Kingmambo, who stands at Lane's End in Kentucky for a $300,000 fee, will miss about three weeks of the breeding season because of arthritis in his neck and possible infection of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis.

Lane's End recently removed Kingmambo, a 15-year-old Mr. Prospector horse, from its lineup after he injured a leg while dismounting a mare, but in a release issued Wednesday the farm said the stallions "is now fully recovered from that incident."

According to the farm, radiographs and a bone scan have shown signs of arthritis at the base of Kingmambo's neck.

Fourstars Allstar, winner of the 1991 Irish 2000 Guineas and a full brother to New York-bred fan favorite Fourstardave, has died in England.

Irish-based Coolmore Stud sold Fourstars Allstar, a 17-year-old son of Compliance, privately to Astley Grange Stud in Leicestershire, England, in January. The Racing Post reported Wednesday that soon after Fourstars Allstar relocated from Ireland's Co. Waterford to England, he broke his neck while undergoing treatment in Newmarket for a urinary tract problem.

A California-bred Devon Lane filly sped an eighth-mile in 9.80 seconds at the Barretts March select juvenile sale's first under-tack show Monday in Pomona, Calif., to post the day's fastest work.

The filly, cataloged as Hip No. 177, is a daughter of the Cozzene mare Cozzy Flyer. She is part of the B.C.3. Thoroughbreds consignment.

Three other juveniles worked an eighth in 9.90 seconds.

The final under-tack show is set for March 13 at the Fairplex track in Pomona. The auction takes place March 15 at Fairplex.

LAS VEGAS - The Kentucky Derby is unique among American races because it is the first time 3-year-olds are asked to travel 1 1/4 miles. That is why the most telling prep races for the Kentucky Derby have always been at 1 1/8 miles - the Florida Derby, Wood Memorial, Santa Anita Derby, Blue Grass Stakes, and Arkansas Derby.

It would be no surprise if the record $5.2 million colt by Tale of the Cat makes it to the races at Saratoga later in the year.

MIAMI - For the second year in a row, the Fasig-Tipton sale of select 2-year-olds in training blew the lid off the world-record bid for an unraced juvenile. Last year, Fusaichi Samurai brought a record price of $4.5 million from Fusao Sekiguchi, who had campaigned the colt's sire, Fusaichi Pegasus. On Tuesday, an unnamed colt by Tale of the Cat brought about 15 percent more to establish a new record price of $5.2 million.

There were no surprises when the 2004 Maryland-bred champions were announced last Monday. The list included an Eclipse Award winner, the state's leading earner, the state's stakes leader by wins, undefeated 2-year-olds, and graded stakes winners.

Declan's Moon and Hear Us Roar ended their 2-year-old campaigns undefeated and were unanimous selections for Maryland championship honors. Winning an Eclipse Award gave Declan's Moon the edge over Maryland's leading earner, Our New Recruit, for state horse of the year honors as well.

A crowd of 25,000 or more will gather this afternoon to watch the seven scheduled races at the Little Everglades Ranch, located in the neighborhood of Dade City, less than an hour northeast of Tampa, Fla. Four of the races will be over the national fences (hurdles) and the other three on the flat. The Little Everglades Stakes, contested under National Steeplechase Association rules, is the afternoon's featured event. The race is for 4-year-olds and older at 2 1/8 miles and carries a purse of $35,000.

With first-crop sire Freud leading the way, New York-breds continued their strong winter auction performance at the Fasig-Tipton selected 2-year-olds in training sale at Calder on Tuesday.

The 12 New York-breds sold grossed $1,850,000, for an average of $154,167. At the corresponding sale in 2004, eight statebreds grossed $976,000 for an average of $122,000.

Freud, who stands at Lakland North in Hudson for a fee of $5,000, accounted for $730,000 of the New York-bred's total with five of his offspring sold.

Sellers at the March 15 Barretts select juvenile auction in Pomona, Calif., have reason to hope that history does repeat itself. Last year, after Fasig-Tipton's Calder sale produced a world-record $4.5 million juvenile price for Fusaichi Samurai, the Barretts sale followed up with a world-record price of $2 million for a juvenile filly for the Awesome Again filly Dubai Escapade.

The catalog for the Barretts March select sale, in Pomona, Calif., includes 30 California-bred juveniles, a healthy number considering that California-based operations rarely point 2-year-olds specifically for this auction.

"Our breeders here aim for the yearling sales," said Jerry McMahon, president of Barretts, "and their 2-year-old market is more heavily aimed at our May sale."