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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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‘Riders Up’ Documentary Showcases North American Sports Bubble At Santa Anita Park

1/ST announced today the television premiere of “Riders Up”, a 30-minute documentary film showcasing Santa Anita Park, and how the company's premier Thoroughbred horse racetrack venue in Southern California successfully created North America's first sports bubble amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

The original film, created and shot by the Hennegan Brothers, has been formatted for television and will air on NBCSN on Friday, Oct. 2 at 6:00 p.m. ET. A second airing of the documentary will take place on NBCSN on Saturday, Oct. 3 at 12:30 p.m. ET, preceding the live broadcast of the 145th Preakness Stakes on NBC at 4:30 p.m. ET.

“Riders Up” highlights how the horse racing community at Santa Anita Park came together within days of the original coronavirus pandemic lockdown to form a self-contained ecosystem that allowed hundreds of backstretch workers, jockeys and essential racing personnel to keep the horses safe and active while protecting themselves, their livelihoods and the community.

For more information on Santa Anita Park and to watch a preview of “Riders Up” please visit www.santaanita.com or on Facebook @SantaAnitaPark.

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Brad Cox To Watch Pimlico Action From Keeneland, With Runners In Four Grade 1 Races

Brad Cox is loaded for bear this weekend at Pimlico with runners in eight stakes, but he will be watching the action from Keeneland.

“There are four Grade 1s here (in which we are entered), so I figured I'd better stay here,” said Cox, whose Grade 1 activity at Keeneland begins with Travel Column in Friday's Darley Alcibiades and concludes Sunday with Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Shedaresthedevil going in the Juddmonte Spinster. “I sent my son Blake and my assistant from Indiana Grand (Ricky Giannini) to Pimlico.”

Travel Column, owned by OXO Equine, will be trying to give Cox a second consecutive Darley Alcibiades victory following the 2019 triumph by Eclipse Award winner British Idiom.

“She worked with (Claiborne Breeders' Futurity-G1 entrant) Essential Quality last Saturday (at Churchill Downs) and it was the first time I had worked them together,” Cox said about Travel Column. “They went five-eighths in :59 and 4 and galloped out three-quarters in 1:12 and 2. I have done as much as I can with them in the morning.

“Now they have to get good trips. There are solid horses in both races.”

Godolphin, which won the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity with Maxfield last year, owns Essential Quality.

In Saturday's First Lady (G1) Presented by UK HealthCare, Cox sends out Beau Recall (IRE) for Slam Dunk Racing and Medallion Racing. Beau Recall is coming off a repeat victory in the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile (G2) last month in which she ran down First Lady rival Newspaperofrecord (IRE).

“She has had two maintenance works since and is doing well,” Cox said. “I hope she gets the same setup that she had the last time.”

Cox has a 24 percent win rate in 2020 and ranks second among North American trainers with $11,945,923 in earnings. On Saturday, in addition to Keeneland and Pimlico, Cox will have runners at Belmont and Hawthorne.

His Pimlico invasion begins Friday afternoon with Owendale, the 2019 Stonestreet Lexington (G3) winner, in the Pimlico Special (G3). His biggest guns Saturday are Bonny South in the George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan (G2) and Factor This in the Dinner Party (G2).

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