Devon Lane was foaled on April 20th, 1993. He was bred by Allison and Daniel Lucas in Maryland. His sire, Storm Cat, was a leading sire and broodmare sire in North America. Storm Cat was by Storm Bird and out of Terlingua, by Secretariat. He sired eight Thoroughbred Champions – Silken Cat, Aljabr, Giant’s Causeway, Hold That Tiger, Storm Flag Flying, Denebola, One Cool Cat and Sweet Catomine. Storm Cat also sired one Quarter Horse – Stray Cat. Stray Cat is a chestnut stallion out of Your First Moon, by First Down Dash. He won the Gr. 3 Remington Park Distance Challenge. Stray Cat is owned by Lyell Lovett and stands at the Oklahoma Equine Reproductive Center in Washington, Oklahoma.
Devon Lane was out of To the Hunt, a multiple graded stakes placed mare by Relaunch and out of Royal Advocator, by Majestic Prince. To the Hunt produced ten Thoroughbred foals including race winners – Softlyshegoes, Tally Ho Annie, and Emerging Glory. To the Hunt also produced multiple graded stakes winners Starrer and Stellar Jayne. After a successful racing career that included wins in the Gr. 1 Mother Goose Stakes, Gr. 1 Gazelle Handicap and Gr. 1 Ruffian Handicap, Stellar Jayne sold for $3,600,000 at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. When bred to Storm Cat, she produced Stellar Rain, an unraced stallion that is currently standing to both Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse mares at TNL Farm in Bosque, New Mexico.
Devon Lane raced for Lucas Racing, Inc. with trainer C. Dwayne Gilbreath. He made his first start on June 30th, 1996 in a Maiden race for Quarter Horses at Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico. He finished third in the 870-yard, one-turn event behind On a Date and Moon Johnson. Devon Lane won his next three starts against Thoroughbreds at distances of 5 ½ and 6 furlongs. As a four-year-old, Devon Lane made three starts in Allowance races and did not hit the board. In total, he made seven starts, won three races, and earned $6,488 on the track.
After he retired from racing, the Devon Lane Syndicate was established and managed by Daniel Lucas. The gray stallion stood at the Vessels Stallion Farm in Bonsall, California. His first foal crop arrived in 1999 and included Thoroughbred stakes winners Scarzane, Quickkey and Devon’s Prospect. His second crop of foals included Hesa Bad Cat and Stormy Lane, Thoroughbred stakes winners that ran against Quarter Horse company. Hesa Bad Cat, a gelding out of Roman Fascination, by Romeo, won the 2003 Dine Stakes and set a new track record at Ruidoso Downs for 5 ½ furlongs in 1:02.60. He also set a new track record at Sunland Park for 6 ½ furlongs in 1:14.77. Stormy Lane, a stallion out of Faint Prospect, by Distinctive Pro, won the 2002 Copper Top Thoroughbred Futurity. Stormy Lane was also a finalist in two Quarter Horse stakes races – the Gr. 2 Mount Cristo Rey Handicap and the Gr. 2 Challenger Six Handicap.
In 2001, Devon Lane’s best Quarter Horse starter, Devons Easy Lane, was foaled. Devons Easy Lane is a gelding out of French Dame, by On a High. Devons Easy Lane won the John Augustine Stakes, New Mexico Cup 870 Championship and New Mexico Horseman’s Association Handicap. He was named the 2008 New Mexico Hi-Point Distance Horse. In total, Devons Easy Lane made 64 starts, won ten races, and earned $357,444 on the track. Devon Dat Cash, a bay gelding out of Junomore, by Juno Dat Cash, was Devon Lane’s second-best Quarter Horse starter. Devon Dat Cash set a new track record in the 2011 Emerald Downs Championship Challenge for 440 yards in 21.828 seconds. Other successful Quarter Horse starters by Devon Lane include Dakota Lane, First Down Devon, Pathological Liar, Bettin On Harley, On the Fast Lane, She Doesn’t Dance and Line Seven.
His best Thoroughbred starter, River’s Prayer, was foaled in 2003. River’s Prayer was bred by the Vessels Stallion Farm. She is out of Cozzy Flyer, by Cozzene. She won the Cinderella Stakes, Fleet Treat Stakes, California Cup Distaff Handicap, Irish O’Brien Stakes, Gr. 3 Las Cienegas Handicap, Great Lady M. Stakes and Gr. 1 Princess Rooney Handicap. In her final start in the Gr. 3 Rancho Bernardo Handicap at Del Mar, River’s Prayer set a new track record for 6 ½ furlongs in 1:17.85. In total, River’s Prayer won nine races and earned $921,958 on the track. She has gone on to produce at least nine foals including race winners A Shin Xanadu, Guaco and River Evangelist.
Other successful Thoroughbred starters by Devon Lane include Chuchuluco, Devons Ca Ching, Weappear, Dangerous Devon, Russian Lane, Devons Smokin, Icy Lane, Fan’s Cat, Seliman and Devon Rules. Lucas Racing, Inc.’s top Thoroughbred horses Eagle Head, Mr. Invisible, Fast Devon, Devonson, and Ocean Lane were all by Devon Lane. In total, Devon Lane sired 575 registered Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse foals in 15 foal crops. Among those were 269 race winners, 69 ROM-earners, 20 stakes winners, seven Superior Race Award-earners and four Regional Champions with earnings of $13,191,628 on the track.
Devon Lane’s reputation as a broodmare sire is still evolving. He is the sire of Gottobes Cat, a multiple stakes winner out of Gottabegoing, by Native Creek. After her racing career, Gottobes Cat was exported to Brazil where she has produced stakes winners Kiss Me For Me SA and Jewel First Cat SA. Grande Annee, a gray mare by Devon Lane and out of Hug Tiny, by Tiny’s Gay, is the dam of stakes winners Kiss My Annee GL, Sweet Annie GL and Tempting Annee GL. Devon Lane is also the sire of Devons Wish, the dam of stakes winners Girlonthego and Wish You Had One To, as well as Dashforawish, a 1D money-earning barrel horse. Devon Lane is also the dam sire of Diabolical Dame, Running Dragon, Kingsbury, Bigg Brown and El Gato Azul.
Devon Lane passed away on May 21st, 2012. He suffered a terminal cardiovascular event while covering a mare in the breeding shed at TNL Farm. He was 19 years old. Devon Lane is remembered as a successful regional sire whose influence has now reached two breeds on two continents. It is likely that we haven’t seen the best of his grandget yet. They are still proving themselves on the track and in the arena.
Sources: Equineline, Equibase, All Breed Database, The Bloodhorse, Stallion E Search
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