Tag: August Dawn Farm

Cross Traffic’s Maple Leaf Mel Wins Battle of the Undefeateds in Victory Ride

Billed as a showdown between unbeaten sophomore fillies Maple Leaf Mel (Cross Traffic) and Dazzling Blue (Into Mischief), with the added bonus of Red Carpet Ready (Oscar Performance), who took down previously unbeaten Munnys Gold (Munnings) in Churchill's GII Eight Belles S. May 5, Belmont's GIII Victory Ride S. didn't disappoint as Maple Leaf Mel turned back a stiff challenge from Dazzling Blue and stayed unbeaten in five starts.

Interpolate (Into Mischief) bobbled out of the gate, but Maple Leaf Mel broke straight and true. The gray found her customary spot on the lead with ease, setting :22.54 and :45.52 fractions as Red Carpet Ready pursued her from second and Dazzling Blue followed closely in third. The trio stayed one-two-three until exiting the turn, when Red Carpet Ready dropped off and Dazzling Blue looked poised to strike. The latter tried to run down the easy-moving Maple Leaf Mel, but couldn't catch her and swapped to her wrong lead late as she tired.

“It definitely gives me a big relief,” said Melanie Giddings, a former assistant to the winner's previous trainer, Jeremiah Englehart, but now herself the trainer of record. “She's amazing. She's won at Aqueduct, Belmont, twice at Saratoga, and Pimlico. She's pretty incredible.”

The undefeated Victory Ride winner debuted last summer at Saratoga, took the state-bred Seeking the Ante S. and the state-bred East View S. with a seven-month hiatus in between, and made both her open company and graded company debut May 19 with a gate-to-wire, geared-down joyride in the GIII Miss Preakness S. at Pimlico. Never headed, Maple Leaf Mel has led at every call in all five starts. Giddings indicated the gray will target the GI Test S. Aug. 5 at Saratoga.

August Dawn Farm bought Maple Leaf Mel as a Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Spring 2-year-old last year for $150,000 after she worked in :10.2. The operation named her for Englehart's then-assistant Giddings, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2020. Englehart trained the filly for her first four starts, but Giddings took over as trainer of record after the Miss Preakness win.

“I've been texting Jeremiah all day about the filly and he wished me the best of luck,” said Giddings. “I wish he could have been here with me.”

Pedigree Notes:

Maple Leaf Mel is one of four graded winners and 15 black-type winners for Spendthrift's Cross Traffic, an Unbridled's Song son who was also represented by GI Cental Bank Ashland S. winner Defining Purpose's win in the GIII Indiana Oaks about 30 minutes prior to the Victory Ride.

A New York-bred, Maple Leaf Mel has one younger half-sibling, a 2-year-old colt by Brody's Cause. Cole Bennett had bought the mare carrying that now-2-year-old for $4,000 at the 2021 Keeneland January sale. Florida-bred City Gift is by the unraced City Place, whose four stakes winners out of his daughters include 2020 Canadian Horse of the Year Mighty Heart (Dramedy).

Saturday, Belmont
VICTORY RIDE S.-GIII, $175,000, Belmont, 7-8, 3yo, f, 6 1/2f, 1:15.74, ft.
1–MAPLE LEAF MEL, 124, f, 3, by Cross Traffic
               1st Dam: City Gift, by City Place
               2nd Dam: For My Wife, by Not For Love
               3rd Dam: Heavens to Betsy, by Miswaki
($18,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP; $150,000 2yo '22 EASMAY). O-August
Dawn Farm; B-Joe Fafone (NY); T-Melanie Giddings; J-Joel
Rosario. $96,250. Lifetime Record: 5-5-0-0, $399,650. *1/2 to
Eddie's Gift (El Corredor), SP, $167,950. Werk Nick Rating: A.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Dazzling Blue, 120, f, 3, Into Mischief–Blue Violet, by Curlin.
1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($500,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP).
O-Juddmonte; B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY); T-Brad H. Cox.
$35,000.
3–Vahva, 120, f, 3, Gun Runner–Holiday Soiree, by Harlan's
Holiday. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($280,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP).
O-Belladonna Racing, LLC, Edward J. Hudson, Jr., West Point
Thoroughbreds, LBD Stable LLC, Nice Guys Stables, Manganaro
Bloodstock, Runnels Racing, Steve Hornstock and Twin Brook
Stables; B-Woodford Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY); T-Cherie
DeVaux. $21,000.
Margins: 2HF, 1HF, 7. Odds: 2.75, 5.60, 8.00.
Also Ran: Interpolate, Downtown Mischief, Topsy, Red Carpet Ready, Adeliese's Smile.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Maple Leaf Mel Crowned ‘Miss Preakness’ in Baltimore

