NOW, that’s a bookend. Miss Temple City completed a stellar 2016 season with a nose win in the Matriarch Stakes at Del Mar on Sunday.

The Grade 1 stakes score accentuated a season that began with a win in the Grade 1 Maker’s 46 Mile in April. In between, the four-year-old filly ran hard, winning the Shadwell Mile, finishing fourth in the Duke Of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot, fourth in the Diana (beaten a neck for everything), fifth in the Ballston Spa and fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Mile.

Three wins from six starts, two against the boys, good for over $1 million in purses, now that’s a season.

Owned by The Club Racing, Sagamore Farm and Needle In A Haystack LLC and trained by Graham Motion, the daughter of Temple City will aim at a return foray to Royal Ascot and the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar in 2017.

Ridden by Edgar Prado for the third consecutive time, Miss Temple City feathered over from the outside stall, stalked in fourth, nailed front runner Stays In Vegas and held off Irish-bred Roca Roja to win a three-horse photo-finish.

Riding a two-race win streak and a three-for-four American record into the Matriarch, Roca Rojo ran hard to just miss.

Purchased privately by Edward Daly Bloodstock after winning two races from two starts for Ado McGuinness, the daughter of Strategic Prince owns a Grade 3 win in the Athenia Stakes and just missed in her first Grade 1 attempt for Sheep Pond Partners and Newport Stables.

As for Prado and Motion, it was another feather in their shared cap that includes Breeders’ Cup wins and Grade 1 stakes race wins from Saratoga to Keeneland. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2008, Prado has slipped off most people’s radars, relocating from the New York circuit to the Maryland circuit, but he still is on speed dial for Motion.

“We’ve had so much luck together,” Motion said.

Prado concurred and explained the relationship.

“We’ve been lucky together through the years,” he said. “He’s been one of my greatest supporters for many years. Graham doesn’t tell you a lot. He knows how I ride and I know how he trains. I think that’s why we’ve been successful together.”

It helps having the likes of Miss Temple City.

“She’s got a lot of natural speed and the key is to get her settled. Edgar figured that out the first time he rode her,” Motion said. “It’s really gratifying to end the year this way. I hated to see her getting beat all the time. She had a rough patch in the summer. Hopefully we’ll be here at this time of year next year.”