The Herringswell Jingle (Thank You Jane Motion, PS: Where's Dad?)

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Priscilla Graham's Hat Trick; 2010 Upon Us

Naturally, fresh out of Turf Melody's win in the $200,000 Springboard Mile, minds begin to wonder. Anytime a 2-year-old wins a race, whether a maiden, allowance ,or stakes minds of the connections start to imagine. Imagine the possibilities.

Two days after her Maria's Mon juvenile captured his first stakes, first time starter Dandy Waltz (Tale Of The Cat) broke his maiden at Penn National. The stocky-chestnut won the right way traveling 6-furlongs in the Tuesday night Maiden Special Weight.

Dandy Waltz arrived at Fair Hill in mid-October and never looked back from there. The 2-year-old never missed a scheduled breeze and had impressed since his arrival. The win earned Dandy Waltz $20,400.

Like clockwork, just three days after his stable mate's win, and five days after Turf Melody's Oklahoma triumph, Noah's Dream returned to the races.

With one June run under his belt, the Pulpit juvenile ran like he needed the race and more distance in his Delaware debut.

Away from the races for nearly six months, the bay colt inhaled his Philadelphia Park rivals to win impressively by more than eight lengths.

Both maiden winners were ridden by Joe Rocco Jr. Turf Melody was ridden by Jeremy Rose. While all three shared the same common denominator...The Pink silks of Priscilla Graham.

Not to be outdone by the colts, Apple Charlotte, a 2-year-old Smart Strike filly for Jack Swain dazzled in her second career start winning by more than 5-lengths at Tampa Bay Downs. Apple Charlotte, or "Manzanita", labeled by her groom has us all excited.

Coolcullen Times (pictured above) recently joined the stable at Fair Hill. An Irish-bred 3-year-old, was a three time winner in his homeland. The July Tattersalls purchase is owned by Hickory Tree Stables, who also owned Rebellion and the stakes-winning filly Leamington. The dashing colt topped the sales.

With 2010 upon us, we enter the final ten days of a successful 2009. Although we are not ready to call it a year, with still a handful of runners scheduled to head towards the starting gate. Into the final week-and-a-half, Herringswell Stables is one of just ten training organizations to have over 100 winners and more than $5,000,000 in purse money.

Jane and Marcus Motion looking cold while enjoying the snow.

Fun fun fun

Turf Melody Makes The Trek Worth It

Turf Melody made the trip from Fair Hill to Churchill Downs, like many Herringswell runners have throughout the Fall meeting at the Louisville track. Unlike the others, the 2-year-old used the Churchill as a pit-stop.

After training at the site of the Kentucky Derby for three days, the Maria's Mon colt ventured off to Remington Park in Oklahoma for the $200,000 Springboard Mile. He arrived at his final destination and took to the track on Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning. On Sunday night he became a stakes winner.

Sent off at 4-1, Jeremy Rose settled Turf Melody in ninth early on the two leaders moved swiftly enough in :23 and 46.40. As they approached the turn, Rose began to ask the three-time winner and he responded with a game stretch run that was good enough to nose-out Man Chester Man at the wire.

"The horse ran a game race, I didn't know if was going to get there in time,” Rose said. “We kept driving and my horse kept digging. I still think my horse wants to go further. It was a good race."

Turf Melody is owned by Priscilla Graham.

Top Winter Meets Only Weeks Away...

Nine stalls are locked in by Herringswell colored cross bars at Santa Anita. 20 (as of the moment) are secured at Palm Meadows. Both winter getaway locations are spots where the best of the best go when the northern temperature drops.

On the west coast, at "The Great Race Place", nine serious bullets fill out the barn.

2-year-old fillies, Zilva and Smart Seattle have resumed training after their efforts in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and Juvenile Fillies Turf respectively.

Cherokee Artist (pictured), who has not raced since capturing the Presque Isle Mile in September, plans to make a return to the races during the Santa Anita meeting. Yorktown, an unlucky fourth in a third-level allowance also remains out west.

Fresh off her win in the Starine Stakes at Hollywood, California-bred Saucey Evening (bottom) will point towards Sunshine Millions day on January 30.

Smart Bid also comes out of a stake win. The 3-year-old Smart Strike colt looks to run in either the Grade I Malibu on December 27 or the Grade III Sir Beaufort on the same day. Smart Bid's half-brother is Deal Making. Deal Making, a 4-year-old Empire Maker gelding also will call California his winter home.

