Songbird looks strong ahead of Personal Ensign Stakes

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Jerry Hollendorfer was having trouble sleeping this week. Tuesday night, he was out late being honored along with California Chrome’s trainer Art Sherman for their achievements in racing by the Edwin Gregson Foundation in Southern California.

Wednesday, Hollendorfer didn’t sleep well on his cross-country flight to New York from Southern California.

But after watching Songbird gallop around Saratoga’s main track on Thursday morning, the Hall of Fame trainer can rest easy that his 4-year-old filly looks ready to offer her best performance of the year in Saturday’s Grade 1, $700,000 Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga.

Songbird was pulling exercise rider Freddie Rodriguez out of the saddle as she galloped more than 1 1/2 miles Thursday morning.

“She’s been galloping real strong at Del Mar,” Hollendorfer said. “Not as strong as today.”

It’s certainly a good sign. Songbird, who has won 13 of her 14 career starts, is 2 for 2 this year, but neither victory was as visually impressive as her seven wins were last year. In the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps, a one-turn 1 1/16-mile race at Belmont, she was headed by Paid Up Subscriber before coming back to defeat that rival by one length. Paid Up Subscriber came back to win the Shuvee here by 32 1/4 lengths, though she was injured and forced to miss this race.

Songbird shipped back to Southern California and then back east to Delaware Park for the Delaware Handicap on July 15. Songbird was 1-20 but seemed hard-pressed to win the 1 1/4-mile race by one length over Martini Glass, who ran second last weekend in the Lady Jacqueline Stakes at Thistledown.

“She didn’t win by open lengths, she won by a length,” Hollendorfer said. “I was very satisfied with the race as was [jockey] Mike Smith.”

Songbird has racked up the frequent flier mileage over her career. She spent last summer in Saratoga, recording dominant victories in the Coaching Club American Oaks and Alabama. She flew back to California after the Alabama, but then came back to the East Coast to win the Grade 1 Cotillion at Parx.

She returned to Southern California where she was beaten a nose by Beholder in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. The Personal Ensign marks Songbird’s third road trip of this year.

“Oddly enough, even though we’ve been flying, this year she’s held her weight better,” Hollendorfer said. “If we get past this race, then we can stay home the rest of time.”

:: Save up to 55¢/card on PPs with a 5-pack

The Personal Ensign, run at 1 1/8 miles, is a Win and You’re In race for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Del Mar on Nov. 3. The Breeders’ Cup is the year-end goal for Songbird, who Hollendofer said could start in the Grade 1 Zenyatta at Santa Anita on Sept. 30.

As is often the case in her races, Songbird looks like the primary speed in a short field. She will break from post 2 under Smith.

Her biggest challenger should be Forever Unbridled, a 5-year-old mare who finished 1 1/4 lengths behind Songbird in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. In her only start since then, Forever Unbridled won the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis at Churchill Downs on June 17.

“I’m thinking we might be a little better this year than we were last year,” said Dallas Stewart, trainer of Forever Unbridled. “If [Songbird’s] a little better and we’re a little better it’s going to be a great race.”

Stewart said he is concerned about Songbird being loose on the lead, adding it’ll be jockey Joel Rosario’s job “to be finding her at the quarter pole.”

Going for Broke finished second, seven lengths behind Songbird, in the Grade 1 Alabama. She came off an eight-month layoff to run second, beaten a neck, in the Shine Again Stakes going seven furlongs here on Aug. 2. Going for Broke, owned by Tom Moore and trained by Chad Brown, was scratched from last Sunday’s Summer Colony Stakes to run here.

:: Get bonus PPs for Saturday's pick four at Canterbury Park

Though the Brown-trained Paid Up Subscriber came close to defeating Songbird, he’s not going into the Personal Ensign thinking Songbird is vulnerable.

“I know she might not have been as flashy as she used to be her last two starts,” Brown said. “I know as a trainer it doesn’t always mean they’re not the same horse, either. She may have needed a couple of starts to get where she’s at. Certainly, I hope she’s lost a step for the benefit of our horse, because if she hasn’t lost a step and she runs her race, everybody’s running for second.”

Eskenformoney, second in the Grade 3 Molly Pitcher for trainer Todd Pletcher, and Flora Dora, third to Songbird in last year’s Coaching Club American Oaks, complete the field.