Breeders' Cup: Songbird can fly from rail in Distaff

ARCADIA — Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer’s assistant, Dan Ward, echoed jockey Mike Smith’s sentiments about Songbird drawing the rail for Friday’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Santa Anita.

Songbird, the 6-5 morning-line favorite, brings an 11-0 record into the 1 1/8-mile race. She’s 7-0 this year and has won four Grade I stakes in three states.

“It’s really not a concern,” Ward said. “She’s drawn the rail three times in the past and you know the result. This is going to be a very tough race, so I look at it as us having the shortest distance home.”

Songbird’s three races when starting from the rail?

All three resulted in gate-to-wire victories. She won by 6 1/2 lengths in her career debut in July 2015 at Del Mar, won the Grade I Santa Anita Oaks by 3 3/4 lengths over a sloppy track April 9, and scooted home first by 5 1/4 lengths in the Grade I Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga on July 24.

Songbird, a 3-year-old daughter of Medaglia d’Oro, has won her 11 races by a combined 59 1/2 lengths.

One of the fillies who will try to end Songbird’s unbeaten reign, the John Sadler-trained Stellar Wind, jogged 1 1/2 miles under exercise rider Ricardo Peniche on Tuesday morning.

Sadler was pleased with the No. 5 post Stellar Wind, the 5-2 co-second choice with Beholder, drew Monday. The 4-year-old Curlin filly has won seven of 11 lifetime and four of five at Santa Anita with one second. She finished second behind Stopchargingmaria in last year’s Distaff at Keeneland.

“I think it’s fair to say we got a good draw,” Sadler said. “Whether it’s the best (of the big three), I don’t know. It won’t affect strategy. We’ll leave that up to Victor (Espinoza). He’s ridden all of her races for us.”

Beholder drew the outside post in the eight-horse Distaff.

Lost Hoppertunity

Flavien Prat lost the chance to ride Hoppertunity in Saturday’s $6 million Classic when Bob Baffert’s 5-year-old went back to New York and won the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park on Oct. 8. Prat was unavailable to ride and John Velazquez took the assignment in the Grade I race.

“Baffert told me, ‘Hey listen, (Velazquez) just won the Jockey Club, I gotta use him,’” Prat’s agent, Derek Lawson, said. “I said, ‘Fine. I understand.’ I knew Mike Smith (Arrogate) wasn’t going to ride Effinex back, so that’s where basically I started making the move. I’d known Mike Smith wasn’t going to ride Effinex for a long time.

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“So the stars aligned properly and now we’re riding in the Classic, so that’s pretty good.”

Prat has mounts in nine of the 13 Breeders’ Cup races Friday and Saturday.

Frosted: Hot or cold?

Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin wishes he knew what he’ll get from Frosted, the third choice at 5-1 in the Classic.

“I’m not sure which Frosted will show up,” McLaughlin said. “Hopefully it’s the one who won the Met Mile. He’s doing well, but it’s a tough race.”

McLaughlin has not fared well historically at Santa Anita.

“I don’t like coming out here,” he said. “I don’t do well here. Hopefully, I’ve brought a better string of horses this year.”