Quantum Merit's victory in last Saturday's Grade 2 Firecracker Breeders' Cup at Churchill Downs carried on the legacy left behind by his breeder, Jerry Nielsen, who died earlier this year.

Nielsen, the president of the New York Thoroughbred Breeders at the time of his death, and his wife, Joanne, bred Quantum Merit, a New York-bred son of Hansel. Since her husband's sudden death in the spring, Nielsen and the couple's son, Jerry Jr., have continued on with the family's breeding operation, which is based at Sunnyfield Farm in Bedford, N.Y.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Joey Franco, the 2003 California-bred horse of the year, has been retired and will be sent to stud for the 2005 breeding season.

Unraced this year, Joey Franco was unable to return from an injury that curtailed his 2003 season, owner-breeder Jerry Frankel said.

No stud plans have been announced, though negotiations continue.

"We were very close," said trainer Darrell Vienna of getting Joey Franco to return to the races. "The decision was made not to take a chance."

How can anyone be thrilled about taking on the duties of Maryland Horse Breeders Association president at a time like this? Bill Boniface has asked himself that question more than once since June 30, when he was elected to serve as the 31st president of the Maryland Horse Breeders Association, the nation's oldest state breeders organization at 75.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently released a national five-year farm study. Included in the data is a survey of some two million acres employed in Florida agriculture from 1997 through 2002.

George Farr bought his first racehorse in 1988 with his father, Bill, but after just four races, that purchase, a filly, was retired.

"I wanted to make her into a broodmare, and my father said to me, 'You're on your own,' " said Farr. "Actually, I got three foals out of her from a season I bought to Briartic for just $3,000."

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Satish Sanan, who recently launched an initiative to develop a code of ethics for the Thoroughbred bloodstock market, will boycott the select yearling market this year as what he called "a symbolic protest."

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Pohave accomplished quite a lot in the 1:21 that it took him to win the seven-furlong Grade 1 Triple Bend Handicap at Hollywood Park last Saturday. He became the third stakes winner at the highest level for his sire, 1994 Horse of the Year Holy Bull. Pohave also became the first Grade 1 winner bred by Henry and Tim Pabst, and the gray gelding has come two-thirds of the way to matching his $750,000 cost as a yearling.

Falbrav, a multiple Group 1 winner who stood this year's breeding season at Teruya Yoshida's Shadai Farm in Japan, has been leased to stand the 2005 season at Cheveley Park Stud in England.

A 6-year-old son of Fairy King, Falbrav won five Group 1 races in 2003 and finished third, beaten by just a head, in the Breeders' Cup Turf.

Falbrav will stand at Cheveley Park's Newmarket base for a fee of 17,500 pounds ($32,200).

LAS VEGAS - Colonial Downs will be the site of the $500,000 Virginia Derby for 3-year-olds at 10 furlongs on the turf Saturday, and Artie Schiller and Kitten's Joy, who should vie for favoritism along with Prince Arch, are both sons of the very popular El Prado. Timo, another son of El Prado, won the Kent Stakes at Delaware Park (nine furlongs on the grass) on June 26. They are just a few of the growing number of runners by El Prado who are winning stakes races on dirt or turf.

The Tattersalls July sale featuring racing-aged stock and broodmares started its three-day run Tuesday with a record session. The Newmarket, England, auction house sold the 3-year-old Rainbow Quest mare Echoes for 130,000 guineas, or about $252,525, setting a new sale mark. The opening session also set a new mark for gross receipts and both average and median prices.