BALTIMORE, MD — Despite having done everything right in three prior career starts, Maple Leaf Mel was nonetheless sent off the 8-5 second betting choice in Friday's GIII Miss Preakness S. behind 4-5 choice Key of Life (Mo Town), victorious in the GII Beaumont S. Apr. 16. Unaware of the crowd's leanings, the grey daughter of Cross Traffic led for most of the way and never looked back, rolling home an easy 1 1/2-length winner over the late-closing Topsy.

The grey soon overtook the fast-starting Key of Life and maintained a measured advantage over the favorite through :22.26 and:45.21 splits. In control but drifting out in the stretch, Maple Leaf Mel gave Joel Rosario no anxious moments as she strolled way to an easy, albeit short, winning margin.

“She had a lot of speed,” said Rosario, who has been aboard all four of the grey's starts. “Her break wasn't really fast but she has so much speed. After she got to the lead, she looked around a little bit. And I just let her do her thing and hopefully she had something left turning for home.”

A five-length winner facing Empire-breds in her career debut at the Spa early last August, she followed up with another front-running victory there in the slop in the Seeking the Ante S. a bit more than two weeks later. Packed away for the rest of the season, she returned with another roping 7 3/4-length score in the Mar. 24 East View S. at Aqueduct.

The horse was named for trainer Jeremiah Englehart's assistant Melanie Giddings, who was diagnosed in 2020 with endocervical and ovarian cancer.

“[Owner] Bill [Parcells] named the horse for me…we had built up a friendship,” explained the Canadian native. “He is at the barn every day [in Saratoga during the summer]. He loves the sport. It's nice for him to get this win. He might have been a little nervous today because I did not hear from him. I think everyone can kind of feel a little relief. She is a New York-bred and the other filly [Key of Life] won in Lexington. This is a nice horse. This makes me feel proud because I think so highly of her.”

Pedigree Notes:
With Friday's Miss Preakness victory, Maple Leaf Mel becomes the fourth graded winner for her sire, Cross Traffic, who stands at Spendthrift Farm. Her dam City Gift, winner of a pair of claiming sprints during her abbreviated racing career, previously produced SP Eddie's Gift (El Corredor) and most recently dropped a colt by Brody's Cause in 2021.

Friday, Pimlico
MISS PREAKNESS S. PRESENTED BY CASE TRACTOR-GIII, $150,000, Pimlico, 5-19, 3yo, f, 6f, 1:09.56, ft.
1–MAPLE LEAF MEL, 122, f, 3, by Cross Traffic
1st Dam: City Gift, by City Place
2nd Dam: For My Wife, by Not For Love
3rd Dam: Heavens to Betsy, by Miswaki
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($18,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP; $150,000 2yo '22 EASMAY). O-August Dawn Farm; B-Joe Fafone (NY); T-Jeremiah C. Englehart; J-Joel Rosario. $90,000. Lifetime Record: 4-4-0-0, $303,400. *1/2 to Eddie's Gift (El Corredor), SP, $167,950. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Topsy, 118, f, 3, Bee Jersey–Secretariat Humor, by Distorted Humor. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($42,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP; $225,000 2yo '22 OBSMAR). O-L. William Heiligbrodt, Corinne Heiligbrodt and Jackpot Farm; B-Charles Fipke (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. $30,000.
3–L Street Lady, 120, f, 3, Munnings–Lady Gayle, by Scat Daddy. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($125,000 Ylg '21 FTKJUL). O-Madaket Stables LLC; B-T & G Farm of Kentucky, LLC (Benson Farm) (KY); T-Brittany T. Russell. $15,000.
Margins: 1HF, 3HF, 1 3/4. Odds: 1.70, 11.20, 48.40.
Also Ran: Afternoon Tea, Key of Life, Bound by Destiny. Scratched: Happy Clouds.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs.
VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

 

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Racing Return in East View Easy Breezy for Maple Leaf Mel

Maple Leaf Mel (Cross Traffic) may have been gone since August last year, but she showed no signs of rust Friday as she floated home the easiest of winners in the East View S. at Aqueduct.

