Maple Leaf Mel returns from layoff with dominating victory in Friday’s East View Stakes at Aqueduct. Susie Raisher/NYRA Photo.
August Dawn Farm’s Maple Leaf Mel picked up where she left off – albeit almost seven months ago – with a convincing victory in Friday’s $100,000 East View Stakes at Aqueduct.
Off with shin issues since winning the Seeking the Ante Stakes on Saratoga Showcase Day August 26, the 3-year-old daughter of Cross Traffic improved to 3-for-3 in the 6-furlong East View. Joel Rosario, in from Gulfstream Park for trainer Jeremiah Englehart, rode Maple Leaf Mel to her 7 3/4-length victory.
“That was super,” said Englehart, who prepped Maple Leaf Mel for her comeback at Palm Meadows Training Center in Boynton Beach, Florida. “Joel 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. It seems like she’s made the transition from 2 to 3 and hopefully she can continue to get better.”
Maple Leaf Mel, named for Englehart’s longtime assistant and Canadian Melanie Giddings, showed no signs of rust in her comeback victory. Englehart breezed her nine times between Jan. 6 and March 16, and bettors hammered the filly down to 1-5 for her comeback against six opponents led by multiple stakes winner Les Bon Temps.
Maple Leaf Mel went to the front from the start and led Les Bon Temps, Security Code, Banterra and Little Linzee through the opening quarter-mile in :23.15.
Rosario gained confidence through the half in :47.41 as Maple Leaf Mel opened up by 1 1/2 lengths from Les Bon Temps. They continued on from there, widening the advantage through the lane to win in 1:12.75. Security Code, second to Maple Leaf Mel when they made their respective debuts last August at Saratoga, finished second at 26-1 with Les Bon Temps another 2 lengths back in third. Little Linzee, Banterra, Queens Masterpiece and Lady Mine completed the lineup.
“She was nice and comfortable and she was always there for me,” Rosario said. “She was just waiting for somebody to challenge her. It looked pretty easy for her today. She’s very talented. She had a lot of speed and it was a great race for her coming back off the layoff. She seems like she’s a little more mature and focused. It looks like she’s grown up the way she’s supposed to.”
Maple Leaf Mel and her people – including namesake Melanie Giddings on her hip – celebrate East View victory. NYRA Photo.
Englehart said he left all the decisions up to Rosario, who also rode Maple Leaf Mel to her prior to victories. Maple Leaf Mel won those on the front end, too, but her trainer wasn’t worried if another filly wanted the early lead in the East View.
“I don’t think it matters with her,” Englehart said. “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.”
Englehart and August Dawn’s Bill Parcells – the Hall of Famer who coached the New York Giants to a pair of Super Bowl victories – hope Maple Leaf Mel continues her winning ways down the road.
Englehart said the $125,000 Bouwerie Stakes on Big Apple Showcase Day May 29 at Belmont Park is an option, and possibly more lucrative spots.
“Coach wants to win a Grade 1 and my goal is to win a Grade 1 with her for him,” Englehart said. “We’ve talked about a couple different spots. The Bouwerie is an option, but it’s a little further away than we wanted coming off this race. We’ll see how she comes out of it and I’ll have a nice, long talk with Coach on the way back up to Saratoga today and see what he wants to do.”
Parcells, working with Englehart and Robbie Medina, purchased Maple Leaf Mel for $150,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May sale of 2-year-olds in training. She picked up $55,000 in the East View for her connections to boost her bankroll to $213,400.
Bred by Joe Fafone, foaled at Waldorf Farm in North Chatham and out of the winning City Place mare City Gift, Maple Leaf Mel originally sold for $18,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September yearling sale. She’s the sixth foal out of City Gift, who is also the dam of the stakes-placed eight-time New York-bred winner Eddie’s Gift.
City Gift sold in foal to Brody’s Cause for $4,000 at the 2021 Keeneland January horses of all ages sale. She delivered a colt by that sire in March 2021 in Ontario.
