After battle with cancer, Melanie Giddings riding high with special filly

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00:00Melanie Giddings never really considered going out on her own as a trainer, but a battle

00:06with stage 4 cancer put her life in a new perspective.

00:10The former assistant to Jeremiah Engelhardt is now going out on her own, and she already

00:15has a star in the making with Maple Leaf Mill.

00:18I never thought of training.

00:20I just always loved the racetrack.

00:22I've been here for like 26 years, and I just love getting horses ready, and I take pride

00:30in them doing well and succeeding, and you know, when I got sick, I really didn't think

00:36about training.

00:37I actually didn't think I would ever make it back to the racetrack.

00:41My surgeon, Dr. Erica Takimoto, she classified it as stage 4b endocervical and ovarian cancer.

00:51I wasn't sure if I would ever be able to have another job in my life, or let alone

00:56make it, so when I did make it, I thought, well, you know, Jeremiah asked me to come

01:03back, and I did, and that first year was really tough.

01:08I mean, that first year, if you ever said I was going to train, I would have told you

01:12you're nuts, but it just sort of felt like it was something I should just do for myself

01:18at this point in my life.

01:21That's just how it started.

01:22I had one or two, and then that turned into three or four, and then next thing you know,

01:28I'm buying babies, and now I'm here.

01:31I didn't really think I would end up having one of the nicest fillies in my barn, but

01:38here she is, and I'm super grateful.

01:41Maple Leaf Mal is, she's pretty special, you know.

01:44We always knew she was a little different since the first day we've had her in the barn.

01:49She just loves what she does.

01:52I mean, you take her to the track, and she's so excited to train.

01:55I think for her, being a good racehorse is just the fact that she loves her job.

02:01I'm so grateful for, you know, Coach to give me the chance and for Jeremiah to be so supportive

02:08of my training career and letting me have this filly in my name.

02:13We talk all the time, and we're just supportive of each other, and we always want to be that

02:19way.

02:20Her last race was pretty impressive.

02:24You know, I had spoke to Jeremiah when the PPs came out, and I said, well, I drew the

02:28toughest field, you know, to have her in my name for the first time, and he said, don't

02:33worry, don't worry.

02:34And she doesn't care who it is, and horses don't read the form, and she went over there

02:39like every other time and put on a show.

02:42Second, it is Maple Leaf Mal, and she's going to stay undefeated.

02:46The New York Red has won all five of her starts.

02:49She came out of the race in good shape.

02:52You know, she's feeling frisky, and she's going to the test, and it'll be the biggest

02:56race of her life.

02:58I have eight horses, and we're full of two-year-olds over here, which was something I always said

03:05I wanted to do, because I love babies.

03:08I have another two-year-old filly I bought, a New York Red, Mel's Angel.

03:13I'm excited to run her.

03:15She'll be running, sprinting on the turf, and I really look forward to it.

03:20You get attached to the horses.

03:21I mean, even if they're a five-claimer, if they're a stakes winner, I love them all.

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