Fox Hill Farms’ Songbird stamped herself as a two-year-old filly to reckon with on the national stage with an impressive victory Saturday in the Grade I $301,250 Del Mar Debutante.
With Hall of Famer Mike Smith in the saddle,even-money favored Songbird engaged highly-regarded rival Pretty N Cool from the start of the seven-furlong sprint and disposed of that filly in the stretch to win by five and one-quarter lengths in the fast time of 1:22.65.
Pretty N Cool, who went postward a solid second choice at 2-1, held on gamely in the late stages to be second, three-quarters of a length in front of Land Over Sea, 29-1 under Mario Gutierrez. Fourth in the field of 11 fillies was Right There.
Songbird, a Kentucky-bred daughter of Medaglia d’Oro purchased for $400,000 at the 2014 Fasig Tipton yearling sale, was scoring her second victory, having broken her maiden first time out July 26. Jerry Hollendorfer trains Songbird who earned $180,000 to increase her bankroll to $222,000.
Songbird returned $4.20, $2.60 and $2.20, Pretty N Cool paid $2.80 and $2.60, while Land Over Sea returned $5 to show.
In a supporting feature on the program, Rockingham Ranch’s Hollywood Don, ridden by Brice Blanc, won a prolonged stretch duel with Hot Ore to win the $100 ,000 Del Mar Juvenile Turf for two-year-olds.
Hollywood Don, a son of Tapit trained by Peter Miller, scored by one and one-half lengths over Hot Ore, a 9-1 longshot piloted by Tyler Baze. I’malreadythere, the tepid 4-1 favorite in a wide-open contest, was third three and one-half lengths farther back, with Rare Candy finishing fourth in the field of eleven youngsters.
Hollywood Don, purchased for $245,000 at the Ocala, Florida April sale of two-year-olds in training, accomplished the mile distance on grass in 1:35.46 and returned $10.60, $5.20 and $3.80. It was the second win in three starts for the Kentucky-bred colt who earned $60,000 to boost his bankroll to $102,250.
Runner-up Hot Ore paid $8.60 and $5.40, while I’malreadythere returned $3.20 to show.l
Miller also sent out two other winners on the card – Katy Drama by disqualification at $7.20 in the fourth and Hollywood Don at $10.60 in the sixth to temporarily move within one winner of Hollendorfer for the top spot in the trainer standings.
Songbird provided Hollendorfer with his 22nd victory this summer as he regained a two-win lead on Miller going into the final two days of the 2015 Del Mar meeting. Hollendorfer and Miller deadheated for the training championship a year ago with 20 victories each.
There were six perfect tickets in the Pick Six and each paid $18,472.
Saturday’s attendance totaled 11,491.
MIKE SMITH (Songbird, winner) – “For such a big mare, things just come so easy for her. I’ve been getting on her in the mornings and I’m impressed by just how well she does things. She came right out of that gate today, so smooth. We went at it with that other filly (Pretty N Cool) and I had to ride mine at the end. To beat horses like this you’ve got to work. I know they’ve got high hopes for her. I think when they stretch her out, she’s going to be even better.”
MARTIN GARCIA (Pretty N Cool, second) – “She’s a good filly; better than what she showed today. I think her last race (Sorrento, Aug. 12) was too close. I think she would have liked some more time.”
MARIO GUTIERREZ (Land Over Sea, third) – “She’s going to be a much better filly going two turns. This isn’t her thing (sprinting). But it’s the kind of race where you had to try.”
KENT DESORMEAUX (Right There, fourth) – “Good race for her. More to come; more to come.”
JERRY HOLLENDORFER (Songbird, winner) – “She ran very spectacular today. You always worry coming down the lane a little but he had a lot of horse left and Mike rode her beautifully. (On the training title battle with Peter Miller – he is now two wins in front of his rival.) You know what, it’s not supposed to be easy and it’s not.”
FRACTIONS: :22.33 :44.84 1:09.81 1:22.65
The stakes win was the fourth of the meet for rider Smith and his second (Stardom Bound, 2008) in the Debutante. He now has 54 stakes wins at Del Mar, tying him with Don Pierce for 11th best all time.
The stakes win was the fourth of the meeting for trainer Hollendorfer, but his first in the Debutante. He now has 28 stakes wins at Del Mar.
Songbird is owned by the Fox Hill Farms of Rick Porter of Lexington, KY.