By Christie DeBernardis
Undefeated champion Songbird (Medaglia d'Oro) makes her highly anticipated return to the races Saturday in Santa Anita's GII Summertime Oaks after being forced to miss the GI Kentucky Oaks last month due to a fever. The “TDN Rising Star” boasts a perfect seven-for-seven record with four Grade I victories, including the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies last October. Demolishing a field which included GII Fair Grounds Oaks victress Land Over Sea (Bellamy Road) in the GII Las Virgenes S. Feb. 6 and capturing the GIII Santa Ysabel S. with equal ease Mar. 5, the Fox Hill Farms runner showed slop was no issue last time in the GI Santa Anita Oaks Apr. 9 and was removed from Kentucky Oaks consideration, where she would have been the heavy favorite, when she spiked a fever shortly after her last win and missed training. Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer's reports have all been positive after each of Songbird's four breezes since returning to the worktab May 22, most recently covering seven furlongs in 1:25 4/5 in Arcadia June 11.
With the rest of the field seeming to be in a race for second, the Phil D'Amato-trained Bellamentary (Bellamy Road) looks to have the best chance to join the elite list of Songbird runner-ups. Winner of three of her five starts, the chestnut could do no better than fifth behind the Eclipse winner in the Santa Anita Oaks, but rebounded with a decisive victory in the Angel Flight S. here May 15. D'Amato also saddles the unbeaten Coppa (Yesbyjimminy), who captured career bow at Del Mar Nov. 1 and followed suit with an optional claimer victory here May 21.
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