Brush off dusty tomes of Thoroughbred racing history, or flip to a current chapter, and you’ll find Runnymede Farm on nearly every page.

The Thoroughbred nursery is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year – making it the oldest continuously operated Thoroughbred farm in Kentucky, according to the historic preservation group Daughters of the American Revolution. Runnymede is looking to celebrate in style Saturday at the Breeders’ Cup with two horses it bred and raised – multiple Grade 1 winner Lady Eli, and Collected, who defeated Arrogate in the Pacific Classic.

A roundup of our bloodstock-based coverage of the 2017 Breeders' Cup at Del Mar, including in-depth features on breeders and owners, analysis of stallions and trends, and more. For related news throughout Breeders' Cup weekend - including November sale catalog updates from the races - follow DRF Breeding Live.

Breeders and owners

A&A Ranch in Anthony, N.M., revealed its advertised fees for the 2018 breeding season, remaining largely unchanged from the previous year.

The only stallion on the roster standing for a different public price is Diabolical, who was set at $4,000 after being advertised for a private fee in 2017. The son of Artax was New Mexico’s leading sire of 2015 and finished second in 2014 and 2016.

Diabolical’s top runners of 2017 include stakes winners Diabolical Dame, Fast Gator, My Mirage, and Pink Cadillac.

Poplar Creek Horse Center in Bethel, Ohio, has released the fees for its 2018 stallion roster, led once again by Tidal Volume, whose fee is unchanged at $3,000.

The stakes-winning son of Tapit was Ohio’s most active stallion of the past breeding season, with 54 reported mares bred. His first foals are yearlings of 2017.

Grade 1 winner V. E. Day will relocate to Buck Pond Farm in Versailles, Ky., for the 2018 breeding season and will stand for an advertised fee of $6,500.

The 6-year-old son of English Channel stood his debut season this year at Waldorf Farm in North Chatham, N.Y., for the same price.

Racing has always been a game of association for Don Robinson of Winter Quarter Farm. He bred Cambodia, a fourth-generation member of a Thoroughbred family he has worked with, in partnership with late friend Eric Kronfeld, best known as the breeder of Zenyatta. Robinson now races Cambodia in partnership with Alan Schubert, who bought in after Kronfeld’s death.

The hoped-for scenario for a freshman stallion heading into the fall of his debut season involves having runners at the Breeders’ Cup. Getting one in position for an Eclipse Award with a strong effort would be even better.

Two of New York’s leading stallion operations have merged, creating Irish Hill & Dutchess Views Stallions LLC, based at Irish Hill Century Farm in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

The operation will stand seven stallions for the 2018 breeding season, including Zivo, Desert Party, and newcomer Market Rally, who were already based at Irish Hill Century Farm.

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Late sire City Zip’s hallmark versatility will be on display at the upcoming Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar.

The stallion is likely to be represented by Eclipse Award champion Finest City, defending her victory in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint; a dirt router in prominent Breeders’ Cup Classic contender Collected; and a fleet-footed turf-route mare in Filly and Mare Turf hopeful Zipessa. He also has a Juvenile Turf pre-entrant in Snapper Sinclair, who owns a stakes win sprinting on turf.

The Jones family’s Airdrie Stud holds two gray aces heading into the fall, with Creative Cause sending up to three foals to the Breeders’ Cup from his first two crops, and Cairo Prince wrapping up a breakout debut yearling season at auction.

In both instances, the stallions benefitted greatly from the extensive support of farm owners Brereton and Elizabeth Jones’s broodmare band. All three of Creative Cause’s Breeders’ Cthat up pre-entries were bred or co-bred by the Midway, Ky.-based operation.