Thoroughbred auctions are typically once-a-year events, each holding its own specific place and purpose on the calendar. The Fasig-Tipton Midlantic December mixed sale does not buck that trend by name, but it does in spirit.

The Timonium, Md.-based auction moves back to its previous home on the calendar after holding its past two editions in January. Because of the schedule adjustment, the sale’s most recent renewal took place during the first month of this year as the Midlantic winter mixed sale, and the auctions will serve as bookends to Fasig-Tipton’s 2017 calendar.

Multiple graded stakes-winning multimillionaire Prayer for Relief will relocate to Indiana to stand the 2018 season at R Star Stallions.

Prayer for Relief's retirement was announced in March, and he entered stud at Pleasant Acres Stallions in Florida with the 2017 season already in progress. He covered 22 mares, according to The Jockey Club's Report of Mares Bred.

Union Jackson, a Grade 3-placed stakes-winning son of Curlin, has been retired from racing and will stand the 2018 breeding season at Sequel New York in Hudson for an advertised fee of $5,000.

The 5-year-old horse finished his ontrack career with six wins in 11 starts for earnings of $273,874. He won the Iowa Sprint Handicap and the Sam Houston Sprint Cup Stakes this year and turned in third-place efforts in the Grade 3 Aristides Stakes and the non-graded Thanksgiving Handicap.

Drefong, the Eclipse Award-winning male sprinter of 2016, the year he won the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, has been retired from racing and will be moving to Japan to take up stud duty at Shadai Stallion Station, it was announced late Wednesday by the Baoma Corporation of Susan and Charles Chu, who owned Drefong.

The Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society (Ontario Division) winter mixed sale finished trade on Saturday with a slightly higher average, topped by a $22,000 [Canadian funds] yearling Blame colt.

The single-day auction at the Woodbine Sales Pavilion in Rexdale, Ontario finished with 55 horses sold for revenues of $151,700, down 18 percent from the 2016 renewal when 69 horses brought $185,200.

Whywhywhy, a Grade 1 winner and sire, died in Korea on Sept. 1, according to the country’s online stud book.

The 17-year-old son of Mr. Greeley had resided in Korea since 2011 after beginning his stud career in Kentucky, first at Spendthrift Farm, then later at Gainesway.

Bred in Kentucky by James Jones, Whywhywhy was offered at the 2001 Keeneland September yearling sale, but finished under his reserve with a final bid of $27,000. He was later acquired privately by trainer Patrick Biancone, who campaigned the horse in partnership with Fabien Ouaki of Fab Oak Stable.

Two-time Olympic three-day event rider Boyd Martin will host clinics on retraining Thoroughbred racehorses in Japan this December, in partnership with the National Riding Club Association of Japan, the Japan Racing Association, and Godolphin.

The Jockey Club’s Certificates of Foal Registration will make the transition from hard copies to digital, beginning with the 2018 foaling season.

Breeders, and those acting as agents for breeders, must sign up for an Interactive Registration account on The Jockey Club’s website to register their foals.

Hall of Famer Point Given, the 2001 Horse of the Year, has been pensioned from stud duties and has taken up residence at the Kentucky Horse Park's Hall of Champions.

Point Given has stood the last five breeding seasons at Calumet Farm. The son of Thunder Gulch had previously stood at Three Chimneys Farm, where he entered stud in 2002. The fifth Horse of the Year honoree to reside at the Hall of Champions, he will be available for visits from the public beginning next April, coinciding with the Kentucky Horse Park’s 40th anniversary season.

Classic-placed Astrology has been relocated to stand at Acadiana Equine at Copper Crowne in Opelousas, La., in 2018. The son of A.P. Indy previously stood at Taylor Made Farm in Kentucky.

"We think Astrology is an up-and-coming sire who checks all the boxes as a son of A.P. Indy with an accomplished race record as a top 2-year-old and a classic-placed 3-year-old, and offspring that have found success on the track and in the sales ring,” stallion manager David Tillson said in a release. “We still have a few breeding rights available, and I expect that those will go quickly.”