Songbird tunes up for Alabama Stakes

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Songbird put the finishing touches on her major preparation for Saturday’s Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama Stakes by working a half-mile in 48.43 seconds Monday over Saratoga’s main track.

The work was her third and final move in between her victory in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks here on July 24 and the Alabama, the signature race of the meet for 3-year-old fillies.

While weather has wreaked havoc with many horses’ schedules, Songbird was able to keep on hers by working Monday, as trainer Jerry Hollendorfer had wanted. The only difference was that Hollendorfer instructed Christina Jelm, who is overseeing Songbird while in New York, to wait until after the 8:45 a.m. renovation break to breeze the filly, believing the drying-out track would be better after the break.

It was much busier at that time than at Songbird’s usual 5:40 training time, but Songbird was unfazed. Songbird visited the paddock and backed up to the eighth pole before jogging through the lane alongside a pony.

Songbird left the pony at the five-furlong pole and broke into her work at the half-mile pole. She went her opening quarter in 24.28 seconds, and with exercise rider Edgar Rodriguez opening his hands ever so slightly at the eighth pole, she came home her final quarter in 24.15 seconds. Songbird galloped out five furlongs in 1:01.21 and six furlongs in 1:15.01, a little less vigorously than her previous two works.

On Aug. 9, she went five furlongs in 1:00.70, with a six-furlong move in 1:13.63.

“The goal today was just to open up, get some air, really shoot for about a 48 with just a smooth, easy gallop-out, just kind of one last go-around before the race without taking too much out of her or putting too much into her,” Jelm said. “The gallop-out was important, but it wasn’t like we were breezing her the way we were trying to get her fit for this track.”

Speaking from Southern California, Hollendorfer said, “She’s had plenty of really outstanding workouts to this point. We just wanted to get a blowout, which she seemed to handle very well. As far as I’m concerned, we’re all set to go.”

Songbird, undefeated in nine starts, is expected to meet five challengers in the Alabama: Dark Nile, a winner of four straight, including the Delaware Oaks; Go Maggie Go, the winner of the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan; Weep No More, the winner of the Grade 1 Ashland; Flora Dora, third in the Coaching Club American Oaks; and Going for Broke, a winner of three straight.

Entries for the Alabama will be taken Wednesday.