"Book full" is an ambiguous statement these days, for it can mean that a stallion has been booked to anywhere from 40 to 200 mares.

For the Darley-owned stallion Essence of Dubai, who stands at Hartley/DeRenzo Thoroughbreds in Ocala, a full book is about 80 mares, according to Dean DeRenzo of Hartley/DeRenzo.

Essence of Dubai has reached that point.

"As the season goes along, and assuming that everything goes right and the horse is not busy, we could breed him to an additional mare or two, but we're not soliciting mares," DeRenzo said.

Tom Reigle thinks there's good reason to be enthusiastic about the addition of Banker's Gold to his Reigle Heir Farms roster in Grantville, Pa., for 2004.

"I feel so fortunate to have gotten this horse," Reigle said. "He's grand looking, the foals from his first two crops are running well, and he's got big crops coming up."

LEXINGTON, Ky. - The 11-day Keeneland November breeding stock auction continued Thursday after posting bullish gains in its first three sessions.

Through Wednesday's third session, the auction had sold a total of 606 lots for gross receipts of $165,541,000, up 23 percent from last year. The three-day average rose 24 percent to $220,137, and median climbed 23 percent to $135,000.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Joe Estes, a revered bloodstock commentator and researcher, observed that the two most important and reliable tests for selecting the best broodmares and stallions were, first of all, their performances on the racecourse and, second, the evidence provided by their offspring on the racetrack.

Using those criteria, Estes would have given exceptional marks to Windsharp, the relatively young mare who sold for $6.1 million at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale on Tuesday. Mill Ridge Sales consigned the mare on behalf of The Thoroughbred Corporation.

RAMONA, Calif. - After all that has transpired in the past 18 months - or 18 days, depending upon the crisis - it should come as no surprise that Betty Mabee failed to take note of a significant anniversary in the history of her Golden Eagle Farm racing operation.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Free House was considered an overachiever as he rose to the top of California racing in the late 1990's. When he went to stud in 2000, the outlook had changed: The horse who hailed from modest bloodlines finished his career with eight stakes wins and earnings of $3.1 million, leading to high expectations for his stud career.

The impact of Free House on the sport will not be known for years, but his owner-breeders - Trudy McCaffery and John Toffan - are optimistic that he can have a lasting influence on breeding and racing.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - They were done selling $7 million mares on Wednesday when Keeneland's November breeding stock sale rolled into its third day, but the prices remained strong overall. By 5:30 p.m. Eastern, the session leader was the $425,000 mare Red n'Gold.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - The name of John Ferguson, the regular buying agent for Sheikh Mohammed al Maktoum, wasn't on the buyers' list very often on Monday at the Keeneland November breeding stock's opening session. But he made up for it on Tuesday, spending $6.1 million to acquire the day's top lot - Johar's dam, Windsharp, from the late Prince Ahmed Salman's The Thoroughbred Corp.

Ferguson's assignment was simple: get that mare.

LAS VEGAS - As soon as the Breeders' Cup Juvenile was over, the debate over this year's muddled 2-year-old championship and next year's Kentucky Derby began.

Lexington farms Hill 'n' Dale and Vinery have added new stallions to their rosters, their owners said Tuesday.

John Sikura, owner of Hill 'n' Dale, confirmed that the farm has privately purchased freshman sire Doneraile Court from Doug Arnold's Buck Pond Farm in Versailles, Ky., and will stand the horse for $15,000 in 2004.

Doneraile Court, a son of Seattle Slew and the sire of Grade 2 winner Ruler's Court, is North America's third-leading freshman sire.