A five-length winner at first-asking Aug. 10 at Saratoga in a six panel, state-bred maiden dash over the fast main track, she returned 16 days later in the slop to duel her way to an open length victory in the state-bred restricted Seeking the Ante S. over familiar face Lady Mine (First Samurai), GSP Miracle (Mendelssohn), and another returning challenger in MSW Les Bon Temps.

Jumping well here as the heavy 1-5 favorite, Maple Leaf Mel showed the way down the backstretch, dictating all her own terms. In the two path around the bend and putting distance on the field without being asked, Maple Leaf Mel changed leads inside the three-sixteenths before drawing off by 7 3/4 lengths in the stretch to stylish return to winning ways.

“Joel [Rosario] has worked her the last couple of times down in Florida and I was happy that he wanted to come up and ride her–that gave me a lot of confidence. […] I left it [tactics] up to Joel. I don't think it matters with her,” said conditioner Jeremiah Engleheart. “I've worked her plenty of times as a 2-year-old behind horses and let her tip out and make a run. She's just a racehorse. If you put her there, she's going to try and repel everyone that comes to her. She likes to run. It's as simple as that. She likes to do what she's doing.”

As for trying open company down the road, Engleheart was hopeful the chance would arise. “Coach [Bill Parcells, owner of August Dawn Farm] wants to win a Grade I and my goal is to win a Grade I with her for him. We've talked about a couple different spots. The [state-bred] Bouwerie is an option, but it's a little further away than we wanted coming off this race.”

Out of a winning racemare, Maple Leaf Mel is a half to another multiple winner in Dr. Lloyd (The Lumber Guy), in addition to her stakes placed half'brother Eddie's Gift. They have a 2-year-old half-brother by Brody's Cause as the last registered foal under the dam thus far. This is the female line of GSP Heaven's Nook (Great Above), herself dam of GSW Frisco View (Mt. Livermore); SW Cherokee Heaven (Cherokee Run); and the dam of Venezuelan champion 2-year-old colt Rio Matiyure (Ven) (Chayim). Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

https://twitter.com/TVG/status/1639366768669114374

EAST VIEW S., $100,000, Aqueduct, 3-24, (S), 3yo, f, 6f, 1:12.75, ft.
1–MAPLE LEAF MEL, 122, f, 3, by Cross Traffic
                1st Dam: City Gift, by City Place
                2nd Dam: For My Wife, by Not For Love
                3rd Dam: Heavens to Betsy, by Miswaki
($18,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP; $150,000 2yo '22 EASMAY). O-August Dawn Farm; B-Joe Fafone (NY); T-Jeremiah C. Englehart; J-Joel Rosario. $55,000. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $213,400. *1/2 to Eddie's Gift (El Corredor), SP, $167,950.
2–Security Code, 118, f, 3, Frosted–Stopspendingmaria, by Montbrook. O-WellSpring Stables; B-Rockridge Stud, LLC, Ascendant Farms, LLC & Godolphin (NY); T-Philip M. Serpe. $20,000.
3–Les Bon Temps, 122, f, 3, Laoban–Winsanity, by Tapizar. ($65,000 Ylg '21 FTKOCT). O-Lady Sheila Stable, Deuce Greathouse, Cindy M. Hutson and Brett Setzer; B-Southern Equine Stables, LLC (NY); T-Linda Rice. $12,000.
Margins: 7 3/4, 2, 1 1/4. Odds: 0.30, 26.50, 3.10.
Also Ran: Little Linzee, Banterra, Queens Masterpiece, Lady Mine.

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