Steve and Mark and Clive

Steve and Mark and Clive

by Jennifer Morrison

In what is very likely a first, CLIVE CROSS became the first Thoroughbred raised on Manitoulin Island in northern Ontario to win a race at Woodbine.

Six-year-old Clive Cross won a maiden race in his season debut on June 13 for owners Steve Doane and Mark Varey, two friends from Manitoulin who bought the chestnut gelding as a foal off Kijiji along with his dam, Port Wine.

Clive Cross is trained by Krista Cole who had the son of Reload perfectly primed to win his maiden in his return, his 19th career start.

Doane and Varey, who could not attend the race since both have full time jobs – Doane is a high school vice principal and Varey runs a  touristy villa called Timberland Rustic Lodges – were thrilled nonetheless.

“I had a good feeling about him that day,” said Doane, who has a small farm on Manitoulin Island. “He's had a lot of bad luck along the way but when I saw him come around into the stretch, I thought he might just do it.”

While racing Clive Cross, who is named for Dave Clive Cross, the trainer of Kentucky Derby winner Sunny's Halo,  Doane and Varey bred another offspring from Port Wine, a 2-year-old of this year named Sideload Willis. That colt could be the first horse born on island to race at Woodbine.

And last year, Doane fulfilled a dream as he travelled to Pennsylvania to meet one of his favourite horses, Kentucky Derby winner Smarty Jones. He bred Port Wine to 'Smarty' and welcomed a filly from that mating this year. Her name is Smarty's Kisses.

“We are just so excited to be involved in this industry,” said Doane. “We are just starting to figure it out and make connections. And we think we are in an area of the province that can help grow the industry.”