Gray filly, 2021, Cross Traffic–Childhood Dream, by Freud (NY), 8-1-3-0,$91,976
BIOGRAPHY: Mel’s Baby Sister was purchased by long-time ReRun supporter and NFL Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells as a 2-year-old for $110,000. Along with another gray filly, the incredible Maple Leaf Mel, he named both to honor his trainer, Melanie Giddings, who had recently undergone a battle with cancer. Although not related, Mel’s Baby Sister helped to fill the enormous hole left by the untimely passing of Maple Leaf Mel.
Mel’s Baby Sister ran eight times, won once, and earned just over $90,000. She retired to ReRun in August of 2024, arriving 10 days after her last race, a seventh-place finish in a Saratoga allowance test. After a month of turnout, she was sent down to New Jersey so she could have more turnout and eventually started training for a second career as a show hunter. She is entered in the 2025 Retired Racehorse Project Makeover.
WHY MEL’S BABY SISTER DESERVES YOUR VOTE: The tragedy that befell Maple Leaf Mel galvanized racing fans and horse lovers and, in the days that followed, united people in a way that is rarely seen. Her stall stood empty after trainer Brendan Walsh gifted the winner’s blanket of flowers to Melanie, but not for long. Mel’s Baby Sister moved into her namesake sister’s former stall, and the trainer said that, at a time when she felt like walking away from racing, Mel’s Baby Sister gave her what she needed to carry on.
ReRun nominates Mel’s Baby Sister because she has become a beacon to racing fans who want to express their feelings of loss about Maple Leaf Mel. She has motivated a dedicated team to push through, and she brings joy to everyone who meets her. Her beauty and strength of character epitomize the Thoroughbred.
She has flourished in her own right, and I think the Saratoga fans would love to see and interact with her one last time before she heads off into her show career. It also presents an opportunity for fans to show their love and appreciation for Melanie and Bill, who always do right by their horses.
