Mike Cline | Horse Racing Free Tips

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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Longtime Lane’s End Farm Manager Mike Cline Retires

Mike Cline, the only farm manager Lane's End has ever known, retires 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 farms 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.”

Mike has mentored many successful people in the industry. Callan Strouss at Oak Tree, 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 just to name a few.

“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,” Cline said. “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.

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

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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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