Undefeated Maple Leaf Mel, who spurted to the lead out of the gate and opened up in the stretch, was strides away from victory in the Grade 1 Test Saturday at Saratoga Race Course but stumbled and fell just short of the finish line, and suffered a devastating fatal breakdown just past the wire.
Maple Leaf Mel's rider, Joel Rosario, sat up on the track for a few minutes after the fall, then stood up and walked off under his own power. He got a ride in the ambulance for evaluation. The Cross Traffic filly was euthanized after sustaining a catastrophic injury to her right front. The tragic accident overshadowed the performance by Godolphin homebred Pretty Mischievous, who went on to win the race for 3-year-old fillies.
Clearly Unhinged was second, and finished Munnys Gold third.
Maple Leaf Mel was owned by retired Super Bowl-winning head coach Bill Parcells' August Dawn Farm and trained by Melanie Giddings. She was the first graded stakes winner for Giddings, who embarked on her own career earlier this year after serving as an assistant to Jeremiah Englehart.
The atmosphere at the Spa was somber following the Test, and celebrations for the winner were dampened.
Brendan Walsh, winning trainer of Pretty Mischievous ($5.70), said he didn't want to say a lot.
“I'd rather leave it. It's just cruel what happened. I just feel terrible for Melanie and that whole team. That must be gut-wrenching. My filly ran her race, but that's another story. I don't know what to think right now.”
Tyler Gaffalione, rider of Pretty Mischievous, said: “To be honest, I'm a bit lost for words right now. I feel so bad for the connections of Mel. It's hard to enjoy this one thinking about that. My condolences go out to their team. Hopefully they're able to get through this and God bless them.”
This story will be updated.
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