Embur's Song makes the grade in the Doubledogdare at Keeneland

Embur's Song defeats Check the Label in Keeneland's Doubledogdare
Photo: Keeneland/Coady Photography
Returning to the scene of her 13-length maiden triumph last spring, synthetic specialist Embur's Song grabbed the lead at the start of the mile and a sixteenth Hillard Lyons Doubledogdare Stakes-G3 at Keeneland on Friday and never looked back, holding on to win--and in the process set new track and stakes records--even as stretch-running Check the Label breathed down her neck.

The victory was Embur's Song's first in graded stakes company, and the lightly raced four-year-old filly looks like she's getting better all the time.

The Todd Pletcher trainee, an Ontario-bred daughter of Unbridled's Song, has never been off the board on synthetic surfaces, and after her winning performance in the Doubledogdare, in which she stopped the timer in 1:41.62, she's now won three of her seven lifetime starts,and amassed earnings of $244,940.

The eighth foal out of the stakes-placed, stakes-producing Bold Ruckus mare, Embur Sunshine, Embur's Song was purchased for $170,000 by Fares Farm at the 2008 Keeneland September sale.  She is a half-sister to four Canadian winners, including stakes winner Ten Flat (by Meadowlake), who won the Silver Deputy at Woodbine.

Embur's Song became the 88th stakes winner for her sire, Unbridled's Song, sire also of last year's Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic-G1 heroine, Unrivaled Belle.  She is bred along the same pattern as Grade I winner First Defence (out of a mare by Seattle Slew), who won the Forego and now stands for $7500 at Juddmonte Farms.   Both are from Boldnesian-line mares.

Daughters of Embur's Song's maternal grandsire, Intermediate/Classic Chef-de-Race Bold Ruckus, have produced at least 70 stakes winners, including Canadian Three-Year-Old Champion Bolulight and Set Play, who won the Del Mar Debutante-G1.  According to Dr. Steven Roman's website, the average winning distance (AWD) of the open stakes races won by sons and daughters of Bold Ruckus mares is 6.95 furlongs.  With her tenacious victory in the Doubledogdare at 8.5 furlongs, Embur's Song demonstrated that she's a lot more than a one-run sprinter, and that makes her future seem bright, indeed.