SATURDAY, JUNE 30, 2018 BILL FARISH TALKS ABOUT 65 YEARS AGO, UNITED NATIONS HELPED BLAZE A GRASSY TRAIL by Ben Massam ATHE FAB FOUR@ Saturday=s renewal of the GI United Nations S. at Monmouth Park marks 65 years since the inaugural AU.N.@ was held at Atlantic City Race Course, and while the 2018 edition will look decidedly different than its original predecessor, it will mark the next chapter in one of the most historically significant races on the annual calendar. Not only was the race=s first winner, William Arnold Hanger=s Chilean-bred Iceberg II, named the first-ever American Champion Turf Horse by the Daily Racing Form at year=s end, but in many ways, the United Nations was ahead of its time as the richest U.S. turf race ever run--beginning during an era when Click above to watch a video with Lane=s End=s Bill Farish grass racing was still a relative rarity on American shores. discussing the farm=s formidable lineup of first-crop yearling sires Looking back through a retrospective 65 years, the prestigious event was situated alongside Laurel Park=s Washington D.C. by Lucas Marquardt International S. (inaugurated one year prior) at the starting point Storied Lane=s End Farm has four first-crop yearling sires of a steady increase in the prominence of turf racing that still among the 2018 class, and a remarkable three--Honor Code, remains on the rise to this day. Cont. p7 Liam=s Map and Tonalist--ended up in the top 10 of first-year weanling sires of 2017. In the latest installment of an ongoing IN TDN EUROPE TODAY feature about first-crop yearling sires, Lane=s End=s Bill Farish sat DONNACHA O’BRIEN SEIZING THE MOMENT down to talk about the AFab Four,@ which also includes Chris McGrath chats with Donnacha O’Brien regarding his winning Mr. Speaker (click here to read AA Long Road Home for season and how he developed his craft. Click or tap here to go Mr. Speaker@), with the TDN=s Lucas Marquardt. straight to TDN Europe. LM: Let's start with Honor Code. He was such an exciting race horse because he was bred for the Classics and had a physical for the Classics. He came out with one of the most impressive maiden races that I've seen sprinting at Saratoga. Is that part of what you makes him an exciting stud prospect as well? BF: I think so. Honor Code, from the time we bought him as a short yearling, privately--he just was one of those very exciting prospects. They obviously don't always pan out. Usually, they don't. When he came out at Saratoga, we were high on him, but until they do it on the track you never know. He ran such an impressive race sprinting with the way he came from behind and won. So often you see a horse that maybe comes from behind but doesn't quite get up and you're very encouraged by that first start. With him, the way he made up all the ground and still won and then went on and had a very, very good 2-year-old season, it really does give him a great chance to have precocious 2-year-olds as well. Cont. p3 PUBLISHER & CEO Sue Morris Finley @suefinley [email protected] V.P., INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS Gary King @garykingTDN [email protected] EDITORIAL [email protected] Editor-in-Chief Jessica Martini @JessMartiniTDN Managing Editor Alan Carasso @EquinealTDN Saturday, June 30, 2018 Senior Editor Steve Sherack @SteveSherackTDN Racing Editor Brian DiDonato @BDiDonatoTDN News and Features Editor Ben Massam @BMassamTDN Associate Editors Christie DeBernardis @CDeBernardisTDN Joe Bianca @JBiancaTDN ADVERTISING [email protected] Director of Advertising Alycia Borer Advertising Manager Lia Best Advertising Designer Amanda Crelin Advertising Assistants Alexa Reisfield Rachel McCaffrey Amie Morosco Photo Editor/Dir. of Distribution Sarah K. Andrew @SarahKAndrew [email protected] In a fitting nod to Iceberg II’s victory in the inaugural “U. 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Is there a race or two races that really stick out to you that just perfectly exemplified the type of horse that he was? BF: The race that was the most visually astounding was the Met Mile when he came from behind and not only went by the horses, but left them in the dust. That was really visually his most pleasing race. The Whitney was probably his biggest win, but both I think are tremendous stallion-making races, and really set him up with breeders to have a heck of a chance. LM: What kind of mares have visited Honor Code at the farm? Do you have homebreds for the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale? BF: Interestingly enough, we don't have a Saratoga yearling by him. We have quite a few in [Keeneland] September, but we've heard from various sources that there are quite a few good ones going to Saratoga. We have bred quite a few mares here at the farm to him. Obviously, support has been pretty broad-based. It's very encouraging. I think he's got as good a group of mares as anybody in the first season crop. It's going to be interesting having American Pharaoh in that same crop. While I'm sure average-wise and stuff, American Pharaoh will be number one in the crop, I think Honor Code will be right behind him. LM: I=d be remiss not to ask you about Honor Code as the last successful son of A.P. Indy to go to stud. What does it mean for the farm to have him as a potential torchbearer for all of his sire=s success? Cont. p4 TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 4 OF 13 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • JUNE 30, 2018 Bill Farish Talks About theAFab Four@ cont. BF: It's very important for the farm. It's nothing short of miraculous that really one of his best sons--or maybe his best son--came out of his last crop. We're very excited about it. We've had a lot of luck with sons of former stallions. Of course, Dixieland Band produced Dixie Union. Dixie Union has now produced Union Rags. We love that tie. Obviously A.P. Indy is the best stallion we've ever had, and to have a top son of his from the late stages of his career is amazing. LM: Moving on to Liam=s Map, at what point in his career did you think, AThis is a horse with really unique talent?@ BF: He was a very, very good racehorse and we had never had a son of Unbridled's Song--we were looking for the right one, and I think we really have the right one in him. This was, of course, Liam=s Map | Asuncion Pineyrua before Arrogate, but Liam certainly has plenty of qualifications in his own right, and I think he's had three very good groups of LM: He's a bit of a unique Unbridled's Song, but he looks a lot mares so far and a lot of support from [owners] Vinnie and like his sire in terms of being a well-balanced, beautiful, gray Teresa Viola. We=re very excited about him. The interesting horse--but he's much more of a medium-sized Unbridled's thing with him has been that his weanlings really have done well Song. Is that something you agree with, and was that from their weanling year to their yearling year, and I think we're something breeders were attracted to? seeing them fill out and mature quite a bit, and I think they're going to be very well-received at the yearling sales.