By Mike Kane
SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY — With a simple but poignant salute Sunday morning, trainer Brendan Walsh honored Maple Leaf Mel (Cross Traffic) the ill-fated standout of the GI Test S., by giving the winner's blanket of flowers for the race to her trainer she was named for: Melanie Giddings.
The flowers were placed as a memorial at the front of the filly's vacant stall.
Maple Leaf Mel, unbeaten in her five-race career, was on her way to victory Saturday afternoon when she suffered the injury about 10 yards from the finish. A moment or two later, Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief), trained by Walsh for Godolphin, reached the wire first. While people wept in the suddenly hushed season-high crowd of 43,788–a record attendance for a Whitney Day crowd–Maple Leaf Mel was euthanized on the track just past the finish line.
Although it was bright and sunny at historic Saratoga Race Course Sunday, the palpable grief lingered.
While the program continued after the tragic incident in the Test, there was no ceremony after the 98th running of the $500,000 seven-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies.
“We didn't feel it was right to go back to the winner's circle,” Walsh said. “Nobody wanted to.”
Sunday morning, Walsh's assistant, Charlie Lynch, was able to locate the white floral arrangement from the New York Racing Association and he and Walsh took it to Giddings.
“We weren't sure whether it'd be a nice thing or not to do it,” Walsh said, “but the team and Godolphin, they were all for it as well. And I think Melanie liked it. So, it was nice.”
Walsh and Giddings are stabled close to each other near the Oklahoma training track. He said she thanked him for giving her the flowers.
“I can't imagine what she's gone through in the last 12 hours,” Walsh said softly. “It's just devastating.”
Walsh said it was right to credit Maple Leaf Mel for how well she ran in what would have been her first Grade I victory for Giddings and owner Bill Parcells. She quickly took the lead out of the gate and posted early fractions of :22.28 seconds, :44.58 and 1:09.34.
“She was the best horse in the race,” Walsh said. “It was just horrible that happened. When I think about it, if it happened to (Pretty Mischievous), I'd be in an absolute mess.”
Maple Leaf Mel's injury came at the end of a gallant effort under jockey Joel Rosario and instantly changed the mood at the track. Rosario, who was unseated and fell hard on the track, was taken to Albany Medical Center to be checked for injury. The NYRA press office reported Sunday that he was body sore and needed some stitches to his lip. He took off his mounts Sunday.
Giddings took to Twitter early Sunday morning to express her thanks for the outpouring of support. Later in the day, she spoke with the NYRA notes team.
“She was my little traveling buddy. It's a sad day,” she said. “It's what she loved to do. She never looked worse than when she came in from two months at the farm. She just loved running and she loved being here at the track. That's what she loved the most.”
Walsh said he does not know the longtime exercise rider and first-year trainer well. Just after the accident, as her New York-bred filly was being tended to, Walsh tried to support and console Giddings.
“She was out in the track yesterday and I went over and gave her a hug, because she was just stood there crying,” he said. “I felt so bad.”
Parcells named the filly for Giddings, a native of Canada who was an exercise rider for his trainer Jeremiah Englehart. When Giddings, a cancer survivor, opened her own stable earlier this season, Parcells moved the filly to her stable. He also supported her by sending her some other horses.
The compelling story of the Maple Leaf Mels quickly provided the fledgling trainer with an identity in the racing, which Walsh noted is important.
“Certain horses, they take you from starting off and nobody takes any notice of you,” he said. “And then you win a graded stake with a horse and then a certain horse, like we say, Maxfield, took us to the next step. Now this filly has taken us to where we won a Classic with her. They do so much for us. I can't describe how much you appreciate them for it.”
The Whitney program is the second-biggest day on the Saratoga calendar. With good weather and a strong card loaded with stakes it attracted a big, joyous crowd. The early racing was very exciting. The atmosphere changed when Maple Leaf Mel was injured.
“There was a buzz about the place when I was walking down to the paddock. Nice crowd,” Walsh said. “I came back up to the test barn and I went back down again, an hour later, and it was like somebody had stuck a pin in the balloon. The place was just deflated.”
After a slight pause, Walsh punctuated his thoughts.
“It just kind of tore the heart out,” he said. “It's the last thing that we needed.
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