Songbird Strolls In

By Harley Walden

Harley Walden

AMERICA was blessed by the presence of a proper superstar in 2015 when Horse of the Year American Pharoah put the sport on the front pages by enjoying a memorable campaign which included landing the Triple Crown, a feat last achieved in 1978.

American Pharoah, who is now covering mares at Ashford Stud in Kentucky, will be a hard act to follow, but one can hope.

There are at least two colts who seem to have genuine star potential Nyquist and Moyaymen; while the fillies’ division appears already to harbor a true champion.

Songbird was utterly dominant in the juvenile fillies’ ranks in 2015, and the evidence so far is that she might be equally special at three.

Songbird, a daughter of Medaglia d’Oro, ran four times at two, winning easily every time. Other than her maiden win on debut, she competed exclusively in Grade 1 Company so her Eclipse Award was a formality.

And things seem to be going equally well during her three-year-old campaign as she two from two in 2016.

Songbird made a successful resumption in the Grade 2 Las Virgenes Stakes at Santa Anita on the first weekend of February, after which trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, mindful of the long year ahead of her, mapped out a gentle lead-in to the Kentucky Oaks for her.

However, she had such an easy race in the Las Virgenes that Hollendorfer decided to nominate her for the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes at Santa Anita on Saturday March 5.

She duly found it a walk in the park to take her record there to six from six, strolling home with regular jockey Mike Smith barley having to move a muscle. She really promises to be a horse to light up the season.