Maple Leaf Mel Takes Miss Preakness for Namesake
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Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
Maple Leaf Mel wins the Miss Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course
If anything can be said about the story of Maple Leaf Mel , it's that it gets more and more endearing with each new chapter.
The undefeated New York State-bred filly named for cancer survivor Melanie Giddings ventured into open stakes company for the first time May 19 and responded with a front-running 1 1/2-length victory in the $150,000 Miss Preakness Stakes (G3) for 3-year-old fillies at Pimlico Race Course.
"It's pretty gratifying," Giddings said.
A longtime assistant for winning trainer Jeremiah Englehart, Giddings has her own small stable now, but she still finds time to help Englehart with the daughter of Cross Traffic 's care and was on hand at Pimlico for the walk into the winner's circle with the 3-year-old owned by the August Dawn Farm of Super Bowl-winning coach Bill Parcells.
"I never feel I can take a rest day when she's around," Giddings said.
The winning connections with Maple Leaf Mel in the trophy presentation for the Miss Preakness Stakes
Englehart said there was supreme satisfaction in knowing how Maple Leaf Mel has matched the courage and class of her namesake.
"It's awesome. It's a great, great story," said Englehart, who will likely run the filly in the July 8 Victory Ride Stakes (G3) at Belmont Park. "Mel has done so much helping me and I'm so glad to be a part of this with her and Coach."
Now 4-for-4 in her career, the daughter of the City Place mare City Gift was bred by Joe Fafone and bought for $150,000 from the Robert Brewer consignment at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale.
Maple Leaf Mel ($5.40) covered six furlongs in 1:09.56. Topsy finished second with L Street Lady in third.