The first Maryland-bred 2-year-old stakes winner of 2004 succeeded far from the fields of Chesapeake City, where he was born.

Montgomery's Arch, bred by Richard L. Golden's Sycamore Hall Farm LLC and now racing in England, captured the Group 2 Richmond Stakes on July 30 at Goodwood in only his second start. Trained by Peter Chapple-Hyam for Franconson Partners, Montgomery's Arch, a dark bay son of Arch, was somewhat of an unknown for his stakes debut, having made his first start at Folkestone three weeks earlier.

DEL MAR, Calif. - As workers on Thursday began to construct the stalls in the Del Mar Arena that will be used to house prospects for the Del Mar Yearling Sale on Aug. 16, several horsemen were busy a half-mile away at the racetrack, aggressively claiming horses.

There were 12 claims on Thursday's eight-race program, but there was intent for many more. Nine claims for $20,000 were submitted for Watch My Smoke in the first race, 15 claims at $10,000 for Chat Man in the third race, and 14 for I Love Racing at $10,000 in the fifth race.

Dollar Bill, a Grade 2 winner and millionaire who had been expected to stand in 2005 at Signature Stallions in Florida, died Tuesday after foundering.

A 6-year-old son of Peaks and Valleys, Dollar Bill had been at the Rood and Riddle equine hospital in Lexington, Ky., since October, when he underwent surgery to fuse his right ankle joint. The ankle was arthritic. According to Ben Glass, racing manager for Dollar Bill's owners, Gary and Mary West, the horse began to show signs of foundering in his right front foot on Sunday morning.

Prominent Thoroughbred owner Bob Lewis said Wednesday that he and his wife, Beverly, will sell 18 broodmares at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale this year. The consignment will not include Serena's Song.

"The broodmare band seems to multiply by leaps and bounds," Lewis said from his home in California. "I felt that I'm not in the breeding business, I'm in the racehorse business. But we have found ourselves with a lot of very nice fillies who have proved to be outstanding broodmares. We felt it was time to reduce the herd. "

LAS VEGAS - Last week, I finished writing "Pedigree Handicapping," a book published by DRF Press that is due out this fall, and I used dozens of examples showing how using pedigree handicapping resulted in major betting coups. In fact, there have been several examples over the last three weeks showing the importance of using pedigrees in handicapping.

The English auction house Tattersalls will sponsor a new race for its October yearling sale graduates, a contest worth almost $500,000 under current exchange rates.

The Tattersalls October Auction Stakes, to be run over six furlongs at Newmarket on Sept. 29, 2005, will be open only to juveniles sold as yearlings at the second part of the company's 2004 October yearling sale. The auction runs from Oct. 5-8 and from Oct. 11-16

Smarty Jones's dam, I'll Get Along, will be offered for sale at Fasig-Tipton Kentucky's selected fall mixed auction on Nov. 7, the sale company announced Monday.

I'll Get Along, a 14-year-old stakes winner by Smile, is in foal to Elusive Quality, meaning she is carrying a full sibling to Smarty Jones, winner of this year's Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. She produced an Orientate colt in March and has a yearling colt by Hennessy this year.

"Quite amazing" are words that describe Jeff and Lori Swatsworth's experiences in the Thoroughbred business. That also happens to be the name of the modestly bred mare who started it all - Quite Amazing (by Bear Hunt-Ice Cream Soda, by Creme Dela Creme).

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Nearly 200 yearlings were entered in Fasig-Tipton's New York-bred yearling sale Aug. 15 and 16 in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Buyers eager to do a bit of early shopping for New York-breds can get a head-start at Fasig-Tipton's boutique sale of yearlings on Aug. 10-12.

Here's a glimpse at the New York-breds in Fasig-Tipton's Saratoga boutique summer yearling sale:

Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck, who do business as Summerfield Sales, are on the road again.

The couple was in Ocala, Fla., recently following last month's Fasig-Tipton yearling sales in Lexington, Ky. Next stop on the itinerary is Saratoga for the selected yearling sale and the New York-bred auction of yearlings. Then it's back to Ocala for the hometown yearling auctions of Aug. 23-26, and finally on to Keeneland for the September yearling sales.

"Whew," said Francis Vanlangendonck, "the Fasig-Tipton sales were strong."