Four New York stallions, led by Chief Seattle, have progeny earnings of more than $1 million for the first half of 2008.

Through June 30, Chief Seattle topped the list at $1,321,345. He was the second-leading sire in New York for 2007, with progeny earnings of $2,788,562.

The 11-year-old son of the great Seattle Slew stands at Empire Stud in Hudson, N.Y., for a fee of $5,000. Chief Seattle had 54 winners from 120 runners at the midpoint of the season. His current earnings leader is Bay Meadows Handicap winner Bold Chieftain at $168,952.

Florida’s numbers are positive when reviewing the first half of 2008. Florida stallions are siring their share of graded stakes winners. Several of the freshman stallions are off to a quick start. The mare population has stabilized at approximately 7,100. The market, considering the rough economic times, held firm at the state’s six 2-year-olds in training sales. There were 1,645 2-year-olds sold at Florida’s six sales in 2008 and they grossed $118.1 million.

Milanova, a full sister to Coolmore runner Holy Roman Emperor and in foal to Coolmore's Encosta de Lago, set a record Australian auction price Sunday when Coolmore Australia purchased her for $4.8 million ($5 million Australian) at the William Inglis Australian breeding stock sale in Sydney.

The price topped the previous Australian auction record of $3.4 million Australian set last year when Darley purchased Virage de Fortune at the Inglis Australian broodmare sale.

Hat Trick, a Japanese champion miler who entered stud this year at Walmac Farm in Lexington, Ky., will shuttle to Australia’s Independent Stallions Victoria in Nagambie for the 2008 Southern Hemisphere season. Hat Trick, a son of Sunday Silence, stood for $15,000 in Kentucky and will command a fee of about $15,840.

Smart and Fancy, the 5-year-old Maryland-bred mare who rallied to a four-length victory in the Buckland Stakes at Colonial Downs last weekend, has a way of making the racing business look easy.

She's "like every parent's dream child," says her trainer, Tony Dutrow. "She's always where she's supposed to be, doing what she's supposed to do."

Southern Equine Stables principal Mike Moreno has purchased the Roach family's famed Parrish Hill Farm in Midway, Ky., and plans to establish a private nursery there.

The 300-acre farm produced the 1999 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner and Horse of the Year, Charismatic; 1984 champion mare Princess Rooney; and such Grade 1 winners as Cormorant, Storm Tower, and Millennium Wind, a half-brother to Charismatic.

Pepper Oaks Farm in Santa Ynez, Calif., which has stood leading California sire Swiss Yodeler since he went to stud in 1999, is closing on Tuesday, farm owner Patricia Youngman announced Thursday.

In her announcement, Youngman said she was disgruntled over the direction of the sport in general and scolded the sport for failing to have "vision and unity."

In a brief interview on Friday, Youngman deferred to her statement. She said the farm will not be developed.

"This is going to be my home," she said. "I have horses, and they will live at my place."

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Queen's Plate winner Not Bourbon and Wood Memorial winner Tale of Ekati are the current headliners for the breeding operation of diamond king Charles Fipke.

But significant as Fipke's success has been with Tale of Ekati, the California-based breeding guru Jack Werk said that Fipke "literally created the Queen's Plate winner with his program."

Werk has been a consultant with Fipke since 1994 and said "you can't get him to do anything he doesn't believe in, but he's never wavered when he believes in something."

Tin Cup Chalice remained unbeaten in five career starts with his victory in the Mike Lee Stakes at Belmont Park last weekend.

The seven-furlong Mike Lee opens the Big Apple Triple series, which also consists of the 1 1/16-mile New York Derby at Finger Lakes on July 12 and the 1 1/8-mile Albany Handicap at Saratoga on Aug. 20.

A winner of all three receives a bonus of $250,000, a payout that has not been made since the series was inaugurated in 1999.

Last year, Chief's Lake won the Mike Lee and New York Derby, but finished third behind Stunt Man in the Albany.

The state of Florida has a fiscal calendar. State business and other functions are reckoned from July 1 through June 30. The Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association publishes its farm directory each June. The Florida Department of Agriculture, through its commissioner of agriculture, Charles Bronson, in conjunction with the breeders and owners association, issues its state-of-the-industry report in the farm directory.