Tag: Racing

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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Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher appears to be in a good spot heading into the upcoming Saratoga Race Course meet after enjoying graded stakes success Saturday at Belmont Park with Far Bridge and Charge It.

LSU Stables' Far Bridge earned his first graded stakes triumph in the 10-furlong $750,000 Belmont Derby Invitational (G1). Pletcher said following the race that the 1 3/16-mile $600,000 Saratoga Derby Invitational (G1)on August 5 would be, “a logical next target.”

Whisper Hill Farm's Charge It is a likely candidate for the $1-million Whitney (G1) at nine furlongs on the same day following a 4 3/4-length victory in the Suburban (G2) going 10 furlongs. The Suburban win garnered a 106 Beyer Speed Figure.

Pletcher's Belmont-based assistant Byron Hughes reported that both horses exited their winning performances in good order.

“Both looked great this morning. They ate up last night and were walking around with a purpose this morning. They're both happy with themselves,” Hughes said.

Far Bridge entered the Belmont Derby from a pair of troubled second-place finishes in the American Turf (G2) on May 6 at Churchill Downs and the Pennine Ridge (G2) on June 3 at Belmont. But luck was on his side in the Belmont Derby, where he raced along the hedge around the far turn under Jose Ortiz before tipping into the clear in midstretch to take down pacesetting longshot Mondego to win by one length over late-running The Foxes. Far Bridge earned a career-best 95 Beyer in victory.

“Jose did a great job giving him a patient ride,” Hughes commented.

Bred in Kentucky by Calumet Farm, Far Bridge is out of the Kitten's Joy mare Fitpitcher. His third dam is multiple graded stakes winner Pleasant Temper – the granddam of graded stakes winning millionaire Long Range Toddy.

Charge It entered from unplaced efforts in the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) on April 22 and the Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan Handicap (G1) on June 10, where he finished a respective fifth and fourth.

The Suburban was the 4-year-old son of Tapit's first start going the 10-furlong distance since finishing 17th in last year's Kentucky Derby (G1), but he passed the classic distance test with flying colors with a commanding pacesetting performance under Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez.

“He stayed the 10 furlongs and Johnny was happy with him, too,” Hughes said. “He got definitely got into a nice rhythm.”

Charge It's triumph also garnered a sense of pride from Todd Quast, the general manager of Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm.

“He ran big. We never felt like he had a problem with distance by watching him train in the morning, but he has to do it in the afternoon,” Quast said. “He can be just a little bit quirky. The talent and raw ability are both there, and he can do it in the afternoons. When he puts it all together, it's an amazing performance.”

Following the Kentucky Derby, Charge It was an emphatic 23-length winner of the local Dwyer (G3) in the final start of his sophomore season. He made his 2023 debut in a February allowance going 1 1/16 miles at Gulfstream Park, which he won by 1 1/2 lengths. He then cut back to a one-turn mile to finish second in the Gulfstream Park Mile (G2) the following month.

“We had started off this year in the allowance race which was great and then in the Gulfstream Park Mile wasn't as good, but he was still right there,” Quast said. “I think he lost some confidence in the race at Oaklawn. We were thinking either go straight to the Whitney which we didn't really want to do, or do something like this. The horses that will be in the Whitney will be ultra tough, but I think our horse is ultra tough. On a given day, he can be as good as anyone.”

Charge It is out of the Indian Charlie mare I'll Take Charge, who is out of the prolific Grade 1 winner and producer Take Charge Lady. Named the 2014 Broodmare of the Year, Take Charge Lady produced 2013 Champion 3-Year-Old Male Will Take Charge, Grade 1 winners Take Charge Indy and As Time Goes By, as well as Charming – the dam of 2014 Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Take Charge Brandi and multiple Grade 1 winner Omaha Beach.

I'll Take Charge was bought by Whisper Hill for $2.2 million at the 2013 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, and only won one of her five starts but never finished worse than third.

“She was a decent racehorse, but had some physical issues,” Quast said. “To have a homebred run last year and this year and get right back on path is just huge. It's very exciting.”

Quast pointed out that like Charge It, 2022 Horse of the Year Flightline also is by Tapit and out of an Indian Charlie mare.

“We'll have to see how Flightline does,” Quast said. “I'm not saying we're Flightline at all, but I think about how well received he is in the breeding shed and how good of a racehorse he was. If Charge It were to win the Whitney and then come back and be lucky enough to win the Breeders' Cup, he should be well received in the breeding shed when he does go.”

The post Far Bridge, Charge It To Head To Saratoga Following Belmont Wins appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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