Stallions dispersed at Wycombe House

Wycombe House Stud, which used to be the property of the late Phil and Georgianna Hofmann, has become a private nursery and all of its stallions have been relocated, according to a spokesperson for the farm.

Owner Sean Kelly is currently in Spain and unavailable for comment.

Worldly Manner, the Riverman stallion with first yearlings in 2003, has been shipped to California. Intidab, by Phone Trick, another with first yearlings in 2003, has moved to Gallagher's Stud in New York.

The stallions Cloud Hopping, by Mr. Prospector and a half-brother to multimillionaire Skimming, and Golden Gear are expected to move to nearby DunHill Stud.

Cloud Hopping's first foals arrive in 2003. Golden Gear, a Grade 2 stakes winner by Gulch, is the national leading third-crop sire with 69 percent winners from starters and earnings just short of $4 million.

Fillies give Suave Prospect a boost

Elegant Designer and Heavenly Miss, owned by Mike Sherman, are both juvenile daughters of Suave Prospect, who stands at Sherman's Farnsworth Farms. In last week's $150,000 Joe O'Farrell Juvenile Fillies, part of Florida Million Day at Calder Race Course, Elegant Designer and Heavenly Miss elevated Suave Prospect to the runner-up spot among Florida's second-season sires.

Elegant Designer took $90,000 first money while Heavenly Miss, generally believed to be the stronger part of the entry, placed fifth in a field of 12 2-year-old fillies.

Lost Soldier, owned by Franks Farms South, appears to have an insurmountable lead among Florida's second-season sires. But, second place is still a toss-up with Suave Prospect hotly pursued by Outflanker (Cloverleaf II) and Halo's Image (Bridlewood Farm).

Fourth-crop stallion Mecke, at Ocala Stud, is having a banner year. He currently ranks among the top 25 juvenile stallions nationally and is third to Formal Dinner and neighbor Montbrook among Florida's leading juvenile sires. He is the sire of Supah Blitz, who won the Jack Price Juvenile on Florida Million Day, pushing his earnings for the year to nearly $200,000. Supah Blitz was bred and is raced by Bee Bee Stables and Equitor Farm.

Lost Soldier honored as top stallion

An estimated 300 people showed up for last Sunday's Florida Thoroughbred Farm Managers Inc.'s annual equine trade show and stallion parade at the Ocala Equestrian Complex.

"A terrific response, considering," said Debbe Wojack, the farm managers executive director. "It was our first real sweater weather of the year and it was nasty in much of Marion County. We have not added it all up yet but we definitely had a successful fund raiser."

The farm managers announced winners of its annual awards. Lost Solider of Franks Farms South is the Florida stallion of the year. A son of Danzig, Lost Soldier is Florida's leading second-season sire in stakes winners and money won, and ranks among the top six second-crop sires nationally.

Bruce Hill of Padua Stables was voted farm manager of the year. Enrique Sanchez of Brylynn Farm was honored as the employee of the year. Steve DiMauro won the Carry Back Award, honoring lifetime achievement in the Thoroughbred industry. Dun Hill Stud won the exhibit's best barn presentation.

Cloverleaf's new stallion, the multimillionaire Honor Glide, was among the stallions paraded. The bay 8-year-old Honor Glide looked racing fit.

"You know," said Bonnie Heath III, the owner of Honor Glide during the horse's racing career, "they just ran the $150,000 handicap named after my father at Calder, and I'm thinking to myself 'Honor Glide could have been right there.' But, he's earned his retirement and he'll have a good first book."