LAS VEGAS - With the Breeders' Cup fast approaching, it is not too early to take a look at the pedigrees of the European juveniles that could make their way to Santa Anita, particularly those by Storm Cat.

Thus far, the juvenile stakes winners in the United States appear to be sprinter-miler types, leaving this year's BC Juvenile wide open unless a late-developing juvenile appears in the near future.

Nice one for Miesque's Son

LEXINGTON, Ky. - With the arrival of peak mosquito season, veterinarians are keeping an eye on Kentucky's horse population for signs of West Nile virus. The mosquito-borne disease, which has infected 1,442 people and killed 21 nationwide this year, also has affected 22 horses and caused the deaths of nine in Kentucky. The number of equine cases may climb in September, traditionally the peak month for cases.

Hoping to prevent an infection boom in the equine population, veterinarians now recommend that horsemen vaccinate their animals more often to maximize protection.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Like a cherry atop the creme brulee, Dessert is a sweet result of the mating of leading sire Storm Cat to the top-class racemare Windsharp. Sweeping to the lead and repelling her challengers, Dessert became yet another Grade 1 winner for The Thoroughbred Corp. with her victory in the Del Mar Oaks last Sunday.

Dessert ran nine furlongs on firm turf in 1:47.04, winning by a neck over the Spinning World filly Solar Echo, bred and raced by Janis Whitham.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Centerofattention may be more than a winner of two minor stakes by the end of the Labor Day weekend.

Already this year, Centerofattention has won the Sun City Handicap at Turf Paradise in May and the Luther Burbank Handicap at Santa Rosa in July. Those wins have owners Dennis and Norine Grenier and trainer Eric Kruljac expecting further improvement when Centerofattention starts in Monday's $125,000 Solana Beach Handicap for California-bred fillies and mares at Del Mar.

Breeders and buyers in southern Ontario are anxiously waiting for this week's Fasig-Tipton sale of Canadian-bred yearlings, which begins Tuesday with a select session and continues with open sessions on Friday and Saturday.

Fasig-Tipton is fresh off a strong Saratoga summer sale, and locals hope the trend will continue at Woodbine's annual auction. The selected portion gets under way at 1 p.m.

On Monday, six yearlings sales stakes, worth $125,000 each, will showcase bloodlines that will be found in the 463-horse catalog.

When bloodstock agent Jeff Minton made the decision to conduct a mixed sale at Saratoga Race Course this fall, he would have been delighted to have attracted 125 horses for the auction.

When the catalog for the one-day sale on Oct. 11 is released this week, it will contain 190 horses, including weanlings, yearlings, mares, and horses of racing age.

"I'm very, very pleased," Minton said. "I really couldn't have expected it to be any better. I didn't imagine the first year would have these many horses. It's a very good first start."

There's more than just buying and selling going on when it's sales time in Ocala. The sales are often a forum and a way of giving and getting industry news. When a familiar face is conspicuous by its absence, questions get asked. One familiar face that had not been seen for some time was that of Celestino "Charlie" DiLibero. Charlie had a stroke a while back and, consequently, had dropped out of sight.

"I'm okay," he said from his wheelchair at last week's yearling sales. "I'm okay."

In the breeding business, says longtime horsewoman Cynthia McGinnes, "If you don't give up, eventually things go right."

To back up her belief, McGinnes need look no further than Perfect Blue, the rapidly improving 3-year-old filly who rallied to defeat six Maryland-bred rivals when winning the Pearl Necklace Stakes on Aug. 16 at Laurel Park.

Hill 'n' Dale Farm in Lexington, Ky., has announced that undefeated champion juvenile Vindica-tion, who retired to stud earlier this summer after attempting to come back from an injured suspensory ligament, will stand his first season for $50,000.

Expect Wings, a half-brother to Grade 3 Maryland Breeders’ Cup Handicap winner Pioneer Boy, topped the Fasig-Tipton Texas summer yearling sale at Lone Star Park on Monday with a bid of $125,000.

Mark Casse, agent, signed the ticket on the colt, who was consigned by Stoneview Farm, agent for Ruth Brightbill and Ann M. Jones.

Overall, 219 yearlings were sold for $2,694,000 during the one-day sale for an average of $12,301. Last year, 261 yearlings sold over two days for an average of $10,354. As for buybacks, 71 horses were not sold this year, compared to 120 in 2002.