The circle of life combines the pain of loss with the joy of new arrivals, and the stallions of Maryland Stallion Station completed the circle during the first week of February.

Seeking Daylight, a son of Seeking the Gold who was a member of the Maryland Stallion Station contingent that was moved to Shamrock Farms in Woodbine, Md., was euthanized at Virginia Tech's Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center in Leesburg, Va., on Feb. 1 following colic surgery. Maryland's leading freshman sire of 2007, he was 11.

ARCADIA, Calif. - The 2008 California-bred horse of the year will be a sprinter.

The three finalists - Bob Black Jack, Cost of Freedom, and Lethal Heat - excelled in sprints in 2008, though Lethal Heat was also a graded stakes winner at 1 1/16 miles.

Those three horses accounted for half of the eight division titles recently announced by the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association. The winner of the horse of the year title will be announced at the association's annual dinner in Newport Beach, Calif., on Feb. 17.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - With his victory in the Grade 1 Donn Handicap last Saturday, Albertus Maximus confirmed his victory in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and has claimed a high place among American dirt runners for the 2009 racing season.

The colt's breeders, Brandon and Marianne Chase, have previously campaigned Irgun and Race the Wild Wind, respective winners of the Grade 1 Wood Memorial and Grade 1 Santa Maria.

Race the Wild Wind is especially significant because that daughter of Kentucky Derby winner Sunny's Halo is the second dam of Albertus Maximus.

Stardom Bound, last year's champion juvenile filly, eventually will be booked to the 2008 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown, according to the stud farm that stands the horse.

IEAH Stables owns both horses and stands Big Brown at Three Chimneys Farm in Kentucky. In an announcement issued Thursday, the farm said IEAH had committed Stardom Bound to Big Brown upon her retirement. A Tapit filly, she was to make her 3-year-old debut Saturday in the Grade 1 Las Virgenes Stakes at Santa Anita.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - The Irish Thoroughbred Breeders' Association has named Coolmore's famed stallion Sadler's Wells to its hall of fame. The 28-year-old Northern Dancer horse, now pensioned from stud duty at Coolmore in Co. Tipperary, is the first horse accorded the honor.

Sadler's Wells now joins Coolmore owner John Magnier, Sheikh Mohammed al-Maktoum, and other luminaries in Irish breeding "who have made lifetime contributions to our industry," according to the breeders' association.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - In a further sign that breeders are reducing the number of horses in production, a number of central Kentucky's reproductive veterinarians estimate their business is down between 15 and 25 percent since last year.

The smiling faces gracing the winner's circle at Laurel Park on Jan. 24 were there to welcome the appropriately named 19-1 longshot All Smiles, who dug in to win the Nellie Morse Stakes by a neck over favorite Fascinatin' Rhythm. For Charles and Cynthia McGinnes, owners and breeders of the 6-year-old All Smiles, the victory helped make up for years of one hard knock after another with their newest stakes winner.

THOROPAC, the bipartisan political action committee of New York Thoroughbred Breeders Inc., will hold its annual stallion season Internet auction Feb. 9-12.

The group's goal is to generate funds to support lobbying efforts in the state legislature for New York racing and breeding.

The online auction is conducted by Starquine at www.starquine.com. In order to bid, buyers must register with Starquine prior to making a bid. Those using the Starquine auction platform may bid as often as they wish.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Watching Beltene go undefeated in three starts, including a win in the $250,000 Sunshine Millions Oaks at Santa Anita last weekend, has been tough on breeder Charlotte Wrather.

Wrather sold Beltene for $30,000 at the 2007 California fall yearling sale at Barretts in Pomona. She has turned out to be a bargain for La Canada Stable and trainer Jack Carava.

"I had planned to keep her," Wrather said Friday from her home near Santa Barbara. "The economic situation forced us to sell a few horses in training. I wasn't happy with the price I got for Beltene."

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Top Australian sire General Nediym was euthanized Monday morning at age 14 after colicking, according to Widden Stud, where he stood.

General Nediym is the sire of 2004 Australian champion 3-year-old filly Regimental Gal and current juvenile filly standout Paprika. Before going to stud, he was known as one of Australia's best sprinters in the late 1990s, with wins in the Group 1 Newmarket Handicp and Lightning Stakes leading his resume.