Songbird Hits a High Note in Debutante

‘TDN Rising Star’ Songbird (Medaglia d’Oro) was all class when taking her record to two-for-two with an ultra-impressive victory in the GI Del Mar Debutante S. Hammered down to even-money favoritism over GII Sorrento S. winner Pretty N Cool (Scat Daddy), the flashy dark bay was quickest away from the outside post in this 11-horse affair and took up her preferred position on the front end. Clocking an opening quarter in :22.33, she allowed Pretty N Cool to put her nose in front through a half in :44.84, but continued to glide right alongside her as they turned for home with Mike Smith still motionless in the irons. The Fox Hill Farms colorbearer readily responded when popped the question by the Hall of Famer in the lane and effortlessly cruised clear of Pretty N Cool to win as she pleased. Land Over Sea (Bellamy Road) came running late for third.

“I rode her. You had to ride her to beat these kind,” Smith said of his aggressive tactics. “I was just worried about anything coming on my outside. I felt like I had the filly to my inside [Pretty N Cool] taken care of and really no one came. I just kind of stayed busy on her. She needed a good race in her anyway and now you can point to go on next time and she should be really ready.”

Smith, who stayed in California to ride Songbird rather than return to New York to pilot GI Woodward S. hero Liam’s Map (Unbridled’s Song)–who he rode to a narrow runner-up effort in the GI Whitney S.–was full of praise for the long-striding filly.

“She’s such a big, fluid moving thing,” he remarked. “She just moves so easy over the ground. She could be something really special. I have some really high, high hopes for her. That was a tough bunch. You know, seven-eighths is a really tough race on a horse. It’s actually harder than a mile. It’s a long, long sprint and you have to run pretty much from the word go. She was able to do that today. I think when we stretch her out around two turns you are going to see an even better mare.”

A $400,000 FTSAUG purchase, Songbird sped from gate to wire to dominate by 6 1/2 lengths over favored stablemate Tiz a Tommy Town (Speightstown) in her six-furlong debut here July 26. (Click here for write up on her debut). The bay’s dam Ivanavinalot, winner of the 2003 GII Bonnie Miss S., RNA’d for $625,000 while in foal to Mineshaft at the 2004 Keeneland November sale. She is a half to the MSP Beatties for Real (Unreal Zeal), who is the dam of $1.3 million KEESEP yearling and MSW Onepointhreekarats (Medaglia d’Oro). Ivanavinalot did not have a foal in 2014, but produced a Ghostzapper filly this year and was bred back to Tapizar. She is also responsible for the dam of 2013 GIII Carry Back S. winner Mico Margarita (Run Away and Hide). Medaglia d’Oro is also the broodmare sire of Saturday’s GI Spinaway S. winner and fellow ‘TDN Rising Star’ Rachel’s Valentina (Bernardini).

 

Saturday, Del Mar
DEL MAR DEBUTANTE S.-GI, $301,250, DMR, 9-5, 2yo, f, 7f, 1:22.65, ft.
1–#@&SONGBIRD, 118, f, 2, 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
($400,000 Ylg ’14 FTSAUG). O-Fox Hill Farms Inc.;
B-John Antonelli (KY); T-Jerry Hollendorfer; J-Mike E.
Smith. $180,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0,
$222,000. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
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2–Pretty N Cool, 122, f, 2, Scat Daddy—
Stayclassysandiego, by Rockport Harbor. ($160,000
Ylg ’14 KEESEP). O-Karl Watson, Michael E. Pegram
& Paul Weitman; B-Nancy C. Shuford (KY); T-Bob
Baffert. $60,000.
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3–Land Over Sea, 118, f, 2, Bellamy Road–Belle
Watling, by Pulpit. ($42,000 Ylg ’14 KEESEP;
$130,000 2yo ’15 OBSAPR). O-Reddam Racing LLC;
B-Jack Swain (KY); T-Doug F. O’Neill. $36,000.
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Margins: 5 1/4, 3/4, 4 3/4. Odds: 1.10, 2.10, 29.50.
Also Ran: Right There, Stays in Vegas, One True Kiss, Surfside Tiara, Mitzi Winks, My Dynamo, Come to Mischief. Scratched: Gomo.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.