Songbird Back in the Big Apple

ELMONT, NY – Belmont Park was buzzing as the clock approached 8 a.m. Thursday morning with media and horsemen alike anxiously waiting for one very special horse to appear on the track. The superstar was not a GI Belmont S. runner, however. It was instead a member of the fairer sex, two-time champion Songbird (Medaglia d'Oro), who had just arrived from California the night before for a start in Saturday's GI Ogden Phipps S.

The Fox Hill Farm runner took a tour of the paddock before jogging around the wrong way with a pony and stopping to visit the gate. Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer and assistant Christina Jelm were among the group of media swarming the clubhouse gap, cameras at the ready and binoculars in hand, as they waited for Songbird to approach. New York trainer Robert Barbara was among the local horsemen, riding up on his pony to catch a glimpse of California's darling.

All you could hear was the clip clop of hooves and clicking of cameras as Songbird exited the track and headed back to the barn of Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey with her entourage in tow, completely unphased by the activity. Her paparazzi continued to snap endless photos as she quietly walked the shedrow and she was happy to oblige them, looking into the cameras with ears pricked each time she passed the doorway.

The last horse to get this kind of buzz on Belmont week was Triple Crown winner American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) and like his trainer, Bob Baffert, Songbird's conditioner took everything in stride.

“She's settled in just fine,” remarked the Hall of Famer, standing in the shade just outside of the McGaughey barn annex, where he always houses his Belmont runners due to its quiet, private setting. “She is a really smart filly and nothing bothers her too much.”

A champion at both two and three, Songbird was last seen suffering the first loss of her epic career, falling a nose short to four-time champion Beholder (Henny Hughes) after a thrilling stretch battle in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff Nov. 4 (video). The “TDN Rising Star” will be making her 4-year-old debut in the Phipps.

When asked what kind of development he has seen in Songbird from age three to four, Hollendorfer said, “She is bigger and stronger and that is my observation and other folks also. Mike Smith tells me that she is much more agreeable to rating and doing what he wants when he is out there working her on the racetrack. We are pleased about that and Mike has been very pleased with the way she is coming along in her workouts.”

While this is Songbird's first time at Belmont, it is not her first trip to the Empire State. The bay captured Saratoga's prestigious GI Coaching Club American Oaks and GI Alabama S. (video) last summer.

Hollendorfer has also had success with other horses at Big Sandy, winning the 1991 CCA Oaks when it was being run in Elmont with Lite Light and capturing the 2013 GI Met Mile with Sahara Sky.

“I ran Sahara Sky here and Chocolate Candy [ran in the 2009 Belmont],” he recalled. “We won the Coaching Club American Oaks when it was here with Lite Light and she ran against [champion] Meadow Star in the [GI] Mother Goose, which was a big thrill to me. We have traveled here a bit with some success.”

Songbird could have stayed at home in California for last Saturday's GI Beholder Mile (formerly the Vanity Mile)–in which champion Stellar Wind (Curlin) bested Vale Dori (Asiatic Boy {Arg}) and Eclipse winner Finest City (City Zip)–but her connections instead chose to return to the Big Apple and run in this spot.

“First of all, nothing is easy,” Hollendorfer said when asked what led to the decision. “In talking to and trying to make a plan with [owner] Mr. [Rick] Porter, who likes to have a lot of input, we decided to take a little more time to get ready and come out here and run at Belmont. So, that is the main reason we didn't go in the Beholder [Mile].”

The California-based conditioner continued, “Another reason is we felt like Stellar Wind and Vale Dori were on top of their game and we didn't want to come back against them in a short field [of three]. We have a seven-horse field here and to me that is better than trying to run in a short field. It gives the rider more flexibility and he can make better decisions.”

The seven-horse field includes fellow “TDN Rising Star” and GI Acorn S. heroine Carina Mia (Malibu Moon), who became the first horse to even come close to Songbird in the stretch of the CCA Oaks before the Eclipse winner powered clear to a 5 1/4-length success (video).

“We look at all the horses. You have to beat them all to get the win,” Hollendorfer remarked with a laugh. “We are very respectful of all the horses in the race and we hope they are respecting us, too. We will do our best. We are coming from a layoff, but we think we are well prepared for any race that we go in.”

The Hall of Famer has not ironed out a race strategy just yet, but feels his filly has plenty of options.

“I like to look at the Form first and figure out where the speed is,” he explained. “We may be the speed or we might lay off. We don't feel like there is anything that we have to do in the race as far as positioning goes. We think she can be on the front end or if somebody wants the front badly, we can rate.”

As for the future, Hollendorfer is taking it one race at a time, but a return to the East Coast is certainly a possibility.

“I think the boss would like to run in [the GI] Delaware [H.] if he could,” the Ohio native offered. “I told him I didn't know if I could have her ready for a mile and a quarter that soon. We will see. We would like to get past this step first and are looking to run a good race if we can do it.”

The boss, Porter, has always been an enthusiastic owner and can usually be counted on to be in attendance when he has a horse racing in a stakes. Unfortunately, the 77-year-old has been battling cancer for over a year and will be unable to make Saturday's race.

“He is unable to attend this race, but he will be watching and I already talked to him this morning and told him how Songbird went to the gate and everything,” Hollendorfer said. “So, he was happy about that.”

Songbird is not Hollendorfer's only superstar filly, however, as he is also the trainer of “TDN Rising Star” “Unique Bella (Tapit). The gray sophomore was the early favorite for the GI Kentucky Oaks, but, just like her predecessor Songbird, had to be withdrawn from consideration late due to a shin issue and has been on the bench since.

“She is coming along very well,” the 70-year-old commented. “She will be ready to start doing something in, I'd say, about another 30 days. We will take a conservative approach, see how she is when she comes back and get her ready slowly.”

Hollendorfer also has a talented sophomore colt in the barn in WinStar Farm and Don Alberto's Battle of Midway (Smart Strike). Previously campaigned by Porter, the “TDN Rising Star” was sold to those connections prior to his third-place finish in the GI Kentucky Derby May 6.

“Battle of Midway will run in the [GIII] Affirmed [S. June 24] at Santa Anita,” Hollendorfer offered. “If he runs well in there, we will probably look at the [GI] Haskell [Invitational S. July 30 at Monmouth Park] for him. That is what we had planned tentatively.”