Among the many brilliant observations on the Thoroughbred credited to the Italian master Federico Tesio is that success along a female line often appears to follow a wave pattern. Mares along a given female line may produce well enough for many generations followed by a seemingly inexplicable explosion of talent set off by a single mare.

Sequel Stallions New York, in Hudson, N.Y., released its advertised stud fees for the 2017 breeding season, with perennial state powerhouse Freud holding the top spot at $10,000.

A 19-year-old son of Storm Cat, Freud's fee goes unchanged from the 2016 season. A full brother to prominent sire Giant’s Causeway, Freud’s list of runners was led last year by Argentine Group 1 winner Must Go On, Group 2 winners Key Dance and Street Lolo, and U.S. Grade 3 winners Sharp Azteca and Lubash.

With a new year unfolding, the historic Middleburg Training Center of Virginia will soon have a new purpose.

Virginia horseman and real estate entrepreneur Randy Rouse has donated the Middleburg facility to the Thoroughbred Retirement Fund, providing additional acreage to house its retired racehorses and programs. The deal was completed Dec. 29 – one day before Rouse, a noted figure in the steeplechase community, celebrated his 100th birthday.

Triple Crown winner American Pharoah’s first foal has arrived.

The highly anticipated arrival, coming early in the foaling season in North America, is a colt born Tuesday at the Seitz family’s Brookdale Farm in Versailles, Ky. The farm, a full-service Thoroughbred boarding and sales operation, happily reported that the bay colt with white points was born at 12:30 a.m.

Triple Crown winner American Pharoah's first foal has arrived.

The highly-anticipated arrival, coming early in the foaling season in North America, is a colt born Jan. 3 at the Seitz family’s Brookdale Farm in Versailles, Ky. The farm, a full-service Thoroughbred boarding and sales operation, “happily” reported that the bay colt with white points was born at 12:30 a.m.

Mary Jo Pons, matriarch of Maryland’s Country Life Farm, died Jan. 2 at Bright View Assisted Living in Bel Air, Md. She was 87.

A native of Baltimore, Pons spent her entire life living in her home state of Maryland.

"I only ever moved once," she told the Baltimore Sun in 2011. "And it was to live [at Country Life] with Joe Pons."

Group 2 stakes winner Acapulco will be bred to Coolmore’s flagship sire Galileo this spring in Ireland, but prior to her official retirement, she will race in foal for the first half of the season, with a return engagement at Royal Ascot the chief target.

The Korean stallion roster has added four new U.S. imports, including graded winners Concord Point and Cowboy Cal, for the 2017 breeding season.

They will join expats Colonel John and Take Charge Indy, sold to Korean interests late last year.

Concord Point, a 10-year-old son of Tapit, previously resided at Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm in Lexington, Ky., where he stood the 2016 season for $5,000.

Oscietra, the first foal out of unbeaten champion Black Caviar, finished third in her career debut at Flemington in Australia on Sunday.

Under Black Caviar’s regular rider, Luke Nolen, Oscietra broke sharply and led the field through the early stages of the five-furlong event before being run down late by Limestone and Miss Wahoo.

Texas Red, whose biggest victory came in the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, will begin his stallion career this year at Pope McLean’s Crestwood Farm in Lexington, Ky.

Hindered throughout his career by various ailments, Texas Red made his final start when fifth in the 2015 Travers Stakes; he was subsequently sidelined by cannon-bone bruising. His retirement was announced in December by his ownership group of trainer Keith Desormeaux and partners Erich Brehm, Wayne Detmar, Gene Voss, and Lee Michaels.