Francesca Le Donne Photo

Champion Songbird headlines Grade 1 Personal Ensign on Travers Day

by Lynn Snierson

With the imposing presence of dual champion and nine-time Grade 1 winner Songbird entered in Saturday's Grade 1, $700,000 Personal Ensign, a compact yet talented field of five fillies and mares is set to contest the race at 1 1/8 miles at Saratoga Race Course on Travers Day.

Named in honor of the Phipps Stable's homebred champion, who never tasted defeat in 13 career efforts, the Personal Ensign is a "Win and You're In" qualifier for the Grade 1, Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff at Del Mar in November.

Songbird has also been victorious in 13 starts, with only one blemish on her impressive 14-race resume, and although Hall of Famer trainer Jerry Hollendorfer maintains he does not like to compare horses, he said simply, "She's right up there with the best of them."

The only time Songbird, a 4-year-old daughter of Medaglia d'Oro owned by Fox Hill Farms, lost was by a nose to multiple champion Beholder after the two engaged in an electrifying and dramatic duel in deep stretch during the 2016 Breeders' Cup Distaff.

Idle until June, she came back from the long layoff with successive Grade 1 wins under regular rider and Hall of Famer Mike Smith in the Ogden Phipps at Belmont Park at 1 1/16 miles in June and the Delaware Handicap while stretching out to 1 ¼ miles one month later.  

"We think we've prepared her well for this race," said Hollendorfer, referencing the 4-year-old filly's last breeze at Del Mar on Saturday when she worked 4 furlongs in 47.20 seconds and galloped out with alacrity. "I like the way she is right now. She's ready to run. According to what we're looking at and according to what her rider says, we think she's even better than she was last year."

That assessment hasn't scared away her competition. 

Dual Grade 1 winner Forever Unbridled was third in last year's Personal Ensign and was also third in the 2016 Breeders' Cup after closing strongly to come up short to Beholder and Songbird by 1 ¼ lengths in total. But trainer Dallas Stewart said he isn't ready to call Saturday's race a rematch.

"It's a champion we're racing against, but we've got a very nice filly of our own, so we'll see what happens," said Stewart, who conditions Charles Fipke's homebred 5-year-old daughter of champion Unbridled's Song out of Kentucky Oaks winner Lemons Forever. "She's training great. She hasn't missed a beat since her last race. She's worked every week that she was supposed to work. She's trained hard and she loves it."

Forever Unbridled, who is making her second 2017 start following a win in the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis, which is also a "Win and You're In for the Breeders' Cup Distaff, arrived at Saratoga Tuesday and flew on the same plane with Songbird on the leg from Kentucky to New York.

"She's strong. Real strong. She doesn't do anything nice and easy. That's one thing about her. She's not easy. She's a tough horse. She's nice in the stall, but when she gets outside, you'd better be ready. She'll lay it on you," said Stewart.

Coffeepot Stables' Flora Dora is seeking her first graded stakes score, as is her trainer Marialice Coffey. The 4-year-old daughter of First Dude, who finished fourth in a pair of Grade 3 races in her two last starts, will depart from the rail under Florent Geroux.

"She keeps moving forward. She's a bigger and stronger filly. She's huge. She really enjoys the competition," Coffey said. "I like the distance for her. She always tries hard. I think she's better now than she was as a 2-year-old. She's more focused and likes what she's doing."

But when the gates open all eyes will be on Smith and Songbird, who possesses plenty of early speed and a brilliant turn of foot, as they break from post 2 in a race that doesn't expect a great deal of pace.

"We'll be off the pace a little bit, like usual,” said Stewart, who will leg up Joel Rosario before the jockey and Forever Unbridled depart from post 4 while toting co-highweight of 123 along with Songbird. “We'll leave it up to Rosario. That's his problem and he's got to figure it out. All I can do is make a few suggestions." Said Stewart, who will leg up Joel Rosario before the jockey and Forever Unbridled depart from post 4 while toting co-highweight of 123 along with Songbird.

"I'll talk to Mike about it and we'll make our strategy, but we also want to be prepared if we have to make a change in the race. I don't know how it's going to unfold, but we'll find out soon enough," added Hollendorfer.  

Flora Dora finished third and fifth, respectively, to Songbird when they last tangled in the 2016 editions of the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks and the Grade 1 Alabama at Saratoga.

"Songbird is Songbird. It's a privilege to be with her on the same track and the same race with her. She is tactical. He style is break, let her get into that stride, and keep her in the clear," Coffey said.

Waterford Stables' Going For Broke, who finished second to Songbird in the Alabama, was scratched by trainer Chad Brown from the $100,000 Summer Colony on August 19 in favor of this spot. She gets the services of Irad Ortiz, Jr., along with a six-pound break in the weights, and post Post 3. Eskenformoney, a two-time Grade 3 winner in 25 previous efforts, completes the field for Star Light Ladies Racing and trainer Todd Pltecher and she will be partnered with Hall of Fame rider Javier Castellano.

"I'd just like to win this race. As far as turning the tables, Songbird's a great filly. But my filly's not going down easy, I'll tell you that. She will fight, and fight hard," Stewart said.