Unbeaten Champion Songbird Heavy Kentucky Oaks Future Favorite

Mar 14, 2016 John Asher

Fox Hill Farm’s dazzling Songbird (#18), the runaway winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (Grade I) and American racing’s reigning 2-year-old filly champion, was the emphatic odds-on choice to win the $1 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI) following three days of wagering in Churchill Downs Racetrack’s 2016 Kentucky Oaks Future Wager (“KOFW”), which drew to a close on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. (all times EDT).

The Jerry Hollendorfer-trained daughter of Medaglia d’Oro was the overwhelming 3-5 favorite in the pool of 23 wagering interests that featured 22 individual 3-year-old fillies and the Mutuel Field (#24), which included fillies in the age group other than the pool’s individual horses. The roster of individuals was reduced from its original total of 23 when wagering on Dubai-based Polar River (#16) was suspended prior to the pool’s opening. Betting on Polar River was suspended when Churchill Downs officials were notified that she was unlikely to compete in the Oaks, which will be run for the 142^nd consecutive year on Friday, May 6.

Songbird, who is bidding to become a fourth winner of the Kentucky Oaks conditioned by her Hall of Fame trainer, was the odds-on choice of Kentucky Oaks fans from virtually the instant the pool opened. Her odds tumbled to 1-9 during Friday’s opening minutes of Oaks Future betting and never rose above even-money after that.

The Fox Hill Farm filly has run twice in 2016, cruising to emphatic victories in the Las Virgenes (GII) and the March 5 Santa Ysabel (GIII), both of which were run at Santa Anita. Fox Hill owner Rick Porter’s star has scored dominant victories each of her six career races and has earned $1,742,000.

The 2016 Kentucky Oaks Future Wager ran concurrently with Pool 3 of Churchill Downs’ Kentucky Derby Future Wager. Both pools opened at noon on Friday, March 11 and the Kentucky Oaks pool closed Sunday at 6:30 p.m. – 30 minutes after the Derby pool. Cash Is King LLC’s unbeaten Cathryn Sophia (#3), winner of the Grade II Forward Gal and Davona Dale at Gulfstream Park for trainer John C. Servis, was the 5-1 second choice at Sunday evening’s close of wagering and the only other betting interest to close at below double-digit odds. The “All Others” betting interest was the distant third betting choice at 12-1, while Stonestreet Stables LLC’s Rachel’s Valentina (#17), a daughter of 2009 Kentucky Oaks winner and Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra trained by two-time Kentucky Oaks winner Todd Pletcher, was next at 13-1.

Total wagering on the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager stood at $104,002 at Sunday’s conclusion of betting. The total included $71,079 in win wagering and $32,922 in exacta bets.

The Kentucky Oaks Future Wager enables fans to wager on contenders for the $1 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI) weeks in advance of America’s top race for 3-year-old fillies at odds that could be more attractive than those available on the day of the race. The 142^nd running of the Longines Kentucky Oaks is scheduled for Friday, May 6 at Churchill Downs.

The KOFW features $2 minimum win bets and $2 exacta wagers, which are also available in $1 minimum increments in boxes and other multiple number configurations. No scratches or betting refunds are permitted in the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager.

Betting on any individual betting interest during the pool will be suspended immediately should Churchill Downs determine that injury, illness or some other circumstance would prevent that filly from competing in the Kentucky Oaks.

Other fillies that attracted notable support in the year’s only Kentucky Oaks Future pool included Three Chimneys Farm’s Carina Mia (#2, 15-1), winner of Churchill Downs’ Golden Rod (GII) for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, and Stonestreet Stables’ Terra Promessa (#21, 26-1), who defeated stablemate Nickname (#14, 84-1) by 8 ½ lengths in her impressive stakes debut for two-time Oaks-winning trainer Steve Asmussen in Saturday’s $200,000 Honeybee (GIII) at Oaklawn Park.

CLICK HERE for a look at final odds and $2 will-pays for the 2016 Kentucky Oaks Future Wager.

For a look at $2 exacta will-pays for the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager, CLICK HERE.