Can lightning strike twice? That question is on the minds of those involved in the New York's breeding industry as the anniversary of Funny Cide's win in last year's Kentucky Derby approaches.

Funny Cide, who became the first horse bred in the Empire State to win the Kentucky Derby, created a buzz never felt before in New York's breeding and racing program. Next Saturday at Churchill Downs, two New York-breds, Friends Lake and Read the Footnotes, will try to follow in Funny Cide's footsteps when they run in the 130th Kentucky Derby.

Incredible and unbelievable were only two of the exclamations heard during and after the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's spring sale of 2-year-olds in training, held this past Monday through Thursday. A look at the record numbers tells you why. This year's auction had 774 go through the ring, 70 more than a year ago. The gross of $23,183,000 was up from last year's $14,923,000 and considerably higher than the previous record of $18,058,600, established in 2001. The average price per horse jumped from $21,197 last year to $29,952 this year, a 41 percent increase.

Optimism abounds every spring with the new class of freshman sires. Maryland has five stallions - Cat Country, Crowd Pleaser, Lion Hearted, Purple Passion, and Unbridled Jet - whose first foals reach the races this year, and one has already jumped to the head of the class.

Lion Hearted, an 8-year-old who stands at Northview Stallion Station in Chesapeake City, got his first winner on April 8 in Aqueduct's first juvenile race of the year, when first-time starter Chocolate Brown, a filly facing males, made easy work of her first assignment, winning by nearly six lengths.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - One of the interesting facts about this year's Kentucky Derby, as well as one of the significant challenges to handicapping the race, is the likelihood that up to a half-dozen starters in the Derby will have made only two starts this year before the classic.

The number of colts who have had only a pair of starts this year is unusual. But to handicappers and students of the breed, does it tell us something of significance?

It tells us, first of all, that times have changed and keep on changing.

Longtime California owner and breeder Marty Wygod has a lot of good reasons to go racing over the next week, and three of them trace back to a common source: his stallion Benchmark.

"One of my favorite subjects," Wygod said recently.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Bolstered by a sale-record $975,000 Distorted Humor colt, Wednesday's third session of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's April juvenile sale triggered dramatic financial increases.

Early selling remained strong at the sale's fourth and final session Thursday. A $675,000 Double Honor colt was the early leader. Consigned by Farnsworth Farms, agent, the colt is out of Camptown Miss, by Carr de Naskra, and is a half-brother to three winners, most notably the stakes winner College Honor. William Condren bought the colt.

The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's April juvenile sale in Ocala, Fla., set a sale record Wednesday in its third session when a Distorted Humor colt brought a $975,000 final bid from Sheikh Mohammed al Maktoum's agent, John Ferguson.

On April 16, the colt had breezed an eighth-mile in 10 seconds, the fastest time for the distance at the auction's under-tack show. He is out of Grade 2 winner Zuppardo Ardo. Niall Brennan, agent for the John Franks estates, consigned the colt.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's April 2-year-old auction continued the season's positive trend when it opened Monday in Ocala, Fla. The first of four sessions didn't break any records, as select auctions earlier in the season have, but it posted gains across the board.

LAS VEGAS - The real 2-year-old season began this month with the 4 1/2-furlong baby races at Keene-land, and it seems an appropriate time to look at the first crop of 2-year-olds by this year's marquee freshman sire, Fusaichi Pegasus. His 41 sales yearlings last year averaged $336,878, but that was nothing compared to what happened Feb. 24 at the Fasig-Tipton 2-year-olds in training sale.

The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's April 2-year-old sale got underway Monday with a $210,000 Tiger Ridge colt the session leader as of 5 p.m.

Narvick International bought the colt from Hartley/de Renzo Thoroughbreds, agent, who consigned the colt. Sold as Hip No. 138, the colt is out of the Tri Jet mare Jet n' Tune, whose other foals include the winners All the Loot, End Tune, Jet n' Expectation, and Line Tune.

The 1,210-horse auction at the OBS pavilion in Ocala, Fla., was to run through Thursday.