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Rick Porter announces retirement of champion filly Songbird

by NYRA Press Office

Two-time champion filly Songbird was retired Thursday morning after an evaluation by Dr. Larry Bramlage at Rood & Riddle in Lexington, Kentucky, showed an enlargement of both her hind suspensory ligaments, owner Rick Porter announced in a statement on Fox Hill Farm's Facebook page.

Last time out, the Medaglia d'Oro filly suffered her first loss of the year - and only the second in a 15-race career - when she was caught late by Forever Unbridled in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign on August 26 at Saratoga Race Course. 

Songbird's 4-year-old campaign was delayed as she recovered from bone bruising over the winter, Porter wrote. 

When she returned to the races, though, she did so with back-to-back Grade 1 wins, kicked off by a length victory in the Odgen Phipps on the June 10 Belmont Stakes undercard, before her loss by a neck in the Personal Ensign.

"After this past race, we thought something seemed off in her hind end, so we sent her to Rood & Riddle for an evaluation," Porter wrote. "Her lameness was readily apparent to Dr. Bramlage, and ultrasounds proved both hind suspensories were enlarged. Since suspensories are usually the result of something else amiss and he knew of her history, Dr. Bramlage shot a set of x-rays of the area of bone Songbird had issues with over the Winter. A distinct line on the bone was present. We followed up with a bone scan, and then an MRI."

"Unfortunately, the results weren't what we wanted to see," he continued. "We have a situation where it'd be dangerous for Songbird to continue training, and Dr. Bramlage isn't optimistic that the site will fully resolve even if given ample time."

Named champion 2-year-old filly in 2015 and champion 3-year-old filly in 2016, Songbird put together 11 straight wins through her first two seasons of racing, including a pair of Grade 1 victories last summer at Saratoga, winning the Coaching Club American Oaks and Alabama by a combined 12 ¼ lengths, before finishing second by a nose to the venerable Beholder in the Breeders' Cup Distaff last fall to close her sophomore campaign. Songbird retires with 13 wins and two seconds from 15 starts and $4,692,000 in lifetime earnings.