Songbird Work Spot On Despite Rain

As they have done already this summer at Saratoga, Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer and his on-site assistant, Christina Jelm, made a weather-related adjustment Monday morning for champion Songbird (Medaglia d'Oro)'s final breeze before Saturday's GI Alabama S.

Since the track was sealed overnight, they went away from their usual work time of 5:30 a.m. and sent her out to the main track after the renovation break. Songbird, unbeaten in nine career starts, turned in a typically sharp performance under exercise rider Edgar Rodriquez. After a visit to the paddock, they covered a half-mile in :48.69–the third-fastest of 29–and galloped out. It was her third work at Saratoga since she won the GI Coaching Club American Oaks July 24.

“Edgar did perfect. They basically went :12s,” Jelm said. “It was smooth in the regular Songbird fashion.”

Jelm has handled Fox Hill Farm's filly during her stay in Saratoga and managed the work for Hollendorfer, who will travel from California later this week. Jelm said Songbird will follow her normal routine of walking Tuesday, jogging Wednesday and galloping Thursday and Friday. She is scheduled to school in the paddock on Thursday and Friday during the racing program.

While Songbird cooled out walking with groom Caesar Orantes, Jelm said the filly has an ideal temperament.

“'Professional' is the word I keep using,” Jelm said. “She is everything you would want in a horse. She has her fun and playful moments, but she knows when to have those. She's kind. She's not one to do a lot of kisses, per se, but she loves her ears rubbed. She doesn't have a mean bone in her. She's very kind.”

Heavy rain fell on Saratoga Race Course Saturday afternoon, forcing the New York Racing Association to cancel the final six races of the program. With the threat of more rain, NYRA sealed the track after Sunday's program.

“I feel like an assistant trainer/weatherman,” Jelm said. “We have really watched the weather and I think we've been perfectly lucky the way we've handled her breezing.”

As it turned out, they were able to get the work in on the targeted day, just a couple of hours later than usual.

“We were thinking Monday, but we were willing to do a Sunday or a Tuesday. We just had to wait and see,” she said. “Then we didn't go first-out because they sealed the track last night. We wanted them to open the track up and go after the break. I knew they were going to open it, but to have it sit sealed all night and after what had gone on yesterday with the rain, we thought it would be ideal after the break. It seemed like it was great.”

Jelm, 41, is an independent bloodstock agent based in Kentucky, who has become part of the Hollendorfer team. She estimated Monday that they may talk as many as 10 times a day during Songbird's time in Saratoga.

“I know his program fairly well. This is my sixth year working for him,” she said. “He calls every shot. We discuss everything, the whole routine. He's basically satellite training. It's as if he's here. I'm just doing the work.”

When Hollendorfer ships a horse to the East Coast, Jelm takes care of the day-to-day operation.

“Unless there is a horse auction, but I would skip a horse auction for Songbird,” she said, laughing. “Jerry and I grew up in the same town, Bath, Ohio. He and my father went to school together and college together and we finally made a connection about six years ago. It's just taken off since then.”

Jelm poked fun at herself as she explained why it took her so long–despite the hometown connection–to establish that working relationship with Hollendorfer.

“I was always hard-headed and wanted to do everything on my own,” she said. “My father kept saying, 'Call Jerry. Call Jerry.' I had a new client and wanted to find a trainer and put a team together. I was on the phone with my father and he said, 'Would you just call Jerry?' So I finally called him and we met up at the OBS March sale. That's how it started. We had a great year, bought some nice horses and it's kind snowballed from there. Then he found out that I had a trainer's license and I started to go on the road sporadically. Then we were having good success and it was working well so it's become a regular routine.”