In 2000, the colors of Rick Porter's Fox Hill Farm were borne by jockey Mike Smith aboard Jostle (Brocco), who followed up on a 3 1/4-length victory in the GI Coaching Club American Oaks–then at a mile and a half and contested at Belmont Park–with a defeat of that year's GI Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Status (A.P. Indy) in the GI Alabama S. Fast forward 16 years and one day and Smith found himself back at the Spa to pilot Fox Hill's 'TDN Rising Star' Songbird (Medaglia d'Oro), the reigning Eclipse Award-winning 2-year-old filly who had conquered all before her, but was forced to miss this year's Kentucky Oaks owing to an elevated temperature following her victory in the GI Santa Anita Oaks. Easily best in Saratoga's CCA Oaks, now a nine-furlong test, Songbird was 1-5 in the win pool, a nickel on the dollar in the place pool, and the result was never in doubt, as she wrested command from Go Maggie Go (Ghostzapper) on the turn and cruised home to score by seven lengths.
Saturday, Saratoga Race Course
ALABAMA S.-GI, $600,000, SAR, 8-20, 3yo, f, 1 1/4m, 2:03.00, ft.
1–SONGBIRD, 121, f, 3, by Medaglia d'Oro
1st Dam: Ivanavinalot (GSW, $647,300), by West Acre
2nd Dam: Beaty Sark, by Deputy Minister
3rd Dam: Torsion Belle, by Torsion
($400,000 Ylg '14 FTSAUG). O-Fox Hill Farms, Inc.; B-John
Antonelli (KY); T-Jerry Hollendorfer; J-Mike E. Smith.
$360,000. Lifetime Record: Ch. 2yo filly & MGISW, 10-10-0-0,
$2,762,000. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”irt-shell”][bullet ad=”lynwood-stable-graduate”][bullet ad=”hillndale-consigned”]2–Going for Broke, 121, f, 3, Blame">Blame–Support the Cause, by Put
It Back. O/B-Waterford Stables, Inc. (KY); T-Chad C. Brown.
$120,000.
3–Family Tree, 121, f, 3, Smart Strike–Giant Mover, by Giant's
Causeway. ($225,000 Ylg '14 KEESEP). O-Gary & Mary West;
B-Dell Ridge Farm, LLC & Sam-Son Farm (KY); T-Wayne M.
Catalano. $60,000.
Margins: 7, 1 3/4, 2 3/4. Odds: 0.20, 12.70, 11.30.
Also Ran: Weep No More, Flora Dora, Go Maggie Go, Dark Nile. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
Songbird, accorded Rising Star status off a smashing debut success a little more than a year ago, won the GI Del Mar Debutante at second asking, recorded a time faster than that of Nyquist (Uncle Mo) in taking out the GI Chandelier S. and repeated that feat when besting Rachel's Valentina (Bernardini) by nearly six lengths in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. The $400,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga grad returned this term to post easy scores in the GII Las Virgenes S. Feb. 6 and in the GIII Santa Ysabel S. Mar. 5 and had recent GII San Clemente H. winner Mokat (Uncle Mo) 3 3/4 lengths behind in the Santa Anita Oaks. Gone a little more than two months, she proved not for catching in the GII Summertime Oaks June 18, winning off by 6 1/2 lengths, and was given a true test in the CCA Oaks, turning back the pace-pressing 'TDN Rising Star' Carina Mia (Malibu Moon) before drawing away by 5 1/4 lengths. Blind Luck defeated Fox Hill's future Horse of the Year Havre de Grace (Saint Liam) in the 2010 Alabama and Songbird was heavily favored to give trainer Jerry Hollendorfer a second winner.
Songbird was away smoothly from stall six, but Luis Saez atop multiple Grade II winner Go Maggie Go (Ghostzapper) was under orders to make the front and they clicked off an opening quarter-mile in :23.69 with Mike Smith content to sit just off her saddle towel as they turned up the backside. They raced by the six-furlong mark after a half in :47.77, but the next sectional would put the leaders to the sword. The three-quarters were up in 1:11.13–an internal two furlongs in :23.36, a wickedly demanding fraction given the distance–and by the time they'd hit the midway point on the turn, Go Maggie Go had hoisted the white flag. Songbird, however, was still whistling along, had a widening margin on her rivals at the head of the stretch, was under hands-and-heels into the final furlong and proved easily best. Going For Broke emerged from the backfield and outfinished Family Tree for second money.
“She is just amazing, and she keeps on getting better and better,” said Smith, who won the Alabama each year from 1993 to 1995 with Sky Beauty, Heavenly Prize and Pretty Discreet. “We were running along a pretty good clip and I was kind of surprised that someone was going with her [Go Maggie Go] which was fine. We can't always get an easy lead and she was comfortable going along down the backside and well within in herself. I knew she was going to run well.”
Hollendorfer indicated that a start in the Sept. 24 GI Cotillion S., a race in which Havre de Grace turned the tables on Blind Luck, could be next for Songbird. She could square off there with Kentucky Oaks winner and fellow 'TDN Rising Star' Cathryn Sophia (Street Boss).
Pedigree Notes:
Songbird has drawn comparisons to Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra, and there are similarities both in terms of their ability on the racetrack and in their breeding, as both are maternal granddaughters of Forty Niner. Rachel Alexandra's dam, Lotta Kim, was by the impeccably bred Roar (ex Wild Applause), while Songbird's dam was the best of 15 black-type winners produced by West Acre, an unraced half-brother to GISW Preach (Mr. Prospector), the dam of Pulpit. Songbird is a half-sister to Wide Range (Mineshaft), the dam of 2013 GII Carry Back S. winner Mico Margarita (Run Away and Hide), while her yearling half-sister by Ghostzapper was scooped up for $800,000 at the recently concluded Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling Sale. Ivanavinalot, who was bought back on a bid of $885,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton November sale, is the dam of a filly foal by Tapizar and was part of the first book of mares to visit Triple Crown champion American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile). Wide Range was recently purchased by Team Valor and repatriated from Thailand. After producing a colt by English Colony (GB) this year, she was bred back to Medaglia d'Oro. The cross of Medaglia d'Oro has also been successful over the further female family, as he was the sire of $1.3-million Keeneland September yearling Onepointthreekarats, whose dam Beaties For Real (Unreal Zeal) is a half-sister to Ivanavinalot.
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