weeks since the Coaching Club, Songbird has moved forward. So, those who attend Saratoga for Saturday’s Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama could very well witness something amazing.
Songbird will put her unblemished 9-for-9 record on the line against six opponents in the Alabama, arguably the second-most-prestigious race for 3-year-old fillies in the country behind the Kentucky Oaks. The Alabama is run at 1 1/4 miles, which will represent the longest distance Songbird or any of her challengers have had to run in their careers.
Jerry Hollendorfer, the Hall of Fame trainer of Songbird, said he felt his filly was prepared to run 1 1/4 miles in July, when he and owner Rick Porter considered running Songbird against older fillies and mares in the $750,000 Delaware Handicap.
“It doesn’t seem like distance matters to her,” Hollendorfer said Thursday. “She doesn’t slow down in her works. She has a good forward pace galloping out. In her races, even though she was asked to run last time, coming to the wire Mike wasn’t asking her to do much, and she still went out good as well. I’m just thinking a mile and a quarter is going to be just perfect for her.”
Thursday morning was the first time Hollendorfer had seen Songbird in about two weeks. He was here for her workout Aug. 4, but weather and airline issues forced Hollendorfer to miss her last two workouts.
Her five-furlong workout Aug. 9 was sensational as she went five furlongs in 1:00.70 but proceeded to gallop out a mile in 1:39.71.
On Thursday, Songbird visited the starting gate, went to the paddock, and then had a strong gallop under exercise rider Edgar Rodriguez, who needed to grab extra rein to prevent Songbird from galloping too fast.
“Watching her train today, at least we know we don’t have any excuses walking over,” Hollendorfer said.
Songbird will break from post 6 in the seven-horse field. While she looks like the main speed, horses like Go Maggie Go and perhaps Dark Nile from the rail could leave running.
“I think the advantage for Songbird is she’ll do what Mike wants her to do,” Hollendorfer said. “If he wants to put her on the lead, he can. If somebody does something out of the ordinary, Mike will do something else.”
While Songbird has won all nine of her starts, others are in good form as well. Dark Nile has won four straight, Going for Broke has won three in a row, and Family Tree has won the Grade 3 Iowa Oaks and Grade 2 Indiana Oaks in her last two starts.
Flora Dora, third in the Coaching Club, and Weep No More, who finished last in the Coaching Club but upset the Grade 1 Ashland at 30-1, round out the field.
The Alabama will go as race 10 on a 12-race card that begins at 1 p.m. Eastern. The card features the Grade 1 Fourstardave, rescheduled from last Saturday when the last six races were canceled.
Key Contenders
Songbird, by Medaglia d’Oro
Last 3 Beyers: 101-98-93
◗ She has won all nine of her starts – including five Grade 1 races – by a combined 47 3/4 lengths.
◗ Tested by the Grade 1 winner Carina Mia at the top of the stretch in the Coaching Club American Oaks, she turned that one aside and drew off to win by 5 1/4 lengths.
“The thing that you learned from that race is when they come to her and give her the test, she responds,” Hollendorfer said.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 6 Songbird. The Beyer Speed Figures she earned in her last four races are higher than all 39 total races of her competitors in the race. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Go Maggie Go, by Ghostzapper
Last 3 Beyers: 89-86-90
◗ Freshened after running fourth in the Grade 1 Acorn, her fifth start in 91 days. Those starts included Grade 2 wins in the Gulfstream Oaks and Black-Eyed Susan sandwiched around a troubled fourth in the Kentucky Oaks.
“I just think I wore her out a little bit,” trainer Dale Romans said. “I crammed a lot into her in a short period of time.”
◗ Romans is looking forward to running his filly 1 1/4 miles.
“I think it will improve my filly, and it could be the breaking point of some horses to go that extra eighth of a mile,” Romans said. “You see it in the [Kentucky] Derby many times, so that’s the only unknown for the big filly. If she has trouble getting it, that could be the equalizer.”
Family Tree, by Smart Strike
Last 3 Beyers: 90-87-85
◗ Has never finished worse than third in eight dirt starts. Appears to have tactical speed to put herself in a good stalking position under Florent Geroux.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 3 Going for Broke. Trainer Chad Brown is 16-0-1-1 over the past five years in graded stakes on dirt at Saratoga. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan