Songbird Goes Wire to Wire in Delaware Handicap
It wasn’t as easy as many thought it would be, but superstar Songbird got the job done today in going wire to wire and holding off the second choice Martini Glass to win the Grade 1, $750,000 Delaware Handicap.
After Songbird's first start of the year last month in the Ogden Phipps at Belmont Park, some were surprised at the smallest margin of victory in her career, only one length. Confidently ridden by jockey Mike Smith, she appeared to need the race.
Today, carrying 124 pounds in this handicap, Songbird was spotting her five rivals 8 to 13 pounds and she was made the 1-9 favorite, the shortest-priced favorite in Delaware Handicap history. As expected, the Jerry Hollendorfer trained runner went right to the front and proceed to carve out sensible fractions of 24.26, 48.36, and 1:12.63 through 6 furlongs.
As Songbird led the field around the far turn Martini Glass, who had been tracking Songbird in second down the backstretch, started to make a move and with a quarter of a mile to go, Songbird’s lead shrunk to a half-length. Jockey Mike Smith got busy on Songbird at the top of the stretch and she responded, but Martini Glass wouldn’t go away.
Mike Smith went to the left handed whip several times in the stretch to ensure victory, and the final margin was one-length. Line of Best Fit was another two lengths back in third. Songbird finished off the 10 furlongs in 2:03.96.
“We were a little nervous at the eighth-pole, but we won and that is all that matters" owner Rick Porter said afterwards. This was a sweet win as he was able to attend today’s race and watch his two-time champion in person. The daughter of Medaglia d'Oro returned $2.10, $2.10, and $2.10. The exacta with Martini Glass the was good for $5.00.
So, the beat goes on for the two-time champion Songbird and her connections. Since the inception of the Eclipse awards in 1971, no filly has won the two-year-old, three-year-old, and older female Eclipse Awards in consecutive seasons, Songbird is trying to become the first.
"I'm not sure where she will go next. There are races all over the country for this filly. Saratoga is definitely a target. We will see how she comes out of this race. It is a tough race going a mile and quarter" Jerry Hollendorfer said after the race.
Bred in Kentucky by John Antonelli, out of the West Acre mare Ivanavinalot, Songbird now has more than $4.5 million in earnings, and The Delaware Handicap win was her ninth grade 1 win and 13th victory overall from 14 starts.
Mike Smith summed up his thoughts on the race afterwards saying, "I take this very seriously. These races are not easy. These are the kind of races you get beat in. If she did not run there would have been a whole lot of doubt, but she responded.”