It is no secret that pedigree plays the most important role when determining whether a racehorse will move up on the grass. Most of the entrants for Sunday's $1 million Atto Mile at Woodbine sport some of the most popular grass bloodlines in the world.

One of the contenders, the California-bred gelding A to the Z, only discovered turf racing nine races ago, and although you have to dig deep to find his strong grass pedigree, a close look makes you wonder why it took so long for him to land on the turf.

With Songandaprayer having migrated to Kentucky, where he will stand the 2006 breeding season, there is no shortage of competitors in the quest to take his place as the leading Florida first-year sire. Padua Stables' Exchange Rate ($7,500 fee) is the current leader in the category with 9 winners from 19 starters, and one stakes-placed runner, from a crop of 39. Trippi ($7,500), standing at Ocala Stud, has a crop of 45, of which 19 have started and 8 have won, including three black-type earners. CloverLeaf II's Snuck In ($3,500) has the biggest crop, numbering 47.

Wheelaway's first yearlings went through the auction ring this summer with good results.

Nine individuals by Wheelaway, an 8-year-old son of Unbridled, were sold in mid-August at the inaugural New York Breeders Sales Company premier yearling sale and the annual Fasig-Tipton New York-bred yearling sale.

Four were sold at the premier yearling sale, averaging $14,875 and topped by a colt at $32,000 from the family of the fine New York-bred runner Fast Holly.

The premier yearling sale average was $11,587.

Apprehension about the future of the state's tracks, added to the lure of richer pots in neighboring states, have many Maryland breeders considering options other than staying home. But if there is one silver lining for the future of Maryland's breeding industry, it is the strength of the state's stallion base.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - As Keeneland prepared to close out the first four days of its 14-day September yearling sale, the auction continued its strong run Thursday.

Fewer stallions are covering more mares in North America, Jockey Club statistics for the 2004 breeding season show, continuing the trend of increasing stallion books.

With gross receipts up sharply from last year, the average yearling price at the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society's British Columbia division sale on Tuesday was up marginally from last year. The overall average price at the mixed sale, however, was down.

This year, 129 yearlings were sold for a total of $1,783,000, up from last year's total of $1,485,700 for 110 yearlings sold. The average yearling price went from $13,506 to $13,822, an increase of 2.3 percent.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Selling remained strong on Wednesday at the Keeneland September yearling sale's first open session in Lexington. Buyers packed Keeneland's parking lot and the barn area was busy, as was the bidding arena.

As of 5:30 p.m., with the auction still under way, the third of 14 sessions was led by a $950,000 Unbridled's Song colt out of the Storm Cat mare Thiscatsforcaryl. Jess Jackson's Stonestreet Stable purchased the colt, a full brother to stakes winner Be Like Mike, from the Taylor Made agency.

With gross receipts up sharply from last year, the average yearling price at the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society's British Columbia division sale on Tuesday was up marginally from last year. The overall average at the mixed sale, however, was down.

This year, 129 yearlings were sold for a total of $1,783,000, up from last year's total of $1,485,700 for 110 yearlings sold. The average yearling price went from $13,506 to $13,822, an increase of 2.3 percent.

There are 245 yearlings cataloged to an auction that also includes a mixed session to be held at Louisiana Downs in Bossier City, La., on Oct. 15-16.

An additional 200 horses will be part of a mixed session that includes broodmares and horses of racing age. The sale is put on by the Breeders Sales Company of Louisiana.

The catalog is much larger than last year's, which had 149 yearlings for a one-day sale.