Two young Maryland stallions got a big boost at the end of the year, with their offspring scoring surprise victories in the culminating events for state-bred 2-year-olds - the Maryland Juvenile Championship and Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship (both $100,000 guaranteed and run at Laurel Park).

True Sensation, who beat the seemingly unbeatable Bronze Abe in the Juvenile Filly Championship on Dec. 29, is from the second crop of Itaka, a son of Jade Hunter standing at Hickory Plains Farm in Ijamsville.

Eye of the Comet became a stakes winner for owner Cecil Fiske three weeks ago in the $81,575 Damon Runyon Stakes for New York-breds at Aqueduct. The win pushed the 2-year-old Eye of the Comet's earnings to $113,218.

Not too shabby for a horse Fiske bought for $950 as a yearling.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Following her victory in Santa Anita's La Brea Stakes, Affluent has now won a Grade 1 stakes on turf (the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland) and one on dirt. If this isn't enough to make this chestnut daughter of Affirmed a special filly, she is also the best descendant of champion Bayakoa yet to race.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Keeneland's January horses of all ages sale, which begins Monday and runs through Jan. 10, will include the first publicly offered horses from Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum's internationally renowned Shadwell breeding program.

The consignment is part of an auction that has cataloged 1,392 lots over four days, making it two days shorter than last year's sale, which sold 1,207 lots for $39,657,700 for an average price of $32,856.

Because of the pre-holiday break in racing this year, California readers missed part two of Lauren Stich's look at freshman stallions of 2002. The column is reprinted below. The entire series will be available at http://www.drf.com/news/content/8.html

LAS VEGAS - This is the second article in a a series on the freshman stallions of 2002 (sires whose first crop will be 2-year-olds next year), with particular emphasis on how to bet their offspring:

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Del Mar Futurity winner Forest Camp has retired from racing and will stand at Mr. and Mrs. Brereton C. Jones's Airdrie Stud in Midway, Ky. He will stand for $10,000 live foal, payable Jan. 1.

Airdrie purchased the 5-year-old Forest Camp privately from Aaron and Marie Jones, who campaigned him throughout his career. Brereton Jones said that Forest Camp, a son of Deputy Minister, arrived at Airdrie on Dec. 31. The horse will stand as the property of Airdrie.

LAS VEGAS - This is the fourth article in a series on the freshman stallions of 2002 (sires whose first crop will be 2-year-olds in 2002), with particular emphasis on how to bet their offspring.

The two leading sires in Georgia stand at Pitzer Farm in Perry. Georgia's leading sire is Reach for More, a son of the late I'm for More, a stallion who stood for nearly 25 years at Ocala Stud. Roaring Champ, a son of Forty Niner, is the state's second-leading sire.

Reach for More has 13 offspring who have raced this year, and nine have won, earning $127,000. Roaring Champ is a close second in the money-won category. He has had four winners from 12 starters this year.

When a small breeding operation comes up with two stakes winners in a single season, it can feel like winning the World Series. Just ask Mike and Patricia Sutherland, proprietors of North Highland Farm in Barnesville, Md.

The Sutherlands were credited with their second stakes winner of 2001 when the 3-year-old filly Winter Leaf carried their colors to a 3 1/2-length victory against older Maryland-bred rivals in Laurel Park's Squan Song Stakes the day after Christmas.

There will be a new look to the New York Thoroughbred Breeders Inc. in 2002, with president Howard Nolan stepping down after serving two consecutive two-year terms and executive director Mike Flynn leaving for a similar post at the Maryland Horse Breeders Association.

Flynn wrote a letter of resignation last week to the 11-member board of directors of the NYTB. Flynn, who was on vacation and unavailable for comment, worked for the organization for several years.