LEXINGTON, Ky. - Storm Cat's fee will remain $500,000 for the 2006 breeding season, an Overbrook Farm adviser, Ric Waldman, said Monday, and the highly successful sire's book already is essentially sold out.

Storm Cat, the world's most fashionable commercial stallion, proved his popularity most recently at the Keeneland September juvenile sale. There, his 26 progeny averaged $1,766,730 in the auction ring, headed by the sale-topping $9.7 million colt out of Tranquility Lake purchased by Sheikh Mohammed al-Maktoum.

Phone Trick, the famed sprinter who went on to sire the 1997 champion juvenile and Horse of the Year, Favorite Trick, and the 1993 champion juvenile filly, Phone Chatter, has died in New York at age 23.

POMONA, Calif. - The results of Tuesday's California October yearling sale drew a mixed reaction from some consignors but exceeded the expectations of organizers.

The event marked the merger of the defunct Del Mar yearling sale with the Barretts October yearling sale. The sale, primarily consisting of California-breds, saw 207 horses sell for $5,239,400, for an average price of $25,311 and a median of $17,000. There were 76 horses bought back and 40 withdrawn.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - By virtue of successive victories in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic and last weekend's Jockey Club Gold Cup, Borrego has thrust himself into the thick of consideration for the Breeders' Cup Classic. A victory there would mean not just an Eclipse Award as leading older horse but possibly recognition as Horse of the Year.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Brookdale Farm owner Fred Seitz has made a name for himself in the horse business through his stallion farm and breeding operation. But from the time he first discovered his love of horses as a child in Monmouth County, N.J., what he really wanted to do was train.

The New York Breeders Sales Company's second fall mixed sale will be conducted at Saratoga Race Course on Oct. 16 at 10 a.m.

At last year's inaugural sale, the first conducted by the young company, gross receipts were $1,230,000.

The sale grounds are located at the Nelson Avenue stable gate at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

The auction ring will be near the backstretch betting windows, which are adjacent to the main track gap at the Nelson Avenue entrance.

The annual Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's fall mixed sale gets under way Monday and continues through Friday. The consignors' preferred catalog has 962 lots and goes through Wednesday. The open sessions, Hips No. 963 to 1,519, sell on Thursday and Friday. Featured in this year's auction is phase two of the Farnsworth Farms dispersal and the continuing dispersal of Four Horsemen's Ranch's breeding and racing stock.

The Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern fall yearling sale, conducted Oct. 3-5 at the Maryland State Fairgrounds's sales pavilion in Timonium, Md., was an enormous success. Records were smashed in a number of major categories, and Maryland breeders were significant contributors.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Fasig-Tipton Midlantic's Eastern fall yearling sale, expanded this year from two days to three, ended Wednesday evening with gains in gross and average but a decline in median.

Claiborne Farm will raise the stud fees for its popular young sires Pulpit and Arch in 2006, the Paris, Ky., farm announced Wednesday.

Pulpit's fee will increase from $60,000 to $80,000 in the coming season, while Arch's will rise from $10,000 to $15,000. In the only other change, the fee for 2001 Kentucky Derby winner Monarchos will drop from $25,000 to $15,000. The farm also will stand a new stallion, the Grade 1-winning millionaire Eddington, for $20,000 in 2006. Seeking the Gold's fee will remain $125,000.