Maple Leaf Mel

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y--Nothing new at old Saratoga this summer. As has been the case for many decades, most of racing's stars will be in town for America's most important Thoroughbred meet of the year. The first race of the 40 days of the 155th season opens at 1:10 p.m. Thursday with a 10-race program at Saratoga Race Course. By the time the meeting reaches its conclusion on Labor Day, Sept. 4, over 400 races, including 71 stakes worth $20.8 million, will have been run. The traditional opening-day feature is the...

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 both Far Bridge (English Channel) and 'TDN Rising Star' Charge It (Tapit). LSU Stables' Far Bridge earned his first graded stakes triumph in the GI Belmont Derby Invitational. Pletcher said following the race that the GI Saratoga Derby Invitational August 5 would be, "a logical next target." Whisper Hill Farm's Charge It is a likely candidate for the GI Whitney S. the same...

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...

A pair of Grade I events for 3-year-olds on grass will co-anchor a loaded 12-race program at Belmont Park Saturday. European invader The Foxes (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}), a narrow winner of the G2 Dante S. May 18 and fifth-place finisher after stumbling at the start in the G1 English Derby June 3, will make the trip across the pond for trainer Andrew Balding for the GI Belmont Derby Invitational. The 7-2 morning-line favorite, drawn widest of all in post 11, will square off against 10 rivals, including GII Pennine Ridge...

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...

BALTIMORE, MD--The past two weeks has seen the kind of drama that one might expect in soap opera, laden with twists and turns that have left even the most seasoned turfwriters scratching their heads in disbelief. However, despite the all head-snapping headlines, the days leading up to this year's Preakness at Pimlico were business as usual. Thursday morning's activity matched the Baltimore weather, brisk and clear, with everything seemingly running without any major glitches. Following a brief hiatus because of the COVID pandemic, the morning tours were back in force...

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...

6th-Saratoga, $88,000, (S), Msw, 8-10, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:11.48, ft, 5 lengths. MAPLE LEAF MEL (f, 2, Cross Traffic--City Gift, by City Place), named after trainer Jeremiah Englehart's assistant trainer Melanie Giddings, entered this unveiling with a reputation that preceded her, and garnered 3-5 favoritism in this state-bred affair. Quick to the front from mid-pack, the $150,000 EASMAY purchase (:10.2) set the tempo against the fence and expanded her gap at each point of call as Spinning Colors (Hard Spun) chased in vain. In much of a one-horse race from...