The California-Florida rivalry, enhanced these last five years by the Sunshine Millions, reflects these states' breeding programs, both of which are relatively new and may be measured in decades rather than centuries.
In the previous five years, 40 races in all, Florida-breds have won 25 races while Californians have won 15. This year, 86 horses are scheduled to start, and the total count is 43 Florida-breds and 43 Cal-breds.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Celtic Dreamin, who starts in Saturday's $1 million Sunshine Millions Classic at Santa Anita, is as much a West Coast-bred as he is a California-bred.
A 4-year-old gelding, Celtic Dreamin is by Game Plan, a stallion that stands in California. Celtic Dreamin was foaled in California, but was raised at breeder Petra Lewin's Rainbow Meadows Farm, near Olympia, Wash.
His lone stakes win came in the British Columbia Derby at Hastings Park in Vancouver.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Barretts conducts the first of its six sales for 2008 with the two-day mixed sale in Pomona, Calif., on Tuesday and Wednesday, an event that will be hard-pressed to repeat the success of 2007, according to the sale company's president, Gerald McMahon.
Last year, boosted by the dispersal of Granja Vista del Rio Stable, the sale's average price grew 21 percent, to $9,544, and the $560,000 price paid for the stakes-winning mare Selvatica set a sale record.
This year's sale, which features 524 horses, does not feature a dispersal of the same strength.
King Cugat, a millionaire and multiple Grade 2 winner, will stand at Liberty Stud in Ghent, N.Y., under the management of Questroyal Stud. His fee is $3,500 for the 2008 breeding season.
"Questroyal Stud has priced this grand-looking, highly successful stallion at a stud fee that is certain to attract a quality book of mares," Liberty Stud manager Bill Allen said. "We are delighted at the opportunity to stand a horse with his impressive credentials, and he will be exceedingly well received by New York breeders."
LEXINGTON, Ky. - With her El Encino victory, Zenyatta is proving that her resemblance to her famous older sibling, multiple Grade 1 stakes winner Balance, is more than skin deep.
A tall, somewhat angular filly, Zenyatta is the third foal and third stakes winner out of the Kris S. mare Vertigineux. All were bred by the Maverick Productions LLC of Eric Kronfeld, who is an attorney in the entertainment business in New York City.
Reaching the million-dollar mark in earnings is still a glorious achievement for a Thoroughbred racehorse. Especially if the runner happens to be a homebred - and female.
Fans at Laurel Park on Jan. 12 knew they had witnessed something special when Silmaril launched a mighty rally from last under jockey Jeremy Rose and swept to a two-length victory in the six-furlong What a Summer Stakes.
Stonesider, a young horse by Giant's Causeway who showed high potential in his brief career, has retired to stud at Carl Lizza's and Joe Bartone's Highcliff Farm in Delanson, N.Y.
His fee for the 2008 breeding season is $3,000, live foal.
The 5-year-old Stonesider is the property of the Stonerside Stable of Janice and Robert McNair of Houston, Texas.
Irish Cherry already has foaled two Grade 1 winners - Spun Sugar and Daaher. She also has a yearling colt by Storm Cat, and is in foal to Ghostzapper.P
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Irish Cherry was the topping on the Keeneland January sale, selling Monday for $2.7 million to the Southern Equine Stable of Mike Moreno and trainer Eric Guillot on the first day of the week-long sale.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Bertrando has truly become a heavyweight among California stallions.
In 2007, for the second time in three years, he led California stallions in progeny earnings, with $4,235,168.
Lately, at Marty and Pam Wygod's River Edge Farm in Buellton, Calif., where the 19-year-old stallion is based, he has been sporting, well, a larger look.
"He's a little heavier weight-wise than he normally is, but I probably did that to him," farm manager Russell Drake said. "When they get older, I tend to feed them a little more."