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Mike Cline Named Kentucky’s Farm Manager Of The Year

The Kentucky Thoroughbred Farm Managers' Club (KTFMC) is pleased to announce the 2020 Ted Bates Farm Manager of the Year, Michael Cline.

In 1979, Will Farish hired a young horseman named Mike Cline to manage his developing Lane's End Farm, located on an important and historic tract of land in the Bluegrass of Versailles, Woodford County, Kentucky. The two horsemen would combine their knowledge of horses, land and business to build Lane's End into one of the premier Thoroughbred organizations in the world.

Mike Cline has been surrounded by horses all of his life. He grew up in Versailles, the son of a farm manager, and attended the University of Kentucky on a football scholarship. After college, Mike took a job on the racetrack with Hall of Fame Trainer Mack Miller, another Woodford County native.

Upon returning to the Versailles area for his first farm management position, with Big Sink Farm, Mike was very fortunate to meet Mr. Farish, who hired him to oversee broodmares, foals, yearlings, barn construction and pasture management at Lane's End Farm. From this foundation, the industry-leading sales and stallion divisions of Lane's End emerged.

In his role at Lane's End over the course of 40 years, Mike has been involved in breeding, raising and racing numerous champions and stakes winners for the farm and its clients. The farm has been the leading sales consignor 26 times, selling 380 stakes winners including over 50 champions or Grade 1 winners, among them A. P. Indy, Saint Liam, Rags to Riches and Lemon Drop Kid. Lane's End has earned the title of leading stud farm 15 times, with the stallions siring over 285 Grade 1 winners.

Mike has mentored many successful people in the industry, currently managers at some of the world's top Thoroughbred farms. He was a strong supporter of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association's Kentucky Thoroughbred Equine Management Internship program (KEMI) which provides opportunities for students to learn horsemanship and management skills and begin their careers in the world of Thoroughbred breeding and racing.

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Grade 1 Winner Promises Fulfilled Retired To WinStar Farm

Robert J. Baron and WinStar Farm's Grade 1-winning millionaire Promises Fulfilled has been retired from racing and will enter stud at WinStar for the 2021 breeding season, the farm announced today. His fee has been set at $10,000 S&N.

In an outstanding racing career for trainer Dale Romans, Promises Fulfilled, a son of classic winner and three-time Grade 1 winner Shackleford, won five graded stakes at distances from six furlongs to 1 1/16 miles—winning the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Stakes, G2 Fountain of Youth Stakes, G2 John A. Nerud Stakes, G2 Phoenix Stakes, and G3 Amsterdam Stakes, competing exclusively in graded stakes company following his first two victories at two.

“When we look for stallion prospects, we want brilliance,” said Elliott Walden, WinStar's president, CEO, and racing manager. “Promises Fulfilled not only meets that criteria but brings the added benefit of durability, a rare trait for horses with his speed. When you look at his past performances, you see him in front in 15-of-17 starts, no matter the distance. You see him running at least :44 and change six different times in graded stakes and he competed in 15 graded stakes, including eight Grade 1s. We are excited to offer our full support to him and include him in our “Dream Big Lifetime Breeding Right Program.”

At three, Promises Fulfilled stamped himself as a leading sophomore right out of the gate with an emphatic wire-to-wire win in Gulfstream Park's $400,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes in his seasonal debut, defeating 2-year-old champion and Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Good Magic and earning himself a berth in the Kentucky Derby.

Over the summer, he asserted himself as a premier sprinter, running his rivals off their feet in the 6 1/2-furlong Amsterdam Stakes at Saratoga. He got six furlongs in 1:08 2/5 en route to a dominating 3 1/4-length win in a final time of 1:15, earning a 107 Beyer Speed Figure. He returned a month later to annex the prestigious H. Allen Jerkens, where he once again proved uncatchable, winning the $500,000 seven-furlong event gate to wire in 1:21 2/5, leaving in his wake Grade 1 winner Firenze Fire. Promises Fulfilled made it three consecutive Graded triumphs with a determined victory in the Phoenix S. at Keeneland, beating older Grade 1 winner Whitmore.

At four in 2019 in yet another authoritative performance, Promises Fulfilled rolled to a 4 1/2-length win in the John A. Nerud S. at Belmont Park, recording a career-best 108 Beyer. All told, the handsome chestnut retires with seven wins and three placings from 17 starts and earnings of $1,455,530.

“Promises Fulfilled ranks right up there with the best horses I've trained,” said Dale Romans. “He's a lot like his sire in the mental toughness department and he is an extremely intelligent horse. He won major races on all the main stages—Gulfstream, Keeneland, Saratoga, and Belmont.”

