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Mike Cline to Retire as Lane’s End Farm Manager

Mike Cline, “the only farm manager Lane’s End has ever known,” according to a press release from the farm announcing the news, is retiring after a 40-year career at the storied nursery. “It would be hard to overstate Mike’s importance to Lane’s End and everything that has happened here since the farm’s inception,” said Will Farish, “I hired Mike back in 1979 and he has overseen everything from the broodmares, to stallions, to sales, to barn construction, to pasture maintenance.”

Many successful people in the industry came up under Cline’s tutelage, including Callan Strouss, the farm manager at Lane’s End’s Oak Tree division; Chris Baker at Three Chimneys; Eddie Kane at Calumet; Charles Campbell at Indian Creek Farm; Cooper Sawyer at Mt. Brilliant; and Donna Vowles at Kiltinan Castle Stud, among others.

“Will Farish provided me with the opportunity of a lifetime and it has truly been an honor to work for him and with him over these many years,” said Cline. “Will’s vision for Lane’s End was incredible and it has been a privilege to help him implement that vision. I have had the opportunity to meet presidents, the Queen and many fascinating people, not to mention manage some of the greatest Thoroughbreds in history: A.P. Indy, Smart Strike, Kingmambo, Zenyatta, Miesque, All Along, Weekend Surprise and so many others.”

The farm said that a new farm manager will not be hired; rather, Todd Claunch will continue in his role and take on additional responsibilities at the farm, while Cline will continue to consult.

“I plan on continuing to stay involved with the farm and its many clients in more of an advisory role,” said Cline. “Lane’s End’s continued success will always be important to me.”

Chris McGrath profiled Cline for the TDN in 2018, and Cline talked about the many opportunities and experiences his role at Lane’s End had provided him, such as the time he flew on Air Force One to deliver a puppy to President George Bush. “For some bumpkin like me, to do that kind of stuff? Working for the Farish family has been an unbelievable experience,” Cline told McGrath.”I just think how lucky I was to run into this one guy who’s enabled me to do this for all this time. I don’t think either of us had an idea where it was going to go, back then. But I just felt I was around the right sort of person. And he and his family have been basically responsible for everything good that’s ever happened to me.”

Cline and Farish at Keeneland in 2003 | Lee Thomas photo

Cline arrived at Lane’s End in 1979, when it was a 140-acre cattle farm. “There was a beautiful old house, beautiful rolling land,” Cline recalled in 2018. “(Mr. Farish) lived in Houston, he came to Kentucky all the time but never really had a home here. And that was the cool part about it; so many people have farms that aren’t really homes–but this place started out as a home. So we fixed up the house, and immediately started working on plans to build the broodmare barns.” Cline was in his 20s at the time.

Cline attended the University of Kentucky on a football scholarship, and got a job for trainer Mack MIller when he left school. “Mack was a hay, oats and water guy, so the formative years I had in the horse business were with someone who was straight, honest and loved his horses,” Cline told McGrath in 2018. He went on to work on the starting gate at NYRA, and then as assistant to Bob Dunham. It was through a subsequent job managing the old Big Sink Farm when he met Farish.

His gratitude for the opportunity has always been palpable, as McGrath discovered when he sat down with him two years ago.

“There’s lots of ways to get judged and I’m happy with being judged the way I will be,” he said at the time. “I just really am grateful for the opportunity I got. There aren’t many of those kind of jobs any more. For me to stay as long as I have is pretty unheard of, in this day and age. Especially when you’re doing something that’s your passion. I love what I do. Mostly because where I get to do it, and who I get to do it with.”

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‘Everything Is Going Smoothly’ With Travers Contender Max Player

George E. Hall and SportBLX Thoroughbreds' Max Player, the third-place finisher in last month's Grade 1 Belmont Stakes, continues to train forwardly towards the Grade 1, $1 million Runhappy Travers on August 8, trainer Linda Rice said.

Max Player, who finished only behind Dr Post and winner Tiz the Law in the Belmont Stakes on June 20, worked for the third time since the first leg of the Triple Crown, going five furlongs in 1:02.21 on Monday morning over the Belmont Park training track.

“He breezed fine and everything went well,” Rice said. “We took it easy with him because the temperatures have been in the high-90s out there. It's been crazy hot, but everything is going smoothly.”

The Honor Code colt, 2-1-1 in four career races, made his first two starts at Parx, running second in his debut at one mile on November 12 before winning at the same distance at second asking over a sloppy and sealed track on December 17.

In his first race as a sophomore, Max Player defeated an eight-horse field by 3 ¼ lengths in the 1 1/8-mile Grade 3 Withers on February 1 at Aqueduct Racetrack. In the Belmont Stakes, which was shortened from its famed 1 ½-mile distance to a one-turn 1 1/8 miles to accommodate the revised schedule for 3-year-olds in training, Max Player earned a personal-best 92 Beyer Speed Figure.

With the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby set for September 5 and serving as the middle jewel of the Triple Crown this year, Max Player earned 30 qualifying points for his Belmont Stakes blacktype, adding to the 10 he accumulated with his Withers win. His 40 total qualifying points places him 15th on the current leaderboard, with the Runhappy Travers offering a 100-40-20-10 scale to the top-four finishers.

