LEXINGTON, Ky. - The Florida Million, a series of stakes run at Calder Saturday restricted to horses bred in Florida, serves a function by returning investment to breeders and owners of statebred horses. But these events, although they are not open to all racers, frequently illuminate runners of uncommon ability. Horse of the Year Holy Bull and Grade 1 winner Three Ring are only two of the Florida-breds who have been successful in some of the state's top restricted events and excelled in open company as well.

Prices at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale finally returned to earth Wednesday, its next-to-last day, but even this late in the 11-day auction the market showed it could still flare for a horse buyers liked.

The auction's 10th session posted a top price of $85,000 for a weanling Horse Chestnut colt out of the Storm Cat mare Dr. Redoubtable. M.P. K. Ltd. was the buyer. F. Gill Aulick's Cedar Point Farm, acting as agent for J. Phillip Mote, consigned the colt.

The Keeneland November breeding stock sale, on a highly profitable run since opening on Nov. 3, was still producing six-figure horses Tuesday.

LAS VEGAS - When it comes to pedigrees, there is nothing more important than the dam, and recent stakes results once again underscore the importance of class in the dam. Whether the dam was a stakes winner or was unraced, the key to racing class runs through her.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Keeneland was still selling six-figure horses on Monday, day 8 of its November breeding stock sale. At 5 p.m. Eastern, the top lot was the $120,000 broodmare Triple Treasure, whom Hopewell Investments bought from Mill Ridge, agent.

The mare is a Gone West daughter of Grade 2 winner Lemhi Go and sold in foal to Officer. She was one of three lots to reach or surpass the $100,000 mark Monday afternoon.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Bloodstock prices at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale remained high Friday as the auction, with six days of selling yet to come, blew past last year's 10-day total.

Although prices were no longer at the multimillion-dollar levels seen at the sale's opening two sessions earlier in the week, buyers were still bidding aggressively for stock on Saturday.

American Chance and Wiseman's Ferry are the first two stallions named to stand at the new Empire Stud in Hudson, N.Y. Empire Stud announced Thursday that American Chance, already one of the state's top 10 sires, and new stallion Wiseman's Ferry would stand in 2004 for $7,500 and $5,000, respectively.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - One of the most important days of the year for New York-breds is New York Showcase Day, which was held this year at Belmont Park on Oct. 18. But an equally significant event on the calendar of New York's breeding and racing program takes place on Sunday.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Keeneland's November breeding stock sale entered its fifth session Friday off a strong bull market that appeared to be carrying over into the middle market, just as sellers and sales company officials had hoped.

At 5:30 p.m. Eastern on Friday, the day's top price was $400,000 for the Gone West broodmare West Is West. Copperhead Stable bought the 5-year-old mare, in foal to Mt. Livermore, from Robert Courtney's Crestfield Farm, agent.

"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.