Points Offthebench’s game score in last Sunday’s Grade 1 Bing Crosby at Del Mar gave trainer Tim Yakteen his first top-level stakes win and heralded the emergence of another high-caliber runner for California stallion Benchmark.

Courtesy of DarleyExceed and Excel

Darley shuttle stallion Exceed And Excel has finished the 2012-13 season as Australia's leading general sire.

Calidoscopio, the winner of the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Marathon whose final victory came in a dramatic running of the Grade 2 Brooklyn Handicap earlier this year, will stand his first season at stud at Haras La Quebrada in Argentina, Racing Post reports.

The 10-year-old son of Luhuk will return to his birthplace to stand at stud, having been foaled at the Buenos Aires-area farm in 2003. He became a staple in the long distance ranks of his native country, winning or finishing in the money in 21 stakes races, highlighted by a win in the Group 1 Republica Argentina in 2009.

Animal Kingdom, winner of the 2011 Kentucky Derby and 2013 Dubai World Cup, is in quarantine in Australia as he prepares for his debut season at Arrowfield Stud in New South Wales.

The 5-year-old son of Leroidesanimaux left for Australia on Sunday, the Sydney Morning Herald reports, after more than a month in quarantine in England, beginning June 20. He will spend another two weeks in quarantine on the outskirts of Sydney before arriving at Arrowfield Stud.

The July 30 ruling against the prohibition of cloned horses in the American Quarter Horse Association’s registry could have a far-reaching effect into the breed’s racing industry.

The Jockey Club Thoroughbred Incentive Program (T.I.P.), which encourages the retraining of Thoroughbreds into other disciplines, has created a performance award pilot program for the second half of 2013.

“The original goal of T.I.P. was to offer awards and prizes for Thoroughbreds at specific horse shows,” said Kristin Leshney, legal associate for The Jockey Club and the administrator of T.I.P. “This new program enables us to recognize the Thoroughbred accumulating the most points at all horse shows in each of the award categories and divisions throughout the year.”

Duane and Wayne Murty, the brothers charged with second-degree animal cruelty after neglected horses were found on a central Kentucky property they leased, entered not-guilty pleas to those charges Monday in Woodford District Court, the Lexington Herald-Leader has reported.

Leading Australian freshman sire Northern Meteor died Tuesday at Widden Stud in New South Wales following a severe bout of colic, Racing Post reports.

The 7-year-old Encosta De Lago horse was set to be crowned Australia's champion freshman sire for the season, which concludes July 31.

A proposed slaughterhouse facility in Roswell, N.M., set to begin domestic horse slaughter next week, was allegedly attacked by arsonists on Saturday, July 27, the owner said on Tuesday.

Grade 2 winner Sir Shackleton will stand at Dana Point Farm in Lenhartsville, Pa., for the 2014 breeding season, marking his return to the Keystone State after two years in Indiana.

The 12-year-old son of Miswaki previously stood at Indiana Stallion Station in Anderson, Ind., where his advertised fee for 2013 was $1,000. Prior to moving to Indiana for the 2011 season, Sir Shackleton stood at Dana Point Farm for two seasons after arriving in 2009 from Castleton Lyons in Lexington, Ky., where he entered stud in 2007.