By Joe Bianca
The most popular 3-year-old filly since Hall of Famer Rachel Alexandra (Medaglia d'Oro), Fox Hill Farms' dual champion Songbird (Medaglia d'Oro) will make her much-anticipated 4-year-old bow as the prohibitive favorite Saturday in Belmont's GI Ogden Phipps S., “Win and You're In” Breeders' Cup Challenge race for the GI Distaff.
Taking home Eclipse awards in 2015 and 2016 by virtue of winning the first 11 starts of her career, including seven Grade I's, the 'TDN Rising Star' finally tasted defeat, barely, when just out-nodded by four-time champion Beholder (Henny Hughes) in an epic stretch battle in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff Nov. 4 at Santa Anita.
Given a lengthy break to recover from her action-packed sophomore season, Songbird returns with a steady string of quick works at her Santa Anita base for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, capped off by a best-of-25 bullet half-mile in :46 2/5 June 6. The Ogden Phipps will be the dark bay filly's first start at Big Sandy.
“If the way she's looking and the way she's acting is any indication on how she's going to come back, I couldn't ask her to come back any better,” Songbird's lifelong rider Mike Smith told the NYRA notes team. “She looks so good, I just can't brag enough about her. She's gotten older, and smarter, and she's just calmer about everything. Hopefully, she'll do it as well as she's been doing, if not even better. I think there's a chance she could be even better. She's certainly bigger and stronger, I know that.”
The only other Grade I winner in the field will try to turn the tables on Songbird after being discarded twice by the champion last year. Three Chimneys Farm's 'TDN Rising Star' Carina Mia (Malibu Moon), victress of the GI Acorn S. on this card a year ago, is winless in five subsequent starts, including a pair of distant seconds behind Songbird in the GI CCA Oaks and GI Cotillion S. The Bill Mott trainee opened her 4-year-old account with a third in the GI Humana Distaff S. last out May 6 at Churchill.
Paid Up Subscriber (Candy Ride {Arg}), winner of the GII Fleur De Lis H. and second in the GI Delaware H. last year, will try to get back on track after losing her last five outings, most recently running fourth as the favorite with traffic trouble in the GI La Troienne S. May 5 at Churchill.
Chester and Mary Broman's homebred Highway Star (Girolamo) will try to continue her ascent after taking the GIII Distaff H. and GII Ruffian S. earlier this spring. The chestnut is a perfect four-for-four on the Belmont oval.
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