Three-year-olds Gustavian and Snowmaster round out the barn. The duo both tallied wins at the recently completed Keeneland fall meet

Of the 20 stalls at Palm Meadows, eleven are filled with 2-year-olds. Winners Cat Park, Check The Label, Peace Fire and Vamos A Ver lead the Florida string of Juveniles.

The lone runner at a Florida track up to this point is Shehashighhopes. The High Yield three-year-old comfortably broke her maiden at Calder in a Maiden Claiming $25,000.

The Gulfstream Park meeting begins Sunday January 3.

Refrigerated Sauce(y)

The Times Square Ball dropped to ring in 2009. Then Barack Obama was sworn in as America's first African American president. Quality Road won the Florida Derby. Hal Wiggins' Rachel Alexandra began to dominate. Keeneland opened. Mine That Bird stunned in the Kentucky Derby. Rachel beat the Calvin Borel-less Mine That Bird in the Preakness. Summer Bird emerged in the Belmont. Then SHE won the Haskell. Bullsbay won the Whitney. Shared Account, Sumo, Silver Reunion & Leamington made their first stakes wins, Saratoga stakes wins. Bullsbay ran third in the Woodward. Cherokee Artist won the PID Mile. Goldikova and Conduit repeated in the Breeders Cup. Zenyatta created a new class, above all the others. We celebrated Thanksgiving. Then put the Christmas CD's in.

Then Saucey Evening won her first race since before any of these events above transpired.

In 2008, the California bred 2-year-old won two $125,000 state-bred stakes by more than 2 1/2 lengths. She ran traffic-endured fourth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. She was third in the Grade I Las Virgenes. After a freshening that lasted nearly 5-months, she had seemed to be caught up to by the rest of her classmates. On Thursday, Saucey Evening got her edge back.

Sent off at 10-1, the More Than Ready daughter split horses deep in the stretch and gamely prevailed to capture the $61,150 Starine Stakes at Hollywood Park. While the handicappers, wrote her off as stale, the sophomore showed she has conserved herself and returned to form and then some.

The completed time for the mile was 1:35.60. The Chestnut filly paid $23.20 on a $2 win bet.

The Starine is named after the French bred gray mare, who won the Diana, Matriarch and Breeders' Cup filly & mare turf among others.

Catching Up With Herringswell

Within hours, Check The Label and Cat Park pronounced themselves legitimate grass juveniles in second and third place finishes in Churchill overnight stakes on closing Saturday.

Cat Park never advanced from third position as Lost Aptitude lulled the field to sleep through respectable fractions of 23.3, 47.3 and 1:11.4. The wire-to-wire winner highlighted what was part of closing Saturday's theme, "try and beat the grass speed". While in the Caressing, eventual winner Sheer Beauty led for most of the large majority of the 1 mile stakes. Taking nothing away from the winners, both were impressive. Lost Aptitude was third in Cat Park's allowance win at Keeneland and now has won two-straight out of that race.

Check The Label, a bay Stormin' Fever filly,arrived comfortably in Palm Meadows on Sunday. Cat Park has remained at Churchill Downs while his winter schedule is mapped out.

Bullsbay has put a lid on a breakout 2009 season after his 7th place finish (beaten just 5-lengths) in the Grade II Clark on Friday. The 5-year-old son of Tiznow won the Harrison Johnson (Laurel), Alysheba (Churchill), Whitney (Saratoga) this year. He was second in the John Campbell (Laurel) and was third in the Hal's Hope (Gulfstream) and Woodward (Saratoga).

The Palm Meadows barn continues to inch towards capacity as the Boynton Beach shedrow has raised its total to 17. Those already wintering in Florida are; Angel's Cove, Apple Charlotte, Bum Bum, Check The Label, Cherokee Queen, Desertstormelite, Drop A Line, Great Belief, Kapsiliat, Let's Do It, Peace Fire, Quando Quando, Rcuandry, Salsa Star, Shehashighhopes, Straight Talk and Vamos A Ver.

Shehashighhopes was our latest winner, graduating at Calder under leading-rider Eibar Coa. Before Electricty, Sumo, Cutter, Embraceable Blue, True Zip, Saucey Evening and Sit Chilly are entered and will each aim for that title over the next few days.

Jane Motion celebrated her birthday over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend turning 13 on November 27. Birthday checks are OK, but she prefers cash! All jokes aside, Happy Birthday to Jane!