An invasion of Pennsylvania-bred horseflesh took place in Europe over the second weekend of September, and when the dust settled, the Keystone State flag was flying high.

George Strawbridge's Lucarno and Bettina Jenney's Mrs. Lindsay, both homebreds hailing from the same southeastern Keystone State nursery - Jenney's Derry Meeting Farm - ran off with two Group 1 races, the English classic St. Leger for 3-year-olds at Doncaster on Sept. 15 and the Prix Vermeille at Longchamp the next day.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - A champion racer 20 years ago and a well-proven sire of high merit, Theatrical continues to succeed at stud, even without the backing of the large, high-quality band of broodmares that the late Allen Paulson put together to support his home stallions.

In fact, Theatrical, a 25-year-old son of Nureyev, is as good a sire as ever, and to prove the point over the weekend, his son Shakespeare won the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile and his daughter Mrs. Lindsay won the Group 1 Prix Vermeille.

The Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association will host its annual Ocala Week, a period of four days devoted to meetings, seminars, and social events. It begins on Thursday, Oct. 4, with an interactive seminar in conjunction with the Jockey Club at the Ocala Hilton.

Political Force, winner of the Surburban Handicap this year, will enter stud at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Ky., at the conclusion of his racing career, the farm announced Thursday.

A 4-year-old Unbridled's Song colt, Political Force finished fifth his last time out, in the Sept. 1 Woodward, and is pointing for the Sept. 30 Jockey Club Gold Cup Handicap at Belmont Park.

A homebred for owner Joseph Allen, Political Force is the third foal and first stakes winner out of the Grade 1-winning millionaire Glitter Woman, by Glitterman.

Corinthian, winner of the Metropolitan Handicap on May 28, will enter stud in 2008 at Gainesway Farm in Lexington, Ky.

A 4-year-old Pulpit colt, Corinthian is a leading contender for the inaugural Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Monmouth on Oct. 26.

Bred by Gracefield and Hargus Sexton, Corinthian races for Centennial Farms and is trained by Jimmy Jerkens. Disqualified from first to third in the 2006 Fountain of Youth, he came back this year to take the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Handicap and Grade 1 Metropolitan. He last ran in the Woodward, finishing fourth.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Distorted Humor provided a select-sale flavor to the Keeneland September yearling sale's ninth session on Wednesday in Lexington when one of his daughters brought a $475,000 bid late in the day.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Two colts that Gulf Coast Farms bought were the early session-leaders Monday as Keeneland's two-week September yearling sale kicked off its second week with a spate of six-figure prices.

Lance Robinson and Jerry Bailey's Gulf Coast Farms purchased the session-leading $325,000 Cherokee Run colt out of Informative as well as the day's second most expensive yearling by 5 p.m., a $300,000 Awesome Again-Divine Angel colt.

Maria's Mon, the former juvenile champion who sired 2001 Kentucky Derby winner Monarchos and 2006 champion 3-year-old filly Wait a While, has died at age 14.

Veterinarians euthanized Maria's Mon on Friday morning at the Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington, Ky. Pin Oak Stud manager Clifford Barry confirmed plans for a necropsy in order to determine the cause of the young stallion's sudden decline, which led to severe laminitis and prompted the decision to euthanize him.

Breeding racehorses can get in your blood. Just ask Elaine and Nick Bassford.

Seven years ago, the Bassfords announced that they would no longer breed horses at their 140-acre Memory Lane Farm in Davidsonville, Md. They consigned all but a few of their sizable band of broodmares and weanlings to auction.

But when the 4-year-old gelding Tommie's Star dashed to victory in the Mister Diz Stakes at Laurel Park last weekend, he gave the Bassfords yet another stakes win by a homebred.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - While there seems to be a general expectation that prices for horses should decline as the Keeneland September sale progresses, there is less evidence that such should be the case from the racing performance of many horses who were sold quite late in the sale.

For example, Arlington Million winner Jambalaya sold in Book 5 of the 2003 September sale for a measly $2,500. Jambalaya was bred by Gustav Schickedanz, who bred and raced Jambalaya's sire, Langfuhr, and still owns a significant portion of the stallion.