LEXINGTON, Ky. - The late Danzig had his 200th stakes winner over the weekend with Olympic, a $3.6 million yearling in 2003, taking the Mataji Stakes on Saturday at Calder.

Although Danzig is now one of three stallions to sire 200 stakes winners, that isn't the measure of the great horse's impact on the breed.

In fact, one of the earlier sires to break the mark for 200 stakes winners was Danzig's son Danehill, the most successful shuttle stallion to date who has become the most important sire in the history of Australian breeding.

The jury is still out, and probably will always remain so. The debate is whether half-brothers and full brothers to successful sires are themselves more likely to be successful in the stud than stallions who are unrelated to successful sires. Bold Ruler had two full brothers that failed. Mr. Prospector had two siblings who, when given the opportunities, were not successful sires.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Ted Aroney had just about given up on Babs Moossa when the gelding made his third start in a $12,500 maiden claimer at the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton, Calif., on June 25.

"I was rooting for a tag," Aroney said, hoping the gelding would get claimed.

Babs Moossa's four-length win in the race was a minor consolation. At least Babs Moossa improved on sixth- and second-place finishes in maiden claiming races at Golden Gate Fields in the spring.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - When Dell Ridge Farm manager Des Ryan rides out with the Iroquois Hunt Club's hounds this fall, he will be extraordinarily well mounted.

His horse is three-time Grade 2 winner High Limit.

I Lost My Choo, winner of the Grade 3 Virginia Oaks last weekend at Colonial Downs, is a product of Carl Lizza's Flying Zee Stable.

The 3-year-old filly won the $200,000 event at 1 1/8 miles on turf with a powerful late rush, sending her career earnings to $271,640 with a record of 5-0-2 from 8 starts.

Trained by Philip M. Serpe, I Lost My Choo finished on the board in the Appalachian and Sands Point stakes, both Grade 3, in her two previous starts.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - With an increasing number of graded stakes horses, including Belmont Stakes victor Da' Tara and Santa Anita Derby winner Colonel John, Tiznow is having a career-high season with his stock at the racetrack.

A son of Cee's Tizzy, Tiznow ranks second among North American sires by progeny earnings for 2008, and he had another pair of major victories last weekend when Well Armed won the San Diego Handicap on Saturday and Bear Now won the Ontario Matron the following day.

Seven Maryland-breds, one of them by the state's leading sire Not for Love, are undergoing final preparations for the Saratoga select yearling sale to be conducted by Fasig-Tipton on Aug. 4 and 5 in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

The 2007 Maryland broodmare of the year, Blue Sky Princess (by Conquistador Cielo), is represented by a colt - already named Bishop's Head - from the single crop of 2005 Horse of the Year Saint Liam.

Blue Sky Princess has been a gold mine for longtime Maryland breeders Frank and Virginia Wright, and this chestnut colt sparkles as brightly as any.

The news that Florida’s leading sire, Ocala Stud’s Trippi, has been sold to South African interests is yet another sign of a growing deficit in the state’s pool of established stallions. Trippi joins Successful Appeal, Macho Uno, Closing Argument, Yes It’s True, Stormy Atlantic, and Exchange Rate as stallions who started in Florida but ended elsewhere.

Like many other top Canadian stables that have undergone dramatic changes, the Knob Hill Stable continues on.

Steve Stavro, the master of Knob Hill, which gave Canadian racing such stars as Granacus, Benburb, Apelia, and Thornfield, died in April 2006 leaving his racehorses to his widow, Sally, and a very large family of children and grandchildren.

One grandson, Blake Stavro-Pearce, 21, is becoming immersed in the business, more so than many other family members, and currently assists manager Howard Wood with the running of the racing and breeding operations.

Members of Maryland's freshman sire class of 2007 were locked in a tight battle last year, until Maryland Stallion Station's Seeking Daylight surged late, getting five winners in the last six weeks of the year, to take the title of leading freshman sire.