Fox Hill Farm's champion and 'TDN Rising Star' Songbird (Medaglia d'Oro) made it look easy once again in Saturday's GI Cotillion S. at Parx, but hard on racing journalists trying to come up with new ways to describe her ever-growing list of facile scores at the highest level. They threw GI Kentucky Oaks heroine and fellow 'Rising Star' Cathryn Sophia (Street Boss) at her this time, but the result was the same–a 5 3/4-length success at 1-5. 'Rising Star' Carina Mia (Malibu Moon), beaten 5 1/4 lengths by the chalk when runner-up in Saratoga's GI Coaching Club American Oaks July 24, settled for second again after setting the pace. Cathryn Sophia could only manage a distant third.
Away without incident, Songbird was taken in hand by Mike Smith to stalk Carina Mia in second while floated a bit wide into the first bend. Carina Mia was asked to quicken a bit by Julien Leparoux after a half in :47 3/5, and Songbird soon followed suit and cranked up the pressure turning for home with Cathryn Sophia under an early ride to keep up behind that duo. Songbird took over under a hand ride from there, and was ridden out in typical fashion to win without ever having to dig down deep.
“She was so happy, so calm and cool,” offered Smith. “She drew away… she was having fun today, that was the old her and I was so glad to see that.”
Songbird will now be pointed to the Nov. 4 GI Breeders' Cup Distaff, where she will face older rivals, including leading mare Beholder (Henny Hughes) and last year's champion 3-year-old filly Stellar Wind (Curlin).
Saturday, Parx Racing
COTILLION S.-GI, $1,060,000, PRX, 9-24, 3yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:44.02, ft.
1–SONGBIRD, 124, 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
'TDN Rising Star' ($400,000 Ylg '14 FTSAUG). O-Fox Hill Farms Inc.; B-John Antonelli (KY); T-Jerry Hollendorfer; J-Mike E Smith. $610,000. Lifetime Record: Ch. 2yo Filly, 11-11-0-0, $3,372,000. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*.[bullet ad=”hillndale-consigned”][bullet ad=”lynwood-stable-graduate”]2–Carina Mia, 124, f, 3, Malibu Moon–Miss Simpatia (Arg), by 'TDN Rising Star' Southern Halo. ($410,000 Ylg '14 KEESEP). O-Three Chimneys Farm; B-Spendthrift Farm LLC (KY); T-William I. Mott. $210,000.[bullet ad=”bridlewood-farm-training-graduate”][bullet ad=”niallbrennan-trainingandsalesgrad”][bullet ad=”warrendale-sold-congratulations-to-all-the-connections”]3–Cathryn Sophia, 124, f, 3, Street Boss–Sheave, by Mineshaft. 'TDN Rising Star' ($30,000 Ylg '14 EASSEP). O-Cash is King LLC; B-Robert T Manfuso (MD); T-John C Servis. $120,000.[bullet ad=”maryland-shell”][bullet ad=”taylormade-privatesalebrokeredby”]Margins: 5 3/4, 6 3/4, 2 3/4. Odds: 0.30, 6.90, 2.60.
Also Ran: Land Over Sea, Disco Rose, Queena Esther.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
Songbird cruised to a perfect four-for-four juvenile season in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies last Halloween at Keeneland, and trounced her rivals in a trio of tries at Santa Anita, capped by the GI Santa Anita Oaks in April. She had practically already been handed the GI Kentucky Oaks trophy when a fever knocked her out of the race, but Hollendorfer got her back to her best and that illness proved only a minor bump in the road. Just as dominant as ever in the GII Summertime Oaks back in Arcadia June 18, Songbird took her show on the road and invaded Saratoga for what was supposed to be her toughest test to date in the Coaching Club. Simply too much for Carina Mia to handle, she returned to see out a 10-panel distance clearly beyond her preferred trip when airing by seven lengths in the GI Alabama S. Aug. 20.
“When I talked Mike about the race, we just wanted to jump and see where we were,” said Hall of Fame conditioner Jerry Hollendorfer, who took the Pennsylvania Derby Championship earlier on the card with Cyrus Alexander (Medaglia d'Oro). “Songbird laid off the pace a little and ran when Mike asked her to. I'm very grateful for her, and very pleased with the way that she did that today. I thought she was going great down the backside, Mike said she was looking around a little bit.”
Owner Rick Porter was unable to attend the Alabama as he was in the hospital battling lymphoma, but made it to Bensalem Saturday and was all smiles.
“She just continues to amaze me,” Porter said. “I've been fortunate enough to have some nice horses, even though we've won Horse of the Year with Havre de Grace (Saint Liam), I'm amazed by her accomplishments. It doesn't get any better than to watch her today, she was just gorgeous. I'm proud to watch her race, she gives me chills every time. It's just so much fun to watch her run. I thought this race fit in with the Breeders' Cup, the timing is perfect. I think Jerry and I agree the Distaff is the race to run her in. There's some big cheese in that race, but that's the fun of it–hook the big ones and hopefully beat 'em. All along we've thought about sticking with the girls. The time will come next year when we talk about it. I hope that she stays healthy, and it looks like she can beat Grade I boys; I think I can talk [Jerry] into taking a shot.”
Pedigree Notes:
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 by PTK LLC 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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