Nominations will close Wednesday, Aug. 15, for the third annual U.S. Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards.

Godolphin is the principal sponsor of the awards, in association with The Jockey Club, the National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protection Association (NHBPA), and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA). Godolphin also sponsors the equivalent Stud and Stable Staff Awards in Ireland, Australia, Britain, and France.

Not many stallions go to stud each year with what most breeders would consider ideal qualifications. As a graded stakes winner at 2, Grade 1 winner at 3 and 4, with an outstanding pedigree and excellent conformation, To Honor and Serve came very close to that ideal when he retired to Gainesway in 2013. Despite those credentials, things have not worked out as expected for To Honor and Serve, and he was recently sold to stand in South Korea.

The male line of the great American racehorse and sire Native Dancer has had three opportunities to transplant itself to Europe.

Great sires almost always sire at least very good sire sons, but it is often late in their stud careers, particularly for stallions who start out at relatively low stud fees and thus cover better-pedigreed mares after they prove their worth, as did three-time leading sire Tapit. Tapizar, from Tapit’s third crop, was the first Grade 1-winning son of Tapit to go to stud, and though he has not made the fastest start at stud, he has a genuine star in Coaching Club American Oaks winner Monomoy Girl.

Grade 1 winner and Canadian champion Shaman Ghost will make the latest move of his stud career as he relocates from California to owner-breeder Frank Stronach’s Adena Springs in Kentucky for the 2019 season, the operation announced Monday.

Two of California's late and most successful sires will be represented by a handful of offerings from their respective final crops in California's major summer yearling auction.

Three yearlings from the final crop of Lucky Pulpit and four from last crop of Unusual Heat are among the 86 cataloged for Barretts select yearling sale, set for Tuesday, Aug. 28 at Del Mar. 

Perennial leading sire Tapit’s stud fee rose to $300,000 at Gainesway Farm in 2015, making him the most expensive stallion in North America. The first foals conceived on that fee are juveniles of 2018, and Tapit recorded his fourth winner from this crop when Nitrous posted an impressive maiden victory on the first Saturday card of the Saratoga meet. The colt was given a 75 Beyer Speed Figure for the win.

Brill was a seven-figure purchase as a yearling last summer, and indicated that she is prepared to live up to high expectations with an impressive debut victory on opening day at Del Mar.

Into Mischief was among the leading juvenile sires of 2017 by a number of measures, and is again establishing a stellar season with his young runners, standing out on both coasts as Del Mar and Saratoga opened their boutique summer meetings over the past week.

Into Mischief’s son Sombeyay won the Grade 3 Sanford Stakes on the first Saturday of the Saratoga meet. Later that evening, the Spendthrift Farm stallion’s Rowayton won a maiden special weight at Del Mar.

Lady Aurelia, champion 2-year-old in Europe for 2016, has been retired from racing, leaving trainer Wesley Ward’s barn at Keeneland late Wednesday morning to begin life as a broodmare at Stonestreet Farm.

Lady Aurelia was bred by Stonestreet, where she was foaled and raised, and was owned by a partnership between Stonestreet and Peter Leidel. She’s retired with a record of 5-2-1 from 10 starts and earnings of $834,945.