The BloodHorse headline about the Personal Ensign reads “Songbird Set to Regain Form in Personal Ensign.” I’m sorry, but being undefeated on the year, after running her eyeballs out to close out last year in a close second to Beholder in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, I didn’t know she lost it.
True, her victory in the Delaware Handicap didn’t visually appear to be the Songbird we know, but they were many factors contributing to that. It was her second race back after a great return in the Ogden Phipps on the Belmont Stakes undercard. The horse she beat that day, Paid Up Subscriber, came back to win by the length of there stretch at Saratoga.
Delaware is a tough strip the first time you race over it and it was particularly slow and tiring that day. Songbird had to work a little but when I discussed the race with owner Rick Porter on our Switching Leads radio show with Dina Alborano and Steve Haskin we were in agreement that race should have her really legged up and only if it went that way would she head to Saratoga.
Well she is at the Spa and I suspect she will run huge. Forever Unbridled is a really nice horse, and is steady as a rock, but she is no Songbird. Going for Broke could be trouble if she continues to improve and Songbird doesn’t run her anticipated A- race.
After a race like last year’s Distaff against Beholder you always worry about gutting a filly a la Rachel Alexandra in the Woodward a few years back. Sometimes they are just never the same. Being two for two on the year I don’t think we can say that about Songbird just yet, but should she not fire and that turn out to be the case, it actually strengthens her two wins already this year as they were all on heart and class.
