Maple Leaf Mel easily wins comeback in East View
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Maple Leaf Mel made an impressive return to the races Friday at Aqueduct, easily getting to the lead under Joel Rosario and cruising to a 7 3/4-length victory in the $100,000 East View Stakes for New York-bred 3-year-old fillies.
Maple Leaf Mel improved her record to 3 for 3 by adding the East View to victories in a maiden race and the Seeking the Ante Stakes in a 17-day span last August in Saratoga.
She was put away for the remainder of her 2-year-old season due to shin issues. Jeremiah Englehart, who trains Maple Leaf Mel for Hall of Fame Football coach Bill Parcells, was confident the filly was ready for her return and she didn’t disappoint.
With Rosario up from Florida to ride, Maple Leaf Mel broke sharp and opened a one-length advantage while running an opening quarter in 23.15 seconds. She was still clear through a half in 47.41 and Rosario had yet to ask. Turning for home, Maple Leaf Mel was still in hand and opened on her own.
Rosario took a peak behind him at the sixteenth pole and Maple Leaf Mel won in hand.
Security Code, second to Maple Leaf Mel in an Aug. 10 maiden race at Saratoga, rallied to finish second in the East View, two lengths clear of Les Bon Temps. Little Linzee, Banterra, Queens Masterpiece, and Lady Mine, who stumbled at the start, completed the order of finish.
Maple Leaf Mel, a daughter of Cross Traffic, covered six furlongs in 1:12.75 and returned $2.80 as the 1-5 favorite.
“That was super,” Englehart said in a post-race interview with NYRA publicity. “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.”
Plans for Maple Leaf Mel’s next race are uncertain, but Englehart indicated he has lofty goals for her at some point this year.
“Coach wants to win a Grade 1 and my goal is to win a Grade 1 with her for him,” Englehart said.
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