Beezie Madden and Mademoiselle negotiate the table bank (The Book LLC)
Madden was chasing a time of 76.353 seconds, set by McLain Ward and Emma. They had four seconds added to their time after a rail down. A close challenge to Madden's victory came from 15-year-old Lillie Keenan and Vanhattan, owned by Chansonette Farm LLC. They were clear and finished just off the pace in 75.768 seconds for second place.
Madden saw Ward's early ride. “He was blazing,” she remarked. “By the end, my strategy was just to try to go fast enough to beat his added time and hope the others after me couldn't catch me as well.”
While Mademoiselle, a 16-year-old Holsteiner mare by Libertino I x Silvester, has plenty of experience showing on grass fields at Spruce Meadows and in Europe, Madden was using this class to see if she would be good for the speed derbies in Calgary.
“This was a little bit of an experiment,” she conceded. “I was pretty sure she'd do well, but it was also to see if we want to do these kinds of classes with her in Spruce Meadows. She felt great. I haven't done so many natural obstacles, like the Devil's Dyke and the bank, with her in her career because she's been doing grand prix, really. It was nice to see she didn't bat an eye at them. I probably could have done five strides after the table (bank) like they were doing at the beginning of the class. I wasn't quite sure if she'd be bold off the table, but I think in hindsight, or next time, I can probably leave a stride out. At the end I thought it was good.”
Madden felt today's class was an easy transition for Mademoiselle from the grand prix ring. “She's always been a fast horse. The going fast part she knows, and she turns well. She's very rideable, so you can run early in the course and still have control at the end. She's always been good with that,” she said.
In addition to being comfortable with speed, Madden felt the mare's fitness was ideal for a speed derby. “I think she has a lot of Thoroughbred blood in her and she has a lot of fitness on her own,” she commented. “Even though it's a longer course and a faster pace, I think it's easy for her.”
Madden enjoyed her time galloping around the course too. She said, “It's great to be out in this field. It's fun to have a speed horse like that. It's good for your riding to be able to go in and go fast, and have a little fun with it.”
Final Results: $20,000 Speed Derby of North Salem
1 MADEMOISELLE BEEZIE MADDEN: 75.567
2 VANHATTAN LILLIE KEENAN: 75.768
3 EMMA MCLAIN WARD: 76.353
4 LENNOX LEWIS 2 LESLIE HOWARD: 77.797
5 TUXEDO TODD MINIKUS: 78.278
6 WRIGLEY BEEZIE MADDEN: 79.706
7 PRINCESS EMILY ISABELLA SALLES: 82.644
8 UNEX TIMO IV MEG O'MARA: 83.240
9 CASCON DARRAGH KENNY: 84.568
10 TIBOR TODD MINIKUS: 84.734
11 G & C SACRAMENTO LUIS LARRAZABAL: 87.467
12 PELE LESLIE HOWARD: 87.630