The news was fairly bright for select sellers at the first two sessions of the five-day Deauville yearling sale in Deauville, France. The two select days, Saturday and Sunday, sold 79 yearlings for $13,957,772, for an average price of $176,681. Gross fell 13 percent, while average rose 4 percent. But the select sessions' buyback figure was 24 percent, suggesting sellers were largely content with prices.

Sunday Break, the Japanese-bred winner of the Peter Pan Stakes last year, has been retired to stud at Graham Beck's Gainesway Farm in Lexington, Ky.

In a deal brokered by California agent Bruno de Berdt, owner Koji Maeda has privately sold Sunday Break, a 4-year-old Forty Niner colt, to Gainesway and Dennis Narlinger, who will stand him at the farm in 2004. Gainesway has not yet announced a stud fee.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Too Chic, Grade 1 winner and a foundation mare for Emory Alexander Hamilton's successful breeding program, was euthanized Thursday at Middlebrook Farm because of the infirmities of old age. A Blushing Groom mare, she was 24 years old.

DEL MAR, Calif. - The California Thoroughbred Breeders Association plans no major changes for the 2004 yearling sale after disappointing results at this year's event earlier this month, a top official said this week.

After setting records for average price in 2001 and 2002, the 2003 sale on Aug. 10-11 averaged $34,506, a drop of 21 percent from the 2002 mark of $43,770.

This year's sale was expected to be strong, but support failed to materialize, leaving consignors and organizers disappointed.

August afternoons in north central Florida are not for the heat sensitive. Nevertheless, the Ocala Breeders' Sales barns had heavy traffic on the day before its annual yearling auction, which began Monday with the selected session and ended Thursday. "I can tell you this," said Steve Silver, director of operations for Sez Who Thoroughbreds, which had a consignment of 17 to the selected session, "I've had more lookers at our horses since I can remember. Usually, it tails off by late in the afternoon, but they just keep on coming."

Reel Buddy has made several Ontario horsepeople really happy since the 5-year-old horse won the Group 1 Sussex Stakes at Goodwood. He's now expected to be a major factor in Saturday's Celebration Mile at the same track.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Dream Run, a graded-stakes-winning sprinter, has been retired and will stand the 2004 breeding season at Lakland North in Hudson, N.Y.

Becky Thomas, who owns the farm with Lewis Lakin, said Dream Run will stand as the property of Lakland North and John D. Murphy, the horse's owner during his racing career. The stud fee will be $5,000. Dream Run recently arrived at Lakland North from trainer Mike Gorham's barn in Delaware Park.

Buying a mare for $1,000