Mike Vanin is Mr. Everything.

Currently the executive director for the Horsemens Benevolent and Protective Association that is just the latest chapter in Vanin’s extremely varied and most interesting career.

Only 45, Vanin has been a chuckwagon outrider.

He has been a stunt man on CBC’s very popular Heartland.

He has milked cows in Australia.

He worked for six years at Horizon Farm outside of Longview, Alberta.

He was an exercise rider for six years.

A blackbelt in Japanese jiujitsu, he has taught martial arts.

He managed a dental practice and a veterinarian clinic and Alberta’s renowned Bar None Ranches for eight years.

He was a jockey’s valet.

He worked on the starting gate.

Whew.

But his greatest love is breeding horses and this year he will be represented by one of the horses he bred - two-year-old filly No More Lies - in the September 14 Fall Classic card at Century Mile, Alberta’s mini-version of North America’s Breeders’ Cup with seven $50,000 stakes for every Alberta-bred age and sex.

Celebrating the Alberta breeding industry, the Fall Classic has a race for two-year-old fillies (the six furlong Sturgeon River); a race for two-year-old colts and geldings (the six furlong Alberta Premier's Futurity); the mile and a sixteenth Alberta Oaks for three-year-old fillies; the Beaufort - a mile and a sixteenth - for three-year-old colts and geldings; a sprint - the six furlong Red Diamond Express; the mile and a sixteenth Alberta Breeders' Handicap for aged male horses and then the Alberta Fall Classic Distaff for fillies and mares also going a mile and a sixteenth.

“I think it’s an amazing opportunity to showcase Alberta quality,” said Vanin. “It makes for a great race day and should be continued to be celebrated.”

This is the Fall Classic’s 28th season.

“I look forward to the Fall Classic all year. It is my favourite racing day of the year and this year, with No More Lies running, it’s going to be even more exciting.

“I have never been more excited about a horse race when she ran second in the Princess Margaret stake on August 23.

“Right from when she broke out of the gate and took the lead I have never been more nervous.

“Seeing these babies you’ve raised and been a part of their whole lives, watch them grow up… It’s more exciting than even buying a yearling because I know their personalities and everything about them,” said Vanin.

While No More Lies lost the Princess Margaret, Vanin thinks the two-year-old filly owned by Ernie Gibson, Wayne, Don and Ryan Stetson, who bought her from Vanin’s Bushido Stables at last year’s Alberta Yearling Sale for $40,000 - the second highest Sale purchase and the top filly seller - didn’t see No Rejoyce flying to her inside.

“There was no discounting the winner but I thought No Rejoyce caught No More Lies by surprise. I don’t think No More Lies saw her coming.

“After No Rejoyce went by past the quarter pole, No More Lies was actually coming back on and making another surge,” said Vanin.

Trainer Tim Rycroft was wondering the same.

“I’m going to put a hole in her blinkers so that she can see better and wider. I don’t know for sure that No More Lies didn’t see (No Rejoyce) coming but I don’t want to take any chances. She’s a quality filly.”

After a very quick opening quarter in :21 3/5, the race went in an impressive - especially for a two-year-old - 1:10 4/5.

No More Lies showed plenty of poise in her debut on August 10. Flashing her speed, No More Lies came out of the outside eight hole and got the opening quarter in another 21 3/5 to open a three-length lead.

But this time when Kitty House came to her in mid stretch, No More Lies rebroke and went on to a two-and-a-quarter length victory for leading rider Jose Asencio.

No More Lies time for five furlongs was :57.96 which is believed to be a track record at Century Mile for two-year-olds.

“I always thought No More Lies was special. She distinguished herself apart from all the others. She has blazing speed. She’s not the easiest horse to be around; there’s a lot of spunk to her. She’s a fire-breathing dragon.”

By Fed Biz, who was brought to Alberta by Adrian Munro’s Highfield operation and who is a son of European Horse of the Year Giant’s Causeway, the stallion set two track records. Fed Biz stopped the clock for seven furlongs winning the Pat O’Brien stake in 1:12.12 at California’s Del Mar racetrack and then set the record for 8 1/2 furlongs winning the San Diego Handicap in 1:41, also at Del Mar.

No More Lies dam is Tell Me Lies, who was a terror in Alberta winning nine of 15 races including the Princess Margaret and Sturgeon River when she was named Alberta’s champion two-year-old of 2012, Tell Me Lies was also voted champion three-year-old filly in 2013 when she won the Chariot Chaser, Sonoma, Alberta Oaks and the Sales Stake.

Vanin bought Tell Me Lies, now 14, four years ago.

“I jumped at the opportunity,” Vanin said of the chance to buy the daughter of millionaire Captain Bodgit out of stakes winner and 11-race victor Golden Made.

“I definitely thought she was worth taking a chance on.

Vanin owns three broodmares. In addition to Tell Me Lies, who is barren this year and who will be bred to Fed Biz, he has an Exchange Rate mare, Count the Change and a Hard Spun mare, Spin to Gold.

Count the Change was a 14-time winner claimed by Vanin in Tampa Bay.

Spin to Gold was purchased because of his sire who unleashed 15 Grade 1 winners.

“I tend to gravitate toproven broodmare sires when looking for breeding stock,” said Vanin.

The first horse Vanin was the breeder of was To Dream Again, out of the mare he owned Emmitt for Six and sired by Regal Remark, who, through Vice Regent, goes back to Northern Dancer.

“To Dream Again won the M.R. Jenkins and Sales Stake but mostly she made over $220,000 the hard way - in claiming races.

“That was almost 25 years ago. I bought Emmitt for Six for a ham sandwich - $5,000. That was a long time before I had the knowledge about horse racing and breeding as I know now,” said Vanin, the father of two sons Owen, 18, and Aiden, 14.

Vanin’s first exposure to thoroughbred racing came the day before he turned 18 when he landed in Australia on an agricultural exchange.

“I had no clue what I was going to do. I galloped a few horses but mostly I milked cows.

“Still, that peaked my interest in horse racing.”

When his stint in Australia was over he came back to Canada and worked for Horizon Farms for six years under manager Cal Britton.

“Mostly general farm work like fixing fences, but I also handled mares and foals, held mares in the breeding shed and broke babies.”

Vanin was clearly on his way.

Then, briefly, came chuckwagon races and then it was off to Stampede Park where Vanin galloped horses starting with Barry Brown and Leanne Knechtel. One of the horses Vanin galloped for them was Cool Bender, who won the Red Diamond Express on the 2005 Fall Classic program.

Soon he was also galloping for the likes top trainers Floyd Arthur, Dale Greenwood and Pam McDougall.

In 2007 got his first big break when he managed the entire equine operation at Bar None Ranches, one of Alberta’s leading owners and breeders, for some six years.

“They had three stallions at one point and I managed the stallion roster in addition to my other duties. One year we broke 102 yearlings,” said Vanin, who has been with his partner Carla Mandeville for seven years.

Then, and in-between, came jiujitsu - both Brazilian and Japanese - stuntman appearances, and the vet and dental management positions.

Finally Vanin accepted the executive-director position with the HBPA where he is in his third year.

“I thought the position was made for me,” said Vanin, who has been proven as an effective manager and has a long history with thoroughbred racing.

“It was a no brainer for me shaping, molding and guiding the racing industry with the board of directors.”

Now comes the Fall Classic and No More Lies chance to continue to prove that she is clearly one of Alberta’s top two-year-old fillies.

“I’m already nervous,” said Vanin. “She should be very tough in there.”

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Author: The Turcottes: The Remarkable Story of a Horse Racing Dynasty.