LEXINGTON, Ky. - After Sweet Catomine's fifth-place finish in last weekend's Santa Anita Derby, owner Marty Wygod mentioned a physical issue that he thought could have affected the filly's performance. She had come into season for the first time before the race.

That's a fairly common concern. But while a filly who is in season - also called "in heat" or "horsing" - can become somewhat more irritable, veterinarians say estrus generally has little effect on racetrack performance.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Keeneland's select 2-year-old auction on Tuesday is the last boutique juvenile auction of the spring, and it will take place in a feast-or-famine marketplace that highlights the risky nature of selling juveniles. The questions for Keeneland are whether the bullish upper market will continue there and whether sellers below that level will fare profitably, too.

Dream of Summer, the California-bred mare who won the Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park on April 9, may make a quick return in the $150,000 B. Thoughtful Stakes on the California Gold Rush program at Hollywood Park next Sunday.

Trainer Juan Garcia said Thursday that Dream of Summer has bounced back from her win in the Apple Blossom in outstanding condition, and he would prefer to start her sooner rather than later.

The start of another racing season in Ontario has brought about some changes in the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society's Thoroughbred Improvement Program, considered one of the best awards programs for breeders across North America.

Although the program has less money in the kitty this year - a decrease to $10.1 million from $11.3 million because wagering and slots revenue was down in 2004 - the lucrative incentives encourage the breeding of Thoroughbreds in the province.

"Darlington: Source of the classic horse."

Harford County's Better Business Bureau could have that as a new promotional slogan if Bellamy Road reproduces his most recent effort in this year's Kentucky Derby. It would be the third time in four years that the small town of Darlington, Md., has had a classic connection.

Classic winner Funny Cide repeated as horse of the year at the New York Thoroughbred Breeders Inc. annual awards dinner on Monday. State divisional champions, human and equine, were honored for their accomplishments at 2004 at the Desmond Hotel in Albany.

Saturday, April 9, turned out to be a big day for Florida breeding and the 2-year-olds in training sales held in the Sunshine State. Within an hour, Bellamy Road won the Grade 1 Wood Memorial and Buzzards Bay the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby. Both are the get of Florida stallions and both were consigned to last year's Ocala Breeders' Sales spring sale of 2-year-olds in training. And both have full siblings in this year's April 25 renewal of the OBS spring sale.

Coolmore Stud, which stands top 10 second-crop sire Giant's Causeway at its Kentucky division this season, has raised the stallion's fee to $200,000.

The new figure is well above his originally advertised 2005 fee of $135,000. His price went up earlier this year to $150,000. The new fee ranks Giant's Causeway behind only Storm Cat ($500,000) at Overbrook and A. P. Indy ($300,000) and Kingmambo ($300,000) at Lane's End for North American stallions.

LAS VEGAS - With the presence of Sun King, Bandini, High Limit, Consolidator, and Closing Argument as probable starters, Saturday's Blue Grass Stakes shapes up as the best and most competitive of all Kentucky Derby preps this year.

In his last start, Sun King basically had a public workout when he won the Tampa Bay Derby against overmatched rivals. Competitive with the best of his crop as a 2-year-old, he was third in both the Champagne Stakes and Breeders' Cup Juvenile, but has developed into a racehorse with maturity. The talent in the Blue Grass, however, runs deep.

A pair of juveniles by Unbridled's Song and Coronado's Quest turned in the morning's fastest quarter-mile works, in 20.60 seconds, Monday at Keeneland's first under-tack preview for its April 19 2-year-old sale.

Hip No. 30, an Unbridled's Song-In the Storm colt, is from the consignment of Niall Brennan, agent, and is from the family of Grade 1 winner and millionaire Formal Gold. Kip Elser's Kirkwood Stables consigned Hip No. 31, a Coronado's Quest-Jazz Rags colt from the family of stakes winners Harriman and Dixie Accent.