Unbeaten Maple Leaf Mel nears return
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OZONE PARK, N.Y. - For 17 days last August, Maple Leaf Mel distinguished herself as the top New York-bred 2-year-old filly in training.
Then she was gone.
Seven months later, Maple Leaf Mel is nearing her return to the races, which is expected to come in the $100,000 East View Stakes at Aqueduct on March 24. The East View, restricted to New York-bred fillies, is run at six furlongs.
Maple Leaf Mel, a daughter of Cross Traffic owned by Hall of Fame football coach Bill Parcells, won her debut by five lengths on Aug. 10 at Saratoga. She validated that win on Aug. 26 by taking the Seeking the Ante Stakes by 3 1/2 lengths.
Trainer Jeremiah Englehart said that Maple Leaf Mel had some shin issues in her 2-year-old season.
“She was able to run through it, then we decided after the stakes it would be best for her to get some time,” Englehart said. “No surgery needed, we just let her have some time off. Since she’s been back she’s had no issues.”
Like many New Yorkers – and Canadians, for that matter – Maple Leaf Mel spent the winter in South Florida. She shows eight workouts at the Palm Meadows training center in Boynton Beach, Fla., including a half-mile drill in 46.80 seconds from the gate on March 9. Englehart’s string in South Florida has been overseen by his assistant Melanie Giddings, for whom Parcells named the filly.
Englehart said Joel Rosario has worked Maple Leaf Mel a few times and is expected to come up to Aqueduct to ride.
“He seems to be pretty positive what she’s done down there,” Englehart said. “We’re hoping she makes that transition from 2 to 3.”
Davis fined by stewards
The New York stewards fined jockey Dylan Davis $2,000 “for failing to put forth his best effort” aboard Jokemeister in Saturday’s sixth race, which they said cost the horse a placing.
Jokemeister set the pace in the $14,000 claiming race before giving way in the stretch. He finished last of six, beaten a nose for fifth by Catching Cupid. The result had no bearing on the mutuel payoffs for the race and the difference in purse money between fifth and sixth was $280.
“I am in shock,” Davis said of the fine. “I thought it was excessive.”
Davis said Jokemeister was “getting really tired” toward the end of the race and that he was doing his best to protect the horse.
Davis said he was scheduled to meet again Friday with the stewards to discuss the incident. Davis said he has not yet formally appealed the fine.
Davis also was given a three-day suspension by the stewards for his ride aboard Hopper in the third race at Aqueduct on March 3. In that race, Hopper, a first-time starter, came out several paths and forced Battuda d’Oro out in the stretch. The stewards disqualified Hopper from first and placed him second.
Davis, the second-leading rider in wins behind Manny Franco at the winter meet, has appealed that suspension.
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