Bred in Kentucky by David Jacobs, Promises Fulfilled hails from the Storm Cat line, being a son of Shackleford, winner of the Preakness Stakes, G1 Clark Handicap, and G1 Metropolitan Handicap during his accomplished racing career. Promises Fulfilled is produced from the multiple graded stakes-placed Marquetry mare Marquee Delivery and is a half-brother to multiple stakes winner and graded stakes-placed Marquee Miss.

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Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearlings Sale Catalog Now Online

Fasig-Tipton has cataloged 1,553 yearlings for its Kentucky October Yearlings Sale, to be held on Oct. 26-29, in Lexington, Ky.

The four continuous sessions, conducted on Monday-Thursday, will begin each day at 10 a.m.

“This is the strongest group of yearlings we have ever offered at Kentucky October,” said Fasig-Tipton president Boyd Browning. “This spring, a significant number of sellers decided that they would target October with many of their top yearlings. Buyers will find tremendous quality here, no matter what their budget.”

This year's catalog cover features recent sale graduates British Idiom and Gretzky the Great, both Grade 1 winning 2-year-olds. British Idiom captured the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and Grade 1 Alcibiades Stakes on her way to being named Eclipse champion 2-year-old filly of 2019. Gretzky the Great recently won the G1 Summer Stakes on Sept. 20 — his second consecutive stakes win this year – to establish himself as one of the top 2-year-olds in the country.

The catalog may now be viewed online, and will also be available via the equineline sales catalogue app. Print catalogs will be available on-site in Lexington approximately one week before the sale, as well as from Fasig-Tipton's regional offices and national representatives at that time.

Online bidding and phone bidding services will be available to buyers.

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Champion Midnight Bisou Retired With Sesamoid Fracture; Headed to Fasig-Tipton November Sale

Bloom Racing Stable, Madaket Stables and Allen Racing's Midnight Bisou, North American champion older dirt female in 2019, has been retired.

Internationally recognized equine orthopedic surgeon Dr. Larry Bramlage of Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky., confirmed on Wednesday that Midnight Bisou sustained a sesamoid fracture in her right front fetlock. According to Dr. Bramlage surgery is not required, and she has already shipped to WinStar Farm, where she will be turned out. The injury will be inconsequential to her and her broodmare career.

The 5-year-old mare by Midnight Lute out of Diva Delite, by Repent, will be offered as a broodmare prospect with Elite Sales at the Fasig-Tipton November sale on Nov. 8, where she will certainly headline the “Night of the Stars” sale.

Midnight Bisou had a routine maintenance work at Saratoga on Monday, Sept. 28 in advance of the G1 Juddmonte Spinster taking place at Keeneland on Oct. 4 as a final prep for her participation in this year's Breeders' Cup. While cooling out, and under the watchful eye of Scott Blasi, assistant trainer to Steve Asmussen, he noticed something was amiss.

“I cannot begin to tell you what this mare has meant to me, my family, and my partners,” said Jeffrey Boom, co-owner and managing partner of Bloom Racing. “The places she has taken us and the thrills she has given us are immeasurable. And just to be in her presence is to feel what greatness is all about. Her calm, inquisitive demeanor, her fierce determination in a race is unlike any other horse. She is all class. I'm just so grateful I got to be a part of her incredible journey, and I'm extremely excited to watch the next phase of her life, watch her become a mother, and for her babies to hit the track with all of her class and elegance, and continue the Midnight Bisou legacy.”

Midnight Bisou retires as the highest-earning dirt mare of all time, earning $7,471,520. She raced at 10 different tracks. Never off the board in 22-lifetime starts, with a record of 13-6-3. Her five Grade 1 wins include the Santa Anita Oaks and the Cotillion in 2018; and the Apple Blossom, Ogden Phipps, and Personal Ensign in 2019. She finished second in the 2020 Saudi Cup behind last year's 3-year-old male champion Maximum Security.

“I want to thank trainer Steve Asmussen, assistant trainer's Scott Blasi, Darren Fleming, her main exercise rider Angel Garcia, groom Gerardo Morales (Chocolaté), and the entire Asmussen team for the devotion and care they provided each and every single day. I would also like to thank her regular rider, Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith who shared a very special bond with her, and was aboard for all five G1 wins, as well as the other jockeys who were fortunate enough to climb aboard. Finally, a sincere thank you to all of Midnight Bisou's legion of fans who have been extremely loyal with their support and love for our Champion throughout her career.”

An $80,000 purchase by Bloom at the 2017 OBS Spring Sale of 2-year-Olds in Training, Midnight Bisou was bred in Kentucky by Woodford Thoroughbreds. She began her career in California in October 2017 under the conditioning of William Spawr, who won three of six starts with her, including the G1 Santa Anita Oaks in 2018. She was transferred to Asmussen's barn following a third-place finish behind Monomoy Girl in the G1 Kentucky Oaks and was based in the Midwest or East Coast for the remainder of her career.

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