Dubai Escapade will try to emulate ‘Madcap’ in
Madison
Darley Stable’s DUBAI ESCAPADE (Awesome Again), the 7-2 morning-line favorite
for Wednesday’s $200,000 Madison S. (G2) at Keeneland, will try to emulate her
half-sister, Madcap Escapade (Hennessy), who captured last year’s running of the
seven-furlong test for distaffers. She will face 10 rivals, led by 123-pound
highweight BENDING STRINGS (American Chance) and Grade 2 winner JOSH’S MADELYN
(Quiet American), who were both unplaced in the 2005 Madison.
Trained by Eoin Harty, Dubai Escapade has landed both of her American outings
at Gulfstream Park, a 6 1/2-furlong allowance by 7 3/4 lengths and a one-mile
optional claiming event by three-quarters of a length. Sold for $2 million at
the 2004 Barretts March Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale, the lightly raced
four-year-old has been assigned 117 pounds for her stakes debut. She will break
from post 10 with Edgar Prado in the irons.
Multiple Grade 2 victress Bending Strings will look to rebound from her
seventh-place finish in the 1 1/8-mile Santa Margarita H. (G1) in her 2006
debut on March 11 at Santa Anita. Last fall at Churchill Downs, the Wally Dollase trainee posted a
convincing 4 1/2-length score in the one-mile Chilukki S. (G2) but ended her
season on a disappointing note when ninth in the Falls City H. (G2). The
five-year-old mare gets the services of hot jockey Rafael Bejarano.
Josh’s Madelyn boasts two wins from four starts at the Lexington, Kentucky,
oval, most notably the 2004 Raven Run S. (G2). Most recently a close runner-up
in the American Beauty S. at Oaklawn Park, the Larry Jones-conditioned mare
won the six-furlong Pan Zareta S. in her first outing of the year. Terry
Thompson has the call on the five-year-old.
Multiple Grade 3 winner FLYING GLITTER (Glitterman), a solid runner-up in the
Raven Run last October, will be reunited with regular rider Robby Albarado.
The four-year-old was a game second in her seasonal reappearance in an Oaklawn
allowance/optional claimer.
Other notable contenders include last-out Hurricane Bertie H. (G3) runner-up
ATLAS VALLEY (Capote), recent Shirley Jones Breeders’ Cup H. (G2) runner-up
BEAUTIFUL BETS (Alphabet Soup), and the Todd Pletcher-trained EVER ELUSIVE
(Forestry), a $1 million Keeneland September yearling purchase in 2003 who’s
coming off two straight sprint victories at Gulfstream Park.
GIVEMEMORE (Brz) (Special Nash [Ire]) will lead the post parade with Scott
Spieth aboard, followed by ISLAND ESCAPE (Petionville), Jesus Castanon; SILVER
CROWN (Distorted Humor), James Graham; Josh’s Madelyn; Bending Strings;
Beautiful Bets, Mark Guidry; Atlas Valley, Rene Douglas; Ever Elusive, John
Velazquez; Flying Glitter; Dubai Escapade; and MALIBU MINT (Malibu Moon), Kristi
Chapman.
Nine of the 11 entrants will carry 117 pounds, with Bending Strings toting
123 and Flying Glitter 119.