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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