She was equal parts grace and dominance.

You could always count on here to fire when she came out on track, and she maintained a cloak of invincibility for much of her time at the races.

She loved to go to the front, daring anyone to try to beat her. And when this dark bay filly took the lead, the question was whether anyone in the field possessed the bravery to take her on.

Only a handful of horses were able to stop her, but she never lost an ounce of respect for those blemishes. She was a strong horse, one who enjoyed roaming racetracks and throwing down when needed.

But above all, Songbird loved to win.

The initial hints of greatness came right at the beginning. Stabled at Del Mar for the 2015 summer season, the daughter of Medalgia d'Oro made quick work of her maiden special weight rivals with Mike Smith aboard, opening up to win by a sizable gap after starting from the rail spot (which is never easy to do on debut). To paraphrase Humphrey Bogart, this was the beginning of a beautiful friendship, for Songbird and Smith were a duo in every race from that point forward.

Songbird made noise in that first outing, for she bypassed allowance and minor stakes company to face a Grade I field in the Del Mar Debutante. Any skepticism that may have lingered with her first performance were squelched as the Jerry Hollendorfer trainee squared off with a rival for the lead and brushed her off to again be in a class all her own as she won at the highest level possible in her second start.

No one had an answer for Songbird throughout the rest of 2015. She handled everyone in the Grade I Chandelier Stakes at Santa Anita before getting a test on the biggest stage in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Cool under pressure, the dark bay filly responded well to easily capture her biggest win to date while sewing up Champion Two-Year-Old filly honors for the year.

To give an idea of just how special Songbird was early on, consider this: on top of her undefeated record, she won three Grade I contests at three racetracks, easily took care of both sprinting and routing assignments, and shipped well to grab the most prestigious race in her division. And she did this all with ease every time she exited a starting gate. There are very few horses who can do all that as a juvenile.

A natural question to ask during a three year old Thoroughbred's season is if they have peaked. This might happen after a successful juvenile campaign, or at some point during a horse's sophomore year. You won't find that in Songbird's 2016 campaign. If anything, she grew as a racehorse, winning some races with tactical speed while again showing she could ship and take her race anywhere. Absolutely no one in her division could match her as she rattled off seven more wins to take her streak to a perfect eleven.

Though she missed out on the Kentucky Oaks, Songbird came up with scores across the country. Again manhandling her competition out West, she took four graded events there alone, with a win over the slop in the Santa Anita Oaks the most notable. She headed East to Saratoga later on, where she stared down both the Graveyard of Favorites moniker as well as rivals willing to battle her in the Grade I Coaching Club American Oaks and Alabama Stakes.

Her reputation grew throughout the year, and Songbird commanded respect from the fans. She received loud applause in both of her Saratoga starts, and in the Santa Ysabel Stakes at Santa Anita earlier in the winter, she was the 1-20 favorite in a field where everyone else was higher than 20-1. Everyone knew this was a rare filly, much like Zenyatta and Ruffian before her.

After dispatching another challenge from a rival in the Grade I Cotillion Stakes, Songbird returned to the Breeders' Cup, with the Distaff being her target. Obviously one of the major contenders, she took on a new opponent in the legendary Beholder, who had long been one of Southern California's top horses. The showdown gave the Distaff a feeling of the races of yesteryear. Two champions with immense talent squaring off for one of racing's biggest prizes. And best of all, it would take place in their home state of California.

Going into the Breeders' Cup, the Distaff was easily one of the most anticipated races of the two-day event. And this one lived up to the hype. Songbird won the first battle, that being favoritism at around even money, while Beholder stood pat at approximately 3-1. Songbird took her customary position at the front, leading the field for much of the way, but Beholder stayed nearby until just before the top of the stretch before moving alongside Songbird.

The battle was on, and the two fan favorites stayed together in the stretch, neither one backing down. The crowd witnessed brilliance as the stars dueled for supremacy, the excitement growing with every stride. They were together at the wire, a photo finish needing to determine who won. It was so close, but Beholder retired a winner one more time while Songbird saw her streak fall. Still, Songbird had nothing to be shamed of, for her performance was quite electric as she finished up a campaign that saw her take another Eclipse Award, this one for Three-Year-Old Filly honors.

Now at the age of four, Songbird saw no drop off in form. She jetted back to New York in June 2017, warding off a challenge from a foe while beating old rival Carina Mia (who had taken her on in some previous Eastern starts) to win the Grade I Ogden Phipps before heading to Delaware Park to nab the Grade I Delaware Handicap at a mile and a quarter (which again saw her the overwhelming odds-on favorite while everyone else was over 20-1). Then came another date at the Spa in the Grade I Personal Ensign Stakes, where she led most of the way before getting passed late by Forever Unbridled for only her second career defeat.

Songbird never raced again after the Personal Ensign. It was discovered she had some non life-threatening injuries, and she was immediately retired by owner Rick Porter. After battling cancer while Songbird was running, it certainly stands to reason that Porter wished to pay back his wonderful filly for all the happiness and joy she gave him. Horses have that gift.

Songbird retired as the winner in thirteen of fifteen races. And her two defeats came from two Eclipse Award champions. In short, those losses did nothing to diminish Songbird. Rather, both actually flattered her and enhanced her class. If a horse gets beat by two division winners and no one else, that means there is some talent on display.

Now the mother of some foals, Songbird will go down as one of the best and most respected fillies of her generation. She might have even had ice water in her veins given her docile nature during a race. She moved with a calm focus, a relaxed stride that belied her competitive fire. And that fire produced victories at seven racetracks, 12 graded triumphs (nine of them being a Grade I), and the ability conquer multiple distances ranging from six furlongs to a mile and a quarter. It is truly a special horse that can boast those credentials.

It will not be surprising if many years from now, a group of fans will be talking racing somewhere, and one of the horses mentioned is Songbird. She was a throwback to another era, able to race anywhere and take on all comers. She earned her status as one of the true greats of her era, and those who saw her race were treated to that rare filly who had it all.