Songbird completes Alabama preparations with half-mile breeze
Songbird wrapped up her major preparations for Saturday's $600,000 Alabama (G1) with a half-mile breeze Monday morning at Saratoga.
With her regular exercise rider Edgar Rodriguez aboard and escorted by pony rider Juan Galbes, the undefeated champion took to the main track shortly after the renovation break. The three-year-old Medaglia d'Oro filly kept to her normal routine, visiting the paddock before being turned loose from the pony on the backstretch.
Steadily picking up the pace, Songbird worked four furlongs in :48.49. NYRA clockers caught her galloping out five furlongs in 1:01.19.
"We just wanted to have a nice, easy half-mile breeze and an easy gallop-out. Edgar did perfect, they basically went 12's. [It was] smooth, in her regular Songbird fashion," said Christina Jelm, assistant to Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, who is expected to arrive later this week.
Last year, Songbird rattled off four straight victories, capped by a four-length score in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) en route to earning Eclipse Award honors as the 2015 champion juvenile filly. Songbird has added another five graded stakes to her resume as a three-year-old, topped by the Santa Anita Oaks (G1) in April and a 4 1/4-length romp in her East Coast debut in the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1).
With wins at distances ranging from six furlongs to 1 1/8 miles over four different racetracks, Songbird has collected her nine victories by a total of 47 3/4 lengths and earnings of more than $2.4 million.
(Teresa Genaro photo)
ADVERTISEMENT
