The Cliff’s Edge living the pensioner’s life in New York

While summertime in Saratoga is a busy stretch for New York’s equine population, Grade 1 winner The Cliff’s Edge is taking it easy nearby as a pensioner.

The 16-year-old son of Gulch spends his days in his spacious indoor/outdoor paddock near the stallion barn at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., where his biggest concerns during a recent visit appeared to be finding the right spot in his field to get dusty, and then the right patch of grass for a snack.

The Cliff’s Edge arrived at his current residence for the 2015 breeding season and was pensioned the following year. He last stood for an advertised fee of $2,500, and was gelded over the past winter.

“We wanted to get him where we could just get him out of the stud barn, turn him out and let him have a retirement,” said farm owner Joe McMahon. “He’s a great turnout horse. He’s a very kind horse. He’s always been a nice horse to have around.”

Saratoga has plenty of history for The Cliff’s Edge, a towering specimen who was owned during his on-track career by Robert LaPenta and trained by Nick Zito.

He won on debut there as a juvenile by an impressive four lengths, and returned at 3 to finish second to Purge in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes, then second again to Birdstone in the Grade 1 Travers Stakes.

The Cliff’s Edge won 4 of 13 starts for earnings of $1,265,258, highlighted by victories in the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes, the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes, and the Grade 3 Iroquois Stakes. Three of his six graded stakes placings came in Grade 1 company.

The Cliff’s Edge has sired nine crops of racing age, with 143 winners and combined progeny earnings of $7.5 million. His final crop is part of this season’s yearling class.

His leading runners include Grade 3 winner Our Edge, and stakes winners Frazil, Mellow Fellow, and Cliffy’s Future.

He retired to Vinery in Lexington, Ky., for the 2005 breeding season, then relocated to Margaux Farm in Midway, Ky., in 2009. The Cliff’s Edge spent the 2014 season at Fair Winds Farm in Waynesville, Ohio, before arriving in New York.