Songbird to skip Beholder Mile, run in richer Ogden Phipps

ARCADIA, Calif. – The California-based Songbird will launch her 2017 campaign at Belmont Park on June 10 in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps Stakes, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said Thursday.

Songbird, a two-time champion whose only loss was a nose defeat to Beholder in the 2016 Breeders’ Cup Distaff, is nominated to the Grade 1, $400,000 Beholder Mile on June 3 at Santa Anita. Hollendorfer and owner Rick Porter will skip the local race and go for the New York money one week later in the $750,000 Phipps.

“The degree of difficulty between the two races is probably about the same,” Hollendorfer said. “But one purse is 750, and the other purse is 400. That was a big factor. Plus, it would give me another week to work with her and get her ready before Belmont Day.”

Songbird worked six furlongs Thursday at Santa Anita under regular rider Mike Smith as she prepares for her first start since the Breeders’ Cup on Nov. 4. The champion 2-year-old filly of 2015 and champion 3-year-old filly of 2016, Songbird worked in 1:13.80 and galloped out seven-eighths in 1:27. Hollendorfer was happy. “It was a real good work,” he said.

“Maybe the ideal thing would be to stay here [at Santa Anita] and get a race here,” Hollendorfer said. “I’m not sure how many are going to run in New York, and they are nice fillies. But the horses that are going to run here, Stellar Wind and [Vale Dori], are probably two of the better fillies in the country.”

Songbird is proven on the road. She won three Grade 1 races last year on the East Coast – the Coaching Club American Oaks and Alabama at Saratoga and the Cotillion at Parx Racing.

“The boss [Rick Porter] would like to run in New York, and she did ship well and run well last year in New York,” Hollendorfer said.

Songbird has won 11 of 12 starts and earned $3,712,000.

Without Songbird in the Beholder Mile, Stellar Wind is expected to be solidly favored over a small field. Seven were nominated; the principals also include Vale Dori and Finest City.

Stellar Wind, the champion 3-year-old filly of 2015 and a two-time Grade 1 winner over Beholder in 2016, won the Grade 1 Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park in her first start of the year. Vale Dori has won six straight, including five graded stakes. Finest City, last year’s champion female sprinter, recently finished second in the Humana Distaff at Churchill Downs.

◗ Battle of Midway, third in the Kentucky Derby, also worked for Hollendorfer on Thursday, going five furlongs in 1:01.80. Battle of Midway will run June 24 in the Grade 3 Affirmed.

“We’re going to run him at home, and we’ll see what happens after that,” Hollendorfer said. “I try to run as many horses here [at Santa Anita] as I can.”