Songbird Soars in the Chandelier

Unbeaten ‘TDN Rising Star’ Songbird (Medaglia d’Oro) made easy work of Saturday’s GI Chandelier S. at Santa Anita, a ‘Win and You’re In’ event for the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, coasting home to a sensational 4 1/2-length wire-to-wire decision over Land Over Sea (Bellamy Road). Her final time of 1:43.79 was just a shade over a second faster than Nyquist (Uncle Mo)’s final clocking in the GI FrontRunner S. held earlier on the card.

“It lived up to the expectations,” Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith said. “She opens that stride up and she has such a high cruising speed. Not only does she have the ability, but she has the mind to go with it. There are so many horses with that kind of ability, but a lot can get to them.”

Taking up her preferred position at the head of affairs while trying two turns for the first time here, the Fox Hill Farms runner ticked off early splits of :23.14 and :46.85 while maintaining an unpressured advantage. Showing the way off the turn for home as Land Over Sea attempted to make a run at her, Mike Smith shook the reins, and it was immediately all over.

“It was very exciting,” Jerry Hollendorfer’s assistant trainer Dan Ward commented. “It was just what we wanted. She showed she can go two turns and now we’ve got five weeks [until the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Oct. 30].”

Smith added, “She’s so intelligent, she’s so smart and listens to everything I tell her. I got her to fall asleep there on the lead, but she fell asleep too much! I had to wake her up a little bit at the eighth pole, but after that, she jumped back into the bridle and it was over.”

He continued, “She acted up a little bit at the break. I think breaking in front of the crowd the first time made her a little nervous. I was lucky to get away as well as I did, but she’s so big and strong that when those horses came together on her, it just made her go forward.”

A runaway debut winner sprinting at Del Mar July 26, Songbird proved much the best after dueling clear with a 5 1/2-length victory in the seven-panel GI Del Mar Debutante S. Sept. 5.

Songbird’s graded stakes winning dam Ivanavinalot (West Acre) had a Ghostzapper filly this spring and was bred back to Tapizar.

Saturday, Santa Anita Park
CHANDELIER S.-GI, $300,750, SA, 9-26, 2yo, f,
1 1/16m, 1:43.79, ft.
1–SONGBIRD, 122, 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
‘TDN Rising Star’ ($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: 3-3-0-0, $402,000. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the  eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”hill-n-dale-hill-n-dale-raised-and-sold”][bullet ad=”hill-n-dale-dam-sells”][bullet ad=”lynwood-stable-broke”] 2–Land Over Sea, 122, 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. $60,000.[bullet ad=”victor-davila-shell”][bullet ad=”brookdale-foaled-raised-sold”][bullet ad=”armstrong-larkin-bloodstock-mating”] 3–Right There, 122, f, 2, Eskendereya–Elrose, by  Deputy Minister. ($55,000 Ylg ’14 KEESEP). O-Big Chief Racing, LLC; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-J. Keith Desormeaux. $36,000.[bullet ad=”denali-bred-by-stonestreet”][bullet ad=”stonestreet-bredraised”] Margins: 4HF, 9 3/4, 5 3/4. Odds: 0.20, 9.60, 24.80.
Also Ran: Vieja Luna, Jade Princess, Halo Darlin, Sheeza Milky Way, Yodelsong. Scratched: Pretty N Cool.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.