And even as the farm blossomed from a 100-acre start-up into the iconic operation it is today, it was referred to first and foremost as "home" in his vocabulary.

For much of Case Clay's 34 years, Three Chimneys Farm has simultaneously served as his residence, his employer, his teacher and his sanctuary.

Which is why when the time came to find a new guardian for the farm's legacy, Clay was unequivocally picked to be the man for the job.

On Dec. 31, Clay began his reign as president and chief operating officer for Three Chimneys Farm, taking over the duties from the highly respected Dan Rosenberg, who stepped down after more than 29 years to form his own consulting firm.

That Clay is one of the few who knows just how much Rosenberg meant to Three Chimneys is part of the reason the thoughtful DePauw University grad was chosen to fill those shoes.

As the son of Three Chimneys owner and founder Robert Clay, Case Clay literally grew up watching the farm mature around him, from 100 acres of undeveloped land into a 1,700-acre powerhouse.

In 1978, Robert Clay brought Rosenberg on as president, and during his tenure the farm became a leading stallion operation -- standing Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew for 17 years -- as well as one of the top consignors at major thoroughbred auctions.

They say one of the most difficult things to do in sports is be the first one to follow a legend. Then again, few have the benefit of having studied the legend's work from the time they were 5 years old.

"I think I'm more excited than anxious ... because dad has really assembled a great group of managers on the farm, and Dan is staying on the board of directors and he has promised me I can keep him on my speed dial," Case Clay said. "We've kind of set up a support system and there are a lot of great mentors around that I can lean on.

"There's bound to be road bumps along the way, but with Dan and Dad and everyone, it's going to make it easier for me ... I hope."

That Case Clay would eventually take over his father's business is something some outsiders might shrug off as a natural progression or, more cynically, nepotism.

But the younger Clay has gone to great lengths to prove his current standing came from relentless effort.

"I didn't really want to (get into the horse industry) at first," he said. "If you had asked me when I was 21 if I thought I'd be doing this I definitely would have said, 'Probably not.'"

Finding his way back home
Long before Case Clay decided on a career path, Rosenberg knew his partner's son had the skills to succeed in whatever profession he chose.

"I can't remember how old he was, but he was a kid and he came up to Saratoga and worked the sales with us," Rosenberg recalled. "And he could get along extremely well with some -- how shall I say -- 'interesting characters' we had on the staff at the time.

"He just jumped in there and worked his butt off and made friends with them. And he's always been able to do that."

Those people skills would serve Clay well as he moved to Chicago in 1996 after the completion of his economics degree to pursue a career in acting and, later on, advertising.

In addition to spending his nights working on improvisational comedy, Clay put in two years at Ernst & Young, completed Arlington Park's management-training program and eventually hooked up with the Hyatt Corp. as part of its in-house advertising agency.

It was there Clay began hearing about all the small ad firms making fortunes by selling out to larger agencies, so he figured he'd open his own shop and get in on the action.

Problem was, he'd never started a company. But he happened to be very close to someone who had.

"I called Dad and said I would like to kind of start this little ad shop but I've never started a company before and can I ask you a bunch of questions about it," Clay said. "Every Saturday morning I would call him with questions and, whether or not he did this on purpose I'll never know, but every example he gave was about the horse business.

"Even though I grew up with it at the dinner table and knew about it, the more he talked about it the more I started to entertain the idea of maybe trying to get involved."

With his passion for the thoroughbred industry sparked again, Clay took a gamble and asked his wife, Lorin, if she would ever consider leaving her native Chicago for Lexington.

When her answer wasn't the "No way" Clay was bracing for, he let his family know he wanted to come home for more than just a visit.

"It was never our intent to try and persuade him one way or another," said Robert Clay, who founded Three Chimneys in 1972, one year before Case was born. "I think the best thing to do with children is let them run with whatever they want to do, and this one just turned out to be the best of all worlds."

Some seasoning required
The signature motto for Three Chimneys Farm is "The Idea is Excellence." So even though Case Clay had spent his life witnessing the farm's successes, he needed to gain some concrete experience before he could assume an official role in the family business.

Given the global nature of the racing industry, Robert Clay knew his son's education wouldn't be complete until he got a working knowledge of the international scene.

Thus, in 2003, Case Clay spent six months, each, working for two of racing's most revered operations -- Irish National Stud in Kildare, and Australia's Arrowhead Stud.

"He's ready now because he's had enough years on the farm to have seen every cycle, every aspect," Rosenberg said. "He's worked with yearlings, with mares; we've traveled around this country and other countries getting him to know our clients and getting them to know him.

"He has really gained a very strong knowledge of how our business works and has the wisdom and the judgment I think to make the right decisions."

Upon his return in 2004, Clay became co-director of sales for Three Chimneys and took over the position solely two years later.

Using the same ebullient nature Rosenberg first observed in him, Clay has demonstrated a keen eye with regard to evaluating bloodstock and a firm yet easy-going tone when it comes to dealing with the occasional temperamental client.

"Case is a worthy heir and he's done a marvelous job as director of sales," said Geoffrey Russell, Keeneland's director of sales. "His personality is very strong and with that comes great integrity. He's grown steadily throughout the years to become what he is now."

It was only a matter of time, Clay figured, before someone would accuse him of being handed his position on a family platter. But if anyone doubts his ability, they haven't told him.

"Since I've been here, and it's surprising to me, but I haven't had to deal with it," Clay said. "But I expect to deal with it down the road and I think it's an inevitable thing."

"Most people are skeptical thinking that the boss's son is going to come in and get favorable treatment," Robert Clay added. "I think it's up to Case to prove them wrong on that, and I think he's already done that."

Tough competition
In September, nearly three months after Rosenberg announced he would be leaving Three Chimneys, Case Clay learned he would succeed the man who helped his father's dream come true.

But had he not proven such a quick study, there might not have been a position for Clay to fill.

"I love this farm too much to just say, 'Well, I'm out of here: Good luck,'" Rosenberg said. "I care very much about the future of this farm, and knowing that Case was not only waiting in the wings but really ready to step in also had a lot to do with my being able to make this decision to leave."

The ability to multi-task was one of the most vital aspects of Rosenberg's job, and it's a skill Clay will test right off by remaining as Three Chimneys' director of sales for the immediate future.

While the farm boasts promising young stallions such as Point Given and Smarty Jones, Clay knows he must continue to upgrade the quality of the horses on the grounds and keep the farm on the cutting edge of a constantly shifting market.

"The big giants of the industry -- Darley and Coolmore -- are clashing, and the rest of us are kind of under that clash trying to survive," Clay said. "I think what we kind of stay awake at night thinking about is the competition and how to stay ahead when the competition is so tough."

The immensity of the task is not lost on him and he doesn't pretend he won't face his share of pitfalls.

But Three Chimneys has always been much more than just a farm, much more than just a family venture to him. Which is why its future has been placed squarely in his hands.

"I'm proud and relieved at the same time because (without Case) the choices would become quite different," Robert Clay said. "You never think it will all work out but when it does it has a good feel to it."