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Gift Box Retired To Stand At Lane’s End In 2021

Grade 1 winning millionaire Gift Box has been retired from racing and will begin his new career as a stallion at Lane's End starting in 2021.

The colt retires as a Grade-1 and three-time graded stakes winner with a record of 18-6-6-2 from the ages of two to six. In 2019, Gift Box was among the leading older horses in America after a string of graded stakes performances that included a Grade 1 victory in the Santa Anita Handicap. He retires as the highest-earning colt by his leading sixth-crop sire Twirling Candy. He will join his sire, along with his grandsire Candy Ride, who both also stand at Lane's End.

“Gift Box was an incredibly talented and consistent racehorse,” said John Sadler. “We ran him back-to-back in graded stakes race after graded stakes race and he was only ever off the board once. These are attributes you do not often see in the modern racehorse. He had speed, toughness, sound enough to race on in the handicap division, everything a trainer wants in a two-turn dirt horse.”

As a 2-year-old Gift Box broke his maiden at Belmont posting a 93 Beyer before targeting the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes in his next start, where he was beaten by just three lengths into third. In doing so, he became a graded stakes performer in just his third start as a 2-year-old.

Gift Box opened his 3-year-old campaign with a victory in a competitive allowance race at Belmont by 4 1/2 lengths, posting a 98 Beyer. His next start that year came in the Curlin Stakes where he was defeated by subsequent Grade 1 winner Connect. Just a month later he finished fourth in the G1 Travers at Saratoga to Champion Arrogate, defeating Grade 1 winners Connect, Creator and Exaggerator.

“Gift Box represents so much of what we're about at Lane's End. A Grade 1 winner at a mile and a quarter on the dirt, speed, out of a tremendous mare from a sire line we believe in,” said Bill Farish. “That's what we've been successful with and I'm appreciative of the opportunity Hronis Racing has given us.”

Gift Box's career hit new heights as an older horse when he got a much-deserved graded stakes victory in the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes at Santa Anita defeating Grade 1 winner Battle of Midway. This race was the first of four further graded stakes starts that only saw Gift Box off the board once. His next start came in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap where he defeated four-time Grade 1 winner McKinzie. In his next start he finished second in the Grade 1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita, posting a 105 Beyer before winning the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes in his final start by almost 4 lengths, posting a career high 107 Beyer. Gift Box posted four triple-digit Beyers in a career that saw three graded stakes victories.

“Gift Box was always involved in races of the highest level and as owners we could not ask any more than that,” said Kosta Hronis. “John [Sadler] always had a tremendous amount of confidence in him, and time and time again Gift Box proved him right. We are going to stay involved in his next career as a stallion at Lane's End, where they have a proven track record of nurturing a young stallion's career.”

Bred by Craig and Carrie Brogden of Machmer Hall, Gift Box was a $135,000 Keeneland November purchase. He is out of the Unbridled's Song mare Special Me. His pedigree is free of Storm Cat and A.P. Indy which will be appealing to breeders as both have been a proven success with Candy Ride and Twirling Candy, producing the likes of Grade 1 winner Collusion Illusion.

Gift Box will be syndicated and available for inspection in the coming weeks at Lane's End Farm and a stud fee will be determined.

The post Gift Box Retired To Stand At Lane’s End In 2021 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Gift Box Retired to Lane’s End

Hronis Racing’s Grade I-winning millionaire Gift Box (Twirling Candy–Special Me, by Unbridled’s Song) has been retired from racing and will take up stud duties in 2021 at Lane’s End Farm.

On the board in the GII Remsen S. as a juvenile and second in the Curlin S. at Saratoga as a sophomore, Gift Box joined the John Sadler barn in the second half of his 5-year-old season and immediately bested GI Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile hero Battle of Midway (Smart Strike) in the GII San Antonio S. in December of 2018. He then defeated MGISW McKinzie (Street Sense) in a hard-fought duel in last April’s GI Santa Anita H., and was a close second to eventual GI Breeders’ Cup Classic victor Vino Rosso (Curlin) in the GI Gold Cup at Santa Anita that May. He was last seen defending his San Antonio title at the end of December while earning a career-best 107 Beyer Speed Figure. The grey retires with a record of 18-6-6-2 and earnings of $1,127,060.

“Gift Box was an incredibly talented and consistent racehorse,” said Sadler. “We ran him back-to-back in graded stakes race after graded stakes race and he was only ever off the board once. These are attributes you do not often see in the modern racehorse. He had speed, toughness, sound enough to race on in the handicap division, everything a trainer wants in a two-turn dirt horse.”

Bred by Machmer Hall, Carrie and Craig Brogden, Gift Box is a half-brother to MGSW and GISP Stonetastic (Mizzen Mast) and last year’s GII Autumn S. winner Special Forces (Candy Ride {Arg}). His yearling half-sister by Into Mischief sold for $1,025,000 to agent Liz Crow at last month’s Keeneland September sale.

Gift Box is the highest-earning son of his leading sixth-crop sire, and will stand at Lane’s End alongside both Twirling Candy and grandsire Candy Ride (Arg).

“Gift Box represents so much of what we’re about at Lane’s End: a Grade I winner at a mile and a quarter on the dirt, speed, out of a tremendous mare from a sire line we believe in,” said Bill Farish. “That’s what we’ve been successful with and I’m appreciative of the opportunity Hronis Racing has given us.”

Kosta Hronis added, “Gift Box was always involved in races of the highest level and as owners we could not ask any more than that. John always had a tremendous amount of confidence in him, and time and time again Gift Box proved him right. We are going to stay involved in his next career as a stallion at Lane’s End, where they have a proven track record of nurturing a young stallion’s career.”

Gift Box joins a roster that includes fellow Hronis/Sadler standouts Accelerate (Lookin At Lucky) and Catalina Cruiser (Union Rags). He will be syndicated and available for inspection in the coming weeks at Lane’s End Farm and a stud fee will be determined.

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Lane’s End’s Mike Cline Named KTFMC Farm Manager of the Year

The Kentucky Thoroughbred Farm Managers’ Club (KTFMC) has announced Lane’s End Farm’s Mike Cline will be honored as the 2020 Ted Bates Farm Manager of the Year. Cline has been part of Lane’s End since 1979, when Will Farish hired him to manage the then-new farm in Woodford County near Versailles.

Cline grew up in Versailles as the son of a farm manager and attended the University of Kentucky. He worked on the racetrack with Hall of Fame trainer Mack Miller, then returned to the Versailles area to manage Big Sink Farm. Farish originally hired Cline to oversee broodmares, foals, yearlings, barn construction, and pasture management at Lane’s End, but the farm soon grew into an industry leader with both major sales and stallion divisions.

Under Cline’s tenure, Lane’s End has bred, raised, sold, or raced hundreds of top horses for both the farm itself and for clients. Lane’s End stallions have sired over 285 Grade I winners and the farm has been the leading sales consignor 26 times, with over 380 black-type winners among their alumni. The legendary A.P. Indy (Seattle Slew), one of the world’s great stallions as well as 1992 Horse of the Year and a member of the Hall of Fame, is most closely associated with the farm, as the late stallion was co-bred by Farish, sold by Lane’s End, and then returned to the farm to stand his entire stud career.

In addition to his work with Lane’s End, Cline has mentored a number of people in the horse industry, including several who went on to manage other top farms. He has also been a strong supporter of the Kentucky Equine Management Internship (KEMI) program, which provides opportunities for students to learn horsemanship skills and begin their careers in breeding and racing.

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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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