“He's on schedule,” Rice said. “We're at our home base here. He'll get one more breeze at Belmont and we'll go from there.”

The “Mid-Summer Derby” is contested at 1 ¼ miles, which would make the Travers both Max Player's first start at Saratoga and also the longest race in which he's contested. Rice said there is a possibility he could work at Saratoga before running, but said he has already won in unfamiliar places.

“When we won in the Withers at Aqueduct, he had never been on that track, either,” Rice said. “He can handle new situations well.”

The post ‘Everything Is Going Smoothly’ With Travers Contender Max Player appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Fresco Continues Clement’s Big Saratoga Meet With Maiden Victory In NYSS Statue Of Liberty

Oak Bluff Stables' Fresco broke her maiden in her stakes debut, overtaking three rivals from the outside in the stretch and drawing away for a 1 3/4-length score in Thursday's $100,000 New York Stallion Stakes Series Statue of Liberty for state-bred 3-year-old fillies at Saratoga Race Course.

Fresco, second by a nose to Sky Blue last out on June 25 at Belmont, was patiently handled by jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. in stepping up in class. The Freud filly was second-to-last in the six-horse field as Dixie Cannon led through an opening quarter-mile in 24.80 seconds and the half in 50.08, posting modest fractions on the firm inner turf.

Out of the final turn, Ortiz, Jr. swung out and one-by-one overtook Hunnybunnerdini and Nicky Scissors from the outside. She soon moved up alongside Dixie Cannon and surged past the pacesetter, completing the 1 1/16-mile course in 1:45.43 for her first win in four starts.

“We were trying to wait with the filly because she likes to hang a little bit,” Ortiz, Jr. said “We tried to wait as long as we could today. She broke a little sharp, I took a little hold and she relaxed so well that I just left her there.”

Trainer Christophe Clement picked up his eighth win of the meet, ranking him first among conditioners.

“Irad did a great job. He took her back and saved ground,” Clement said. “You could see they did not finish that fast, so he did the right thing which was to save something for the end.

Clement and Ortiz, Jr. teamed for their second consecutive win Thursday, with the duo also winning with Plum Ali in Race 3.

Off at 1-2, Fresco returned $3 on a $2 win bet. The homebred more than tripled her career earnings to $70,990. It also marked another accomplishment for Oak Bluff, who bred the Clement-trained Therapist, who has compiled eight wins in 17 starts, and Audible, who won the 2018 Grade 1 Florida Derby and Grade 2 Holy Bull while running third in that year's Grade 1 Kentucky Derby for trainer Todd Pletcher.

“It's fun. She broke her maiden in the stakes for her owner-breeder,” Clement said. “She has blacktype so it works for the whole program. Usually, the owner will sell his colts and keep his fillies and he has been very successful with a small broodmare band. He bred Audible, he bred Therapist and he bred this filly and I'm just lucky to be a part of the program.”

Dixie Cannon, also making her stakes bow for trainer Kelly Rubley and ridden by Jose Ortiz, was four lengths the best of Nicky Scissors for second.

“I had a perfect trip,” Ortiz said. “I was able to get to the lead, slow it down and make a run but the winner was much the best.”

Hunnybunnerdini, Apollo's Abraxas and Holmdel Park completed the order of finish. Officer Hutchy was scratched.

Live racing resumes Friday at Saratoga with a 10-race card highlighted by the Grade 3, $100,000 Quick Call for sophomores going 5 ½ furlongs on the Mellon turf course in Race 9 at 5:46 p.m. Eastern. First post is 1:10 p.m.

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Sussex Taking Shape as Classic Colts Face Elders

Juddmonte’s undefeated G1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas hero Siskin (First Defence) and G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas Kameko (Kitten’s Joy), who represents Qatar Racing, lead the nine-strong G1 Qatar Sussex S. field at the latest entry stage on Thursday morning.

The duo are joined by fellow sophomores: MG1SP G2 Coventry S. winner Arizona (Ire) (No Nay Never), Irish 2000 Guineas runner-up Vatican City (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), and G3 Tattersalls S. hero and MG1Sp Wichita (Ire) (No Nay Never), all from Ballydoyle. Aidan O’Brien also sends 4-year-olds MG1SW Circus Maximus (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who won the G1 Queen Anne S. at Royal Ascot and GSW Lancaster House (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).

Marcus Tregoning fields MGSW Mohaather (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) who leads the entries with a Racing Post Rating of 123. San Donato (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire})), runner-up to Mohaather in the G2 Summer Mile S. at Ascot earlier this month, will also take part. The lightly raced Roger Varian trainee won a 1200-metre listed event at Doncaster in the fall of 2018 and emerged from a 197-day break to complete the trifecta behind MG1SW Persian King (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) in the G1 French 2000 Guineas in May of 2019. The Summer Mile was his first appearance since and he appears poised to run well in this return to Group 1 company.

“Yes, absolutely,” said Varian, of San Donato on the idea of facing Mohaather again. “I think Goodwood will suit San Donato, and we’re looking forward to it. He’s come out of that Ascot Summer Mile bouncing, and I would anticipate in a nice bit of improvement–because that was his first run for 16 or 17 months. He’s an exciting horse for the rest of the year and beyond, I hope.”

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