Darley Stable’s DUBAI ESCAPADE (Awesome Again) took the lead soon after the
gates opened in Wednesday’s $200,000
Madison S. (G2) at Keeneland and never looked
back en route to a 4 3/4-length victory under jockey Edgar Prado. The Eoin
Harty-trained four-year-old posted fractions of :21 4/5, :44 3/5 and 1:09 3/5
before finishing seven furlongs on Keeneland’s fast main track in 1:22 1/5.
“She really hasn’t had a lot of experience, but every race she seems to get
better and better,” Harty said. “She’s maturing and filling out and if I can
just keep her mind right, she’ll last a long time.”
Dubai Escapade was sent off the 6-5 favorite in the nine-horse field and broke
from post 8. Racing four and five wide, the bay miss moved a little to the
inside on the turn and easily held to the finish line, paying out $4.40, $3.80
and $2.60 to her faithful backers. Josh’s Madelyn (Quiet
American) came with a game late rally to overtake Ever Elusive (Forestry) before
the wire, giving back $7 and $4.80 at 9-1. Ever Elusive was another 1 3/4 lengths behind in third
and returned $3.40 as the 4-1 second choice. The exotics were worth $39.60 (exacta), $154.60
(trifecta) and $661 (10-4-8-6 superfecta).
Beautiful Bets (Alphabet Soup), Island Escape (Petionville), Givememore (Brz) (Special Nash [Ire]), Bending Strings (American Chance), Malibu Mint (Malibu Moon)
and Atlas Valley (Capote) completed the order of finish. Silver Crown (Distorted Humor) and Flying Glitter (Glitterman)
were both withdrawn.
Bred in Kentucky by Needham/Betz Thoroughbreds & James Blackburn, Dubai
Escapade found a home in Dubai when her current connections paid $2 million to
buy her from the 2004 Barretts March two-year-old sale. Out of the Saratoga
Six mare Sassy Pants, who won three stakes during her career, Dubai Escapade
counts Grade 1 winner Madcap Escapade (Hennessy), who captured last year’s
Madison, as a half-sister. She also has an unraced sophomore half-sister named
Sass Me (Carson City), a juvenile half-brother called Real Estate (High Yield), and an unnamed yearling half-brother by Empire Maker.
Dubai Escapade remains undefeated in the United States with this win and now
boasts a 5-4-0-0 record and $181,050 in lifetime earnings.