Month: July 2023

Trainer Melanie Giddings celebrated the first stakes win of her career Saturday with August Dawn Farm's Maple Leaf Mel, who was named for her trainer during her tenure as an assistant trainer to the filly's original conditioner Jeremiah Englehart.

The New York-bred daughter of Cross Traffic notched the second graded coup of her career in Saturday's Victory Ride (G3) at Belmont, landing a facile 2 1/2-length victory to keep her record unblemished through five lifetime outings.

Giddings said Maple Leaf Mel returned to Saratoga Race Course Sunday morning where she will make her preparations towards an intended start in the $500,000 Test (G1) on August 5 at the Spa.

“She is here and happy to be eating and to be back,” said Giddings. “The Test is the plan. She'll have a few days off like everybody after their race and we'll see how she comes out of it. We'll make sure she's happy and good and her energy is good and go from there. She's a high-energy horse, so it takes quite a bit to knock her down. She looks pretty bright-eyed this morning.”

Maple Leaf Mel, who also won Pimlico's Miss Preakness (G3) on May 19, has won all five of her starts in gate-to-wire fashion, including her effort Saturday when guided by regular pilot Joel Rosario through splits of :22.54, :45.52, and 1:09.48 over the fast main track. She faced a brief challenge from Dazzling Blue into the stretch, but turned back her foe with ease to coast home the winner in a final time of 1:15.74. She earned a career-best 99 Beyer.

“It's really special. When you have a horse like that and she's already won four, you just want perfection for her all the time,” said Giddings. “I expected her to run the way she did. She just thrives on running. She's the kind of horse anyone loves to have and when you're taking her over, she's going to give 110 percent.”

Maple Leaf Mel, bred by Joe Fafone, made her first three outings against fellow state-breds, including a 7 3/4-length score in the East View in March for her sophomore debut. The gray filly has made an impressive jump from 2 to 3 and covered the Victory Ride's 6 1/2 furlongs more than two seconds faster than she ran that same distance in the state-bred Seeking the Ante in August at the Spa.

“I think she's just learning and she just does things naturally and so easy,” said Giddings. “Her turn of foot and speed is really incredible and she doesn't even know what she's doing. I think the more she runs, she's kind of just enjoying herself. She probably could have run even faster yesterday if she wanted to.”

The Victory Ride was just the 29th lifetime start for Giddings, who went out on her own in January after working for Englehart for several years. Giddings said she is grateful to have a filly like Maple Leaf Mel so early on in her career.

“I'm just really blessed, and not a lot of people get an opportunity with a horse like this,” said Giddings. “I appreciate having the chance. I've never missed a day since getting her in the barn when she was 2 with Jeremiah. Even when I'm having a bad day myself, she's here and I suit up and go whether I feel like I can or can't. It's good for me. I just never want to miss a day with her.”

The post Giddings Has Grade 1 Test In Mind For Undefeated Maple Leaf Mel appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Irish shipper Aspen Grove made a stylish stretch run under Oisin Murphy to capture Saturday's Fasig-Tipton Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1) at Belmont Park.

The 10-furlong inner turf test for sophomore fillies is the first leg of the Fasig-Tipton Fillies Turf Triple series, which is followed by the 1 3/16-mile$400,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Oaks Invitational (G3) on August 4 at Saratoga Race Course and the $350,000 Fasig-Tipton Jockey Club Oaks Invitational (G3) on September 16 going 11 furlongs at Belmont at the Big A.

Aspen Grove arrived in New York on June 30 and was cared for by Mark Enright, a recently retired jockey, who piloted the filly to victory in the Group 3 Newtownanner Stud Irish EBF in August at The Curragh. Enright was also aboard for her seasonal debut in the one-mile Group 3 Cornelscourt in May at Leopardstown before an off-the-board effort in the one-mile Irish 1000 Guineas (G1) on May 28 at The Curragh.

Craig Bernick of Glen Hill Farm, breeder and co-owner of the Irish-bred Aspen Grove in partnership with Mrs. John Magnier, said the James “Fozzy” Stack-trained bay will ship upstate to Saratoga to trainer Jack Sisterson and point to either the Saratoga Oaks or the nine-furlong $300,000 Del Mar Oaks (G1) on August 19.

“Mark Enright who came over with the filly is going to stay, and I think she'll go into Jack Sisterson's barn,” Bernick said. “But I think Mark will continue to take care of her and ride her [in the mornings]. Fozzy will stay involved, but I think she'll go into Jack's barn. We'll look at the Saratoga Oaks and we'll consider the Del Mar Oaks also. She'll go to Saratoga sometime this week.”

The Justify bay was loaded into the outermost post 9 with a blanket and guided immediately to the rail by Murphy after a slow break to save ground as Prerequisite and Be Your Best dueled for the lead.

“We always do that at home with her,” said Stack regarding the blanket. “The stalls at home are narrower and she was always a bit touchy as a 2-year-old. I don't know if she even needs it anymore, but she's had it on from her first start so we just leave it on her.”

Aspen Grove followed the run of Aspray, picking up speed through the far turn and surged past the favored Mission of Joy before nailing Prerequisite at the wire to win by three-quarters of a length in a final time of 2:04.09. She earned an 86 Beyer.

“When she's good, she's very good,” said Stack on Sunday morning. “The couple times she's run bad there were legit excuses. In the Irish Guineas, she was in season. She ran bad as a 2-year-old one day at The Curragh when the track came up extremely hard and she just didn't fire.”

Bernick noted that Stack – the former conditioner of third-place finisher Papilio for trainer Mark Casse – had always wanted to step Aspen Grove up in trip.

“He sort of thought Papilio had a better turn of foot, but going further he thought Aspen Grove was the better horse. It turns out, they were pretty close,” Bernick said.

Stack said before he comes to a decision on a next start for Aspen Grove, he would like to speak further with Murphy, who finished second aboard The Foxes in the featured Belmont Derby Invitational (G1) on Saturday before flying to France and guiding Chaldean to an off-the-board effort this morning in the Haras d'Etreham Prix Jean Prat (G1) at Deauville won by Good Guess.

“My own inkling is that I'm not sure if Del Mar would suit her, but I wasn't on her back yesterday,” Stack said. “One thing that played to her strengths yesterday was stepping up in trip. Grade 1s are important to fillies – the Saratoga race is worth more — if she was a gelding, we wouldn't be having this conversation.”

The post Del Mar Or Saratoga: Stack To Seek Murphy’s Input Before Deciding On Aspen Grove’s Next Race appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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