Award-winning racing writer Snowden Carter, who had been longtime general manager of the Maryland Horse Breeders Association, died of heart failure Feb. 3 at his home in Owings Mills, Md. He was 83.

Juveniles at the Ocala Breeders' Company's Calder select sale fought gusty headwinds at the auction's final under-tack show Sunday, but several still managed to post eighth-mile times in under 11 seconds.

ARCADIA, Calif. - The second-ranked stallion in the nation is one of the loneliest stallions in the nation.

Musique d'Enfer is an unlikely candidate to be ranked behind In Excess on the national stallion leader list by earnings. Musique d'Enfer is bred to only a few mares a year, and his tenuous position on the list is a result of one race - the upset win by Musique Toujours in the $1 million Sunshine Millions Classic at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 29.

New York stallion Catienus broke on top and never looked back.

His very first runner, Lisa's Cat, won a maiden special weight at Keeneland on April 8 in her career debut.

She was the first of 19 winners in 2004 for Catienus, who led all North American sires in winners last year as a first-crop sire.

With four of his offspring winning last weekend, Catienus now has 23 winners from that crop of 42 foals.

Catienus, an 11-year-old son of Storm Cat owned by Ken and Sarah Ramsey, stands at Highcliff Farm in Delanson, N.Y., for a fee of $6,500.

Confidence is always high for the first of Florida's five 2-year-olds in training sales. As usual, the first of these auctions is hosted by the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company. This year's sales begins at noon Eastern on Tuesday at Calder Race Course.

"We have 207 cataloged," said Tom Ventura, OBS sales director and general manager. "This is as good a looking group of horses we have cataloged in years, with many by newcomers to the stallion ranks. I don't have a crystal ball, but all the signs point to a strong sale."

Ten years ago, it seemed impossible for West Virginia to have one of the fastest growing breeding industries in the nation. The state was close to its lowest point - less than 200 foals born and fewer than 300 mares bred to local stallions. Breeding Thoroughbreds was a losing proposition.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Devil's Bag, the champion juvenile of 1983 and sire of more than 40 stakes winners, died early Thursday morning at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Ky. The Halo horse was 24 and had been due to stand this season for a $10,000 fee.

"He broke his right hind leg in his stall," Claiborne manager Gus Koch said. Devil's Bag was euthanized because of the injury.

Koch said the farm will bury Devil's Bag, who was bred to 53 mares last year, at its Marchmont cemetery.

Yearly Report, a five-time stakes winner, has been retired after suffering a suspensory injury in the Sunshine Millions Distaff last Saturday at Santa Anita.

Yearly Report finished sixth in the Sunshine Millions Distaff. She was the 4-5 favorite but never threatened the leaders.

Her retirement was announced on Wednesday. Owned and bred by Golden Eagle Farm and trained by Bob Baffert, Yearly Report will be bred to Gone West, according to the farm.

finished her career with six victories in 10 starts and earnings of $835,900.

Four juveniles posted quarter-mile works of 21.40 seconds to top the Monday work tab at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Calder under-tack preview.

The four - by Artax, Dance Master, Phone Trick, and Tactical Cat - will all sell at the OBS Calder select 2-year-old sale on Feb. 8.

LAS VEGAS - This is the final installment in a series on the freshman sires of 2005, with particular emphasis on how to bet their offspring. The sires' names are followed by their pedigree and where they stand, and their designation (SP means speed; ST stamina; T turf; HT hidden turf).