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Mel’s Baby Sister Moves into Maple Leaf Mel’s Stall

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Owning a very similar name and the same color, sire, owner and trainer, Mel's Baby Sister (Cross Traffic) was moved Wednesday into the stall occupied by the late Maple Leaf Mel (Cross Traffic).

Despite the names given to them by owner Bill Parcells, the NFL Hall of Fame coach, to honor trainer Melanie Giddings, Maple Leaf Mel and Mel's Baby Sister are not related.

Maple Leaf Mel was on her way to victory in the GI Test S. Saturday when she suffered a catastrophic leg injury near the finish line. She was euthanized on the track. Her stall was vacant for three days and was turned into an impromptu memorial for the 3-year-old New York-bred. Trainer Brendan Walsh, whose filly Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief), ended up finishing first in the Test, brought the winner's blanket of flowers to Giddings Sunday morning and it was placed in the front of the stall. The floral arrangement has been moved to the front of the shedrow to make room for Mel's Baby Sister.

“I didn't want to put anybody in there, but I needed the stall today,” Giddings said. “I thought, 'Whether it's today or next week it's going to have to happen sooner or later.' I felt like if somebody should go in there, it's her.”

Parcells purchased the 2-year-old Mel's Baby Sister in May for $110,000 at Fasig-Tipton's Timonium Sale.

“They have a lot of the same personality,” Giddings said. “You know what? Maybe there is something to a name. I don't know.”

Giddings, 39, said she is beginning to recover from the tragic loss of the star of her small stable.

“A little better every day,” she said. “I think keeping busy helps everybody. Even my staff. Keep them busy and just try to keep everybody's mind OK and in a positive way.”

Giddings is quite familiar with dire situations. In June 2020, the native of Coburg, Ontario was diagnosed with Stage 4 endocervical and ovarian cancer. She underwent 10 hours of surgery to remove tumors, six rounds of chemotherapy and 28 radiation treatments. She recovered and in 2021 returned to the racetrack as an assistant for Jeremiah Englehart, who trained for Parcells. When Giddings decided to open her own stable this year, Parcells moved Maple Leaf Mel to her care.

It was a winning combination. Together, the Maple Leaf Mel team picked up three stakes victories: the East View for New York-breds, the GIII Miss Preakness S. in May at Pimlico and the GIII Victory Ride S. in early July at Belmont Park. The unbeaten gray was about 10 yards from a victory in the Test when she was injured.

Giddings said she has been overwhelmed by the number of people who have reached out to her since Saturday.

“It's pretty incredible,” she said. “I said to somebody the other day, 'I didn't even hear from this many people when I was dying.' I knew she was popular. Did I think she was that popular? No.

“I guess a lot of it was half the horse and half the people messaging me about their battle with cancer as well. It just shows you that there is good in horse racing.”

Giddings said a fundraiser has been established by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance in Maple Leaf Mel's name.

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Pretty Mischievous in Good Order After Test Score

Godolphin's Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief), who crossed the wire first in Saturday's GI Test S., has exited her race well, trainer Brendan Walsh confirmed Sunday.

The filly won the GI Kentucky Oaks and GI Acorn S. wins earlier this spring.

“She's fine, she ate up good and has been eating peppermints all morning here, hanging over the door,” Walsh said. “She ran well [Saturday], but it was just a little sharp for her, though she beat some very good fillies. The filly that broke down was the best of the day, but we're proud of the effort ours gave. That's her putting in her A-effort, like she always does. She always leaves it all out there and we can't ask for more than that. I didn't realize how much she really did close. It just goes to show how good a filly she is to give as good an effort as she did.”

Walsh said he did not have any immediate plans for Pretty Mischievous, but noted it was likely to include a step up in distance.

“We'll probably go back to the two turns after that. We're not really leaning anywhere yet, as far as her next race,” Walsh said. “I would say two turns is definite and the [Sept. 23 GI] Cotillion [S.] would be the one that you would think would be the place to go–but I haven't discussed with the team, so nothing has been decided. She's won three Grade Is–or two and a half–and a GII [Rachel Alexandra S.]. There's no one else who's done that.”

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Pretty Mischievous Wins Test; Maple Leaf Mel Breaks Down at the Wire, Is Euthanized

The unbeaten New York-bred filly Maple Leaf Mel (Cross Traffic–City Gift, by City Place), well on her way to a powerful, front-running win in Saturday's GI Test S. at Saratoga, tragically broke down in the shadow of the wire and had to be euthanized on the track.

The GI Kentucky Oaks winner and 9-5 favorite 'TDN Rising Star' Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief), racing one from last for most of the seven-furlong journey, crossed the wire first, a head in front of longshot Clearly Unhinged (Into Mischief). 'Rising Star' Munnys Gold (Munnings) was third.

The rail-drawn Pretty Mischievous, quickly guided off the fence by Tyler Gaffalione, raced in sixth through fractions of :22.28 and :44.58. The five-for-five GII Victory Ride S. winner kicked for home in complete control as Pretty Mischievous began to wind up while six wide leaving the quarter pole and began her rally down the center of the course.

Maple Leaf Mel led by 2 1/2 lengths at the stretch call and was well clear approaching the wire as Pretty Mischievous and Clearly Unhinged gave chase. Maple Leaf Mel took a bad step beneath Joel Rosario approaching the wire and went down.

Both Pretty Mischievous and Clearly Unhinged were steered clear of their ill-fated, fallen rival and hit the wire together, with the former narrowly in front.

Maple Leaf Mel was humanely euthanized on track with a catastrophic injury to her right front, per Dr. Luis Castro.

Rosario incurred a cut to his lower lip and will visit a Saratoga-area hospital by private vehicle for stitches, but was otherwise alert and in good order. He is off the remainder of his mounts.

Saturday, Saratoga
TEST S.-GI, $500,000, Saratoga, 8-5, 3yo, f, 7f, :00.00, ft.
1–PRETTY MISCHIEVOUS, 124, f, 3, by Into Mischief
                1st Dam: Pretty City Dancer (GISW, $286,344), by Tapit
                2nd Dam: Pretty City, by Carson City
                3rd Dam: Pretty Special, by Riverman
O/B-Godolphin, LLC (KY); T-Brendan P. Walsh; J-Tyler
Gaffalione. $275,000. 'TDN Rising Star' Lifetime Record:
9-7-1-1, $1,756,560. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or
the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Clearly Unhinged, 118, f, 3, by Into Mischief
                1st Dam: Smart Win, by Smart Strike
                2nd Dam: Win McCool, by Giant's Causeway
                3rd Dam: Win Crafty Lady, by Crafty Prospector
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK
TYPE. O-Rock Brothers Racing; B-Rock Brothers Breeding
LLC (KY); T-Michael W. McCarthy. $100,000.
3–Munnys Gold, 118, f, 3, by Munnings
                1st Dam: Haraawa, by Medaglia d'Oro
                2nd Dam: Alseera, by Distorted Humor
                3rd Dam: Unbridled Idol, by Unbridled
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($92,000 Wlg '20 FTKNOV; $300,000
Ylg '21 FTKJUL). O-Lawana L. and Robert E. Low; B-Nicksar
Farms (FL); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $60,000.
Margins: HD, 1 3/4, 1. Odds: 1.85, 17.60, 4.40.
Also Ran: Dorth Vader, Jersey Pearl, Tappin Josie, Maple Leaf Mel. Scratched: Interpolate.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Cody’s Wish Streaks Into Whitney

Cody's Wish (Curlin) will be heavily favored over five rivals to add another chapter to racing's feel-good story in Saturday's GI Whitney S. at Saratoga.

The Godolphin homebred, winner of last term's GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and the stallion-making GI Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan H. at Belmont Park June 10, seeks his first career win beyond one mile in the nine-furlong Whitney, a 'Win and You're In' for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita.

The 1-2 morning-line favorite, named after Cody Dorman, who was born with the rare genetic disorder Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome and is unable to walk or communicate without utilizing a tablet, is currently riding a six-race winning streak. He will exit widest of all from post six with regular rider Junior Alvarado aboard.

“We have reason to believe he could do it,” Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott said of Cody's Wish tackling the additional distance. “He's come a long way. He was terribly green when we ran him at three in his first few races. He just didn't know whether to go forward or that sort of thing.”

Mott continued, “This is a very good horse and hopefully for our sake, he can go on. There's a great story that goes with him with Cody Dorman, so the whole scenario turns out to be very special.”

The field for the Whitney also includes: last term's GI Blue Grass S. winner Zandon (Upstart), runner-up to Cody's Wish in the Met Mile; and 'TDN Rising Star' Charge It (Tapit), a last out winner of the GII Suburban S. July 8 and fourth-place finisher in the Met Mile.

Saturday's stacked 12-race program at the Spa also co-features a fantastic renewal of the GI Test S. Godolphin homebred and 'TDN Rising Star' Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief) cuts back to seven furlongs following top-shelf wins in the GI Kentucky Oaks May 5 and GI Acorn S. June 9. The rail-drawn, 9-5 morning-line favorite will face off versus unbeaten New York-bred Maple Leaf Mel (Cross Traffic), a sharp winner of the GIII Victory Ride S. downstate July 8.

A field of nine will line up for the GI Saratoga Derby Invitational over the Mellon Turf Course, led by LSU Stable's GI Belmont Derby Invitational S. winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Far Bridge (English Channel). Glen Hill Farm and Mrs. John Magnier's GI Fasig-Tipton Belmont Oaks Invitational S. winner Aspen Grove (Ire) (Justify), cross-entered in Friday's GIII Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Oaks Invitational, will instead take on the boys in the Saratoga Derby.

Last term's GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint upsetter and GI Jaipur S. heroine Caravel (Mizzen Mast), meanwhile, will take on males once again in the GIII Troy S. on the Whitney undercard.

“She's been able to beat the boys three out of her last four and hopefully four out of her last five,” trainer Brad Cox said. “It would be exciting if she can do it again.”

Saturday's graded stakes action also includes Del Mar's GI Clement L. Hirsch, a 'Win and You're In' for the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff. Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert will be represented by the imposing duo of Adare Manor (Uncle Mo) and Fun to Dream (Arrogate) in the five-horse field. Adare Manor captured her third straight win in the GII Santa Margarita S. June 10 while Fun to Dream just got tagged by a head in the GI Beholder Mile S. last time Mar. 11.

The weekend's graded stakes action rolls into Sunday with upset GIII Schuylerville S. debut winner Becky's Joker (Practical Joke) headlining a field of 10 in the GIII Adirondack S. at Saratoga; the GIII La Jolla H. at Del Mar; Mountaineer Park's GIII West Virginia Derby and GIII West Virginia Governor's S.; and Ellis Park's GIII Pucker Up S.

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