Madison

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were both withdrawn.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.