Laila Ali, the women's boxing champion and daughter of Mohammed Ali, has a namesake that bears watching.

Laila's Punch, a Maryland-bred daughter of Two Punch, has delivered a stunning blow to her competition in each of her two latest starts, most recently Laurel Park's Marshua Stakes on Jan. 6.

Owned by New York resident Morris Bailey, who bought her from breeder Dennis Drazin for $80,000 at the 2005 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern fall yearling sale, Laila's Punch has been brought along patiently by her trainer, Eddie Gaudet, and his wife, Linda, at Bowie Training Center.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Standing a champion stallion will keep a farm owner busy, even during the holidays. California farm owner Patricia Youngman learned that in recent weeks.

As Swiss Yodeler completed his first campaign as the leading sire in California in 2006, Youngman said interest was strong in the 13-year-old stallion, even during the Christmas and New Year's period when people are often preoccupied with other matters.

With his graded stakes winners Shillelagh Slew and Seafree leading the way, Chief Seattle finished second among New York sires with progeny earnings for 2006 at $2,790,798.

A 10-year-old son of Triple Crown winner and top sire Seattle Slew, Chief Seattle stands at Empire Stud LLC, in Hudson, N.Y., for a 2007 fee of $5,000, live foal.

Chief Seattle performed well at the highest level in his only campaign, as a 2-year-old of 1999.

The first sale on Florida's 2007 calendar gets under way on Wednesday, as the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company holds its annual winter mixed auction. The OBS has scheduled four 2-year-olds in training sales: selected sales on Feb. 13 and March 27-28, and open sales for April 24-27 and June 19-20. All OBS sales for 2007 will be at the Ocala venue.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - By winning the Grade 1 La Brea, Downthedustyroad ended her 3-year-old season with a great triumph. The victory was not only her first Grade 1 but also her first stakes success after four stakes placings. The now 4-year-old filly also is the first Grade 1 winner bred by Tommy Walls, the only 2006 Grade 1 winner bred in Arkansas, and the first such winner for her sire, the Storm Cat stallion Storm and a Half.

Catienus was the leader among New York sires with progeny earnings of $3,166,785 in 2006. The 13-year-old son of Storm Cat stands at Highcliff Farm in Delanson, N.Y., as the property of Ken and Sarah Ramsey for a fee of $7,500, live foal.

Campaigned by the Ramseys, Catienus won the Charles Staats Memorial Stakes and placed in the Whitney, Suburban, and Saratoga Cup handicaps as an older runner in North America.

He is out of the graded-stakes-placed Mr. Prospector mare Diamond City, from a family that includes Preakness Stakes winner Aloma's Ruler.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Coming just two months after the record-setting Keeneland November breeding stock sale, Keeneland's January sale, which runs from Monday through Jan. 15, has a hard act to follow. The November auction featured outlandishly high prices, especially for young broodmares and broodmare prospects, such as $6 million for Madcap Escapade, who sold in foal to Pulpit and was the top-selling mare.

The battle to determine the top Maryland-bred 2-year-olds came down to the wire - literally - at Laurel Park on Dec. 30 with thrilling runnings of the Maryland Juvenile and Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship Stakes, two races that historically have factored heavily in year-end honors.

The favored Roaring Lion won the one-mile Maryland Juvenile Championship, but it wasn't easy. After taking charge early, Roaring Lion was headed by Digger in midstretch, regained the lead, then held off the fast-closing maiden Bianchi's Boy to win by a neck.

In a little more than a month breeding sheds will open for business. There will be at least 18 new stallions entering stud in Florida., with fees ranging from $12,500 for Congrats (by A.P. Indy) and Pomeroy (Boundary) at Cloverleaf Farms II, to $500 for Indian Ground (Nureyev), who stands at Bright Oaks Farm.

With rare exception, fees in Florida are predicated on no foal, no fee, and a fee is due when the foal stands and nurses.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - The victory of Latent Heat in the Malibu Stakes was the third success in a Grade 1 event for a racer by Maria's Mon in 2006.

Overall, the Pin Oak Farm stallion had 10 stakes winners during the year, and his offspring earned in excess of $6.8 million, placing him fifth on the general sires list. With his accelerating volume of success, demand for his services has risen, and the stud fee for Maria's Mon will be $60,000 in 2007.