Songbird extended her advantage in the straight to win by five and three-quarter lengths. The Ken McPeek-trained longshot Dothraki Queen stayed on to take third ahead of Nickname. Smith, who was winning a record 22nd Breeders' Cup race, said "Once we jumped out the gate, it was just a matter of me staying on... I almost felt like yawning as we went along. I don't mean that in a bragging way. She just gives me that much confidence." At the Eclipse Award ceremony on January 16, 2016, Songbird was awarded the title of American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly having received 260 of the 261 votes. In the Experimental Free Handicap (a ranking of the best American two-year-olds), published at the end of January, Songbird was assigned 125 pounds, one pound behind the colt Nyquist and five pounds clear of the next best fillies Catch A Glimpse (Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf) and Rachel's Valentina. Her rating was the highest given to a juvenile filly in eighteen years. 2016: three-year-old season Songbird began her 2016 in the Grade II Las Virgenes Stakes over one mile at Santa Anita on February 6. Starting at odds of 1/20, she took the lead as usual, went ten lengths clear on the final turn and won easing down by six lengths from Land Over Sea. After the race Rick Porter played down the speculation that the filly might run in the Kentucky Derby, saying that a run in the Kentucky Oaks would be the "smart move". He also pointed out that the Songbird would have to run against colts in the Santa Anita Derby in order to accrue the points needed to qualify for the Derby field. A month later the filly was stepped up slightly in trip for the Grade III Santa Ysabel Stakes over eight and a half furlongs at the same track. She was challenged in the early stages by Jade Princess and Not Now Carolyn but drew away from her rivals on the backstretch and was six lengths clear entering the straight. As in her previous start she was eased by Smith in the closing stages and won by three and three quarter lengths at odds of 1/9. On April 9 the filly started at long odds-on for the Santa Anita Oaks and recorded another easy victory, coping easily with the sloppy track and coming home three and three quarter lengths clear