Songbird dominated her division, both as an Eclipse Award-winning two-year-old and now as the champion three-year-old filly.
The Jerry Hollendorfer trainee brought an unbeaten record into her sophomore season and continued her winning ways in romping fashion throughout 2016.
Songbird kicked off the year with a 6 1/2-length triumph in the Las Virgenes Stakes (G1) and followed with the easiest of wins in the Santa Ysabel Stakes (G3) and Santa Anita Oaks (G1).
The Medaglia d’Oro filly had her sights set on the Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs on May 6, but unfortunately developed a fever after April 9 Santa Anita Oaks. She took a two-month break and returned in tip-top-form to add a 6 1/2-length victory in the Summertime Oaks (G2) to her resume on June 18.
A trip to New York was in the cards for Songbird, but taking on Saratoga, the infamous “Graveyard of Champions,” didn’t stop the dark bay lass from romping in both the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) and Alabama Stakes (G1).
Songbird readied for her debut against elder runners with a 5 3/4-length win in the Cotillion Stakes (G1) at Parx Racing in late September, then faced her toughest challenge to date when going against supermare Beholder in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) on November 4.
After an epic duel that saw Songbird and Beholder running in tandem down the stretch, the Kentucky-bred filly suffered her first loss when Beholder got her nose down on the wire first. That in no way detracts from Songbird’s accomplishments, which added up to $2,210,000 in 2016 earnings to go along with an 8-7-1-0 record. Her overall mark boasts a line of 12-11-1-0 to go along with $3,712,000 in earnings.
