One Consignor, Two TDN Rising Stars July 25, 2010

WINE POLICE (Speightstown) It might be a first...one consignor, two TDN Rising Stars in the space of 10 days. But that's just what John and Martha Jane Mulholland's Mulholland Springs can boast after their homebred Wine Police romped to an easy win in his career opener at Saratoga Saturday. It was the second Mulholland Springs graduate to be so honored this month. On July 15, Klaravich Stables's Sovereign Default (Northern Afleet), who sold for $77,000 as a KEENOV weanling in 2008, was tabbed a Rising Star off an impressive debut victory at Belmont Park. "We're excited that our foals are going on and running, which is what you hope for," Martha Jane Mulholland said. "This has made the month for all of us. We've had three of our babies start this year--that's unusual, just to get two-year-olds to start--and they all won first out. We're having a very good year. In addition to the two colts, the filly Unbridled Praise (Songandaprayer) galloped home a 3 1/2-length winner in her first start at Churchill Downs June 27, and came back to be second in the Prairie Gold Lassie S. July 17. Also bred by the Mulhollands, she was a $60,000 KEENOV weanling in 2008. The Mulhollands have kept in touch with Wine Police's owners, J. Kirk and Judy Robison, so they were tuned in when the colt went to the gate. "We've spoken with them and they always were talking very highly of him," Mulholland remarked. "He was laying down some fabulous works, and we were very excited. Everyone was here--all the people on the farm, our family--everybody was watching the race today. It was wonderful!" The Mulhollands purchased Wine Police's dam, Deputy Cures Blues (War Deputy), for $130,000 at Keeneland November in 2005. "She's a big, beautiful, balanced mare, and she comes from a very active stakes-winning black-type family-- just the kind of mare we try to find every year, the horsewoman offered. AWe sold her again this year--we like to get a foal or two out the mare, and then take some good mares over to sell at Keeneland. "We have a small family farm, and we're just trying to keep our name out there," Mulholland noted. In foal to Malibu Moon, she went back through the ring at Keeneland January and was hammered down to Marshall Silverman for $125,000. "He bought the mare for a client, and he is obviously very thrilled," she added. Wine Police went through the ring last fall, bringing $190,000 as a KEESEP yearling. "He was very well mannered and a typical Speightstown-looking colt," Mulholland recalled. "He had a whole lot of body--very correct, easy to be around. It looked like he was going to be quick and early, which is what he obviously is." "He was very well-received," she continued. "We had a lot of activity, with people vetting him and scoping him, and people coming back and re-checking him, so we knew he would sell well. It's hard to know what they're going to bring any more, but we were very pleased with what he sold for." The Mulhollands keep about 20 mares of their own on the farm, and also have about 15 for clients. "We try and sell nice horses; we don't try and keep our best horses," Martha Jane Mulholland said. "We want to bring good horses to the sales and run as boutique and high-ended operation as we possibly can. We want people to have confidence in buying these mares we take over there." The Lexington-based operation aims to sell all of the foals it produces, but if the deal doesn't get done, they will keep a few to race themselves. "The reason we are running this farm is because we love racing, and everything we get from the mares and the babies we just put right back into paying training bills and racing ourselves," she emphasized. "This is what we live for." The Mulhollands currently have a trio of juveniles they will send to the track. Jonathan Sheppard has a colt by Tale of the Cat named High Plains; the two fillies, Sarah Melissa (A.P. Warrior) and Fu Cat (Fusaichi Pegasus), will be sent from the farm in the next couple of weeks, but it has not yet been decided who will train them. It remains to be seen if the three will make headlines of their own, but the Mulhollands have high hopes for Wine Police. "I'd like to know the story of how he got named--I haven't asked [the Robisons]," Martha Jane Mulholland said. It's an unusual name, but hopefully everyone's going to come to know it soon. Martha Jane Mulholland Adam Coglianese photo