Songbird's half-sister off key in debut

Song of Mine's second career start isn't likely to generate as much attention as her career debut Thursday at Oaklawn Park.

The 3-year-old half-sister to multiple champion Songbird finished a non-threatening sixth going one mile in a maiden-special-weights event. Arkansas-bred Dutch Treat's second-place effort bumped the purse by $2,000 to $77,000, favored Eskimo Kisses winning by a neck under Alex Canchari.

Song of Mine, sired by 2004 Horse of the Year Ghostzapper and produced by the West Acre mare Ivanavinalot, brought $800,000 at an August 2016 Saratoga yearling sale. Twelve days later, then unbeaten Songbird won the Grade 1 Alabama at the Spa in upstate New York, the 10th of 11 consecutive victories for the daughter of 2003 Oaklawn Handicap winner Medaglia d'Oro.

Owned by PTK LLC, Song of Mine is trying to make a name for herself after the retirement of Songbird, a 13-time winner from 15 starts for Delaware horseman Rick Porter and sold to Whisper Hill Farm for $9.5 million last November. Songbird is booked to career earnings leader Arrogate in 2018.

Her debut well publicized, Song of Mine received considerable betting action from an original 8-1 listing. The dark bay or brown filly could not mask her excitement during the post parade, proving unruly at times for jockey David Cohen. Once the gates opened, with Song of Mine an 8-5 second choice, the spotlighted filly pressed the pace between horses down the backstretch before retreating. She finished 10 3/4 lengths behind the winner, beating two horses to the wire.

Meanwhile, Eskimo Kisses made a tremendous late surge after laying fourth at the head of the stretch. Canchari, a race-day replacement for Gary Stevens, also rode the To Honor and Serve filly when second in a similar one-mile race Jan. 14 at Oaklawn.

Trained by Ken McPeek, Eskimo Kisses went 1:39.18 over a fast-rated surface and paid $4.20, $2.60 and $2.20. The Bill VanMeter-trained Dutch Treat, owned by Hot Springs lumberman John Ed Anthony, outlasted third-place Miss Darley by 3 1/4 lengths, improving on a fourth-place finish going six furlongs Jan. 15 at Oaklawn.

Notes

Canchari completed a riding triple aboard Arkansas-bred Burtnjoe ($15.40) for Ernie Witt in the ninth race, also taking the third race with Dingdingding ($15) for Michael Lauer. ... Conquest Hiosilver ($6.80) became the third two-time winner of the meet in race 4, Luis Contreras riding for Chris Hartman. With Pray Hard second and Memphisinmay third, the order of finish was the same as in the meet opener Jan. 12. ... Title Ready ($11.40), with blinkers on, outdueled last-out meet winner Transgress and drew off in the featured eighth race, Contreras completing a riding double. Steve Asmussen trains the More Than Ready colt, a Keeneland maiden winner, for owner-breeder Charles Fipke. Making his 3-year-old debut, Title Ready went a mile and sixteenth in 1:44.30.

Sports on 02/02/2018

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