From the time Jump Start arrived in Pennsylvania, he has been among the state’s leading sires. His popularity with the region’s breeders is evident by the size of his book of mares. Last year, for example, he was bred to 102 mares, the second most by any horse standing in the state, behind only second-year sire El Padrino.

The common denominator for the two is they both stand at Northview Stallion Station’s Pennsylvania division in Peach Bottom. The two were so popular that they accounted for 35 percent of all mares bred to Pennsylvania stallions in 2015.

Northview Stallion Station had a stranglehold on the Maryland general sire list in 2015, being represented by the top four sires in the state by progeny earnings.

Its long-dominant sire Not For Love, now pensioned, was still at the top, and he was followed by deceased Lion Hearted, Orientate, and Great Notion. The sire list includes all active stallions as well as those pensioned or deceased who last stood in the state.

Picking up the mantle among active sires at Northview Stallion Station in Chesapeake City, Md., is Orientate, who stands the 2016 season for $5,000.

It was an exacta sweep for successful young stallion Bernardini in the Grade 2 Ruffian Stakes on Saturday at Belmont Park, as Cavorting bested Carrumba by five lengths. In addition to sharing a sire, both fillies are from solid female families.

Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, currently standing his first season at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud in Versailles, Ky., will not shuttle to Australia for the Southern Hemisphere breeding season.

I first met Mill Reef the day men first landed on the moon. An afternoon outing from graduate school in Baltimore to Paul Mellon’s Rokeby Stud near Upperville, Va., turned into a master class in what a top-class yearling looked like, tutored by a delightful little bay colt by Never Bend out of Milan Mill, by Princequillo.

The well-bred Carrie served up an upset against Tap It All in a maiden special weight race Thursday at Santa Anita, defeating the high-priced filly by 2 3/4 lengths.

It was the second start for the Florida-bred Carrie, who is trained by Charles Stutts for owner Bryan Carney. She finished second in her debut at Los Alamitos last month.

Bodemeister, one of the most exciting stallions in an exciting class of freshman sires for 2016, was represented by his first winner on Wednesday, when Bode’s Dream won a maiden special weight at Gulfstream by 3 3/4 lengths on the front end.

Bode’s Dream, a $300,000 Keeneland September yearling, is trained by Todd Pletcher for St. Elias Stable. She is out of the Grade 2-winning Smoke Glacken mare Frolic’s Dream. Pletcher said the filly is targeting the Astoria Stakes at Belmont Park for her next outing.

Unbeaten European champion Frankel got his first winner with his first starter when Cunco rallied from midpack in a six-furlong maiden race Friday at Newbury in England, winning by about three-quarters of a length.

European star and first-crop sire Frankel got his first winner with his first starter when Cunco rallied from midpack in a 6-furlong maiden race worth $14,377 for 2-year-olds at Newbury to win by about three-quarters of a length over Isomer in the 7-horse field.

Cunco, a bay colt, is an Irish homebred for the international operation of Don Alberto, which is based in Chile. He is trained by John Gosden and ridden by Robert Havlin. Cunco was a narrow 5-2 favorite over Oceanus, who finished third. All seven starters were making their racing debut.

Edited press release

The R.A.C.E. Fund, a non-profit organization, launches its 2016 fund drive with an online auction on eBay starting May 27 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern and ending on June 3 to help raise funds for racehorse retirement and rescue. R.A.C.E. Fund – Retirement Assistance and Care for Equines – is an approved organization of the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance.