Songbird preps for return, possibly in Beholder Mile

ARCADIA, Calif. – Songbird, a two-time Eclipse Award winner, took her first serious steps toward returning to action with an easy three-furlong drill in 35.80 seconds early Sunday morning at Santa Anita. Exercise rider Edgar Rodriguez was aboard for the drill, in which Songbird went by herself, breaking off at the three-furlong pole. Santa Anita’s clockers had her going out a half-mile in 48.20 seconds.

“Very nice and smooth, galloped out well. I’m very pleased,” said her trainer, Jerry Hollendorfer.

The most-likely starting spot for Songbird this year could be the Grade 1, $400,000 Beholder Mile -- formerly the Vanity -- here at Santa Anita on June 3, but anything at the highest level on both coasts conceivably is in play for Songbird this year.

“We had a program for her, followed it to a T, now we’re just getting started,” said Hollendorfer, who trains Songbird for owner Rick Porter. “If everything goes right we should have plenty of time to do something this year.”

The major year-end goal for Songbird is the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, run this year at Del Mar. Songbird lost last year’s Distaff at Santa Anita by a nose to Beholder, the only loss of Songbird’s career.

Songbird was named champion 3-year-old filly last year, and was champion 2-year-old filly in 2015, the year she won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland.