Songbird Steals the Morning Workout Show

Songbird Steals the Morning Workout Show: Songbird, queen of the north, south, east and west, who, no matter the locale, always runs her best, worked four furlongs under exercise rider Edgar Rodriguez in a bullet 46.80, breezing, shortly after sunup Thursday at 6:45 a.m. as she prepares for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Santa Anita on Nov. 4.

The race for fillies and mares, three and up at 1 1/8 miles, is shaping up as an equine version of the Three Tenors, only this won’t be a classical opera version comprised of Pavarotti, Domingo and “the other guy.”

The Distaff looms a classic race between three champions, Songbird, Beholder and Stellar Wind. Call them the Three Terrors.

“I got her in 47 point two; the clockers gave 46-four,” Jerry Hollendorfer said after watching the undefeated daughter of Medaglia d’Oro in her first work since steamrolling her opposition in the Cotillion at Parx on Sept. 24 for her 11th straight dominating triumph. She has won by a combined margin of just over 60 lengths, an average of more than five per race.

“It was just a maintenance work to get her back into action,” Hollendorfer said. “She’s got plenty of foundation, so we’re just maintaining her until the Breeders’ Cup. I gave her more time before this breeze because we shipped to and from the East Coast twice.

“I got her (galloping) out (five furlongs) in 59.90, (six furlongs in) 1:12.70, (seven furlongs in) 1:26.60 and a mile in 1:41.

“She’ll have approximately three more breezes prior to the Distaff. She’s maintained her weight despite traveling back and forth form east to west, and I’m really appreciative of that. She hadn’t lost any weight coming back from Saratoga (after winning the Coaching Club Oaks and the Alabama) and she looked good coming back from Parx.

“Her work today was nice and smooth, nice and easy, very much on her own.”

Breeders’ Cup-bound Arrogate and Masochistic also worked Thursday, but clocker Toby Turrell of The Yellow Sheet said “Songbird stole the show.”

Source: Santa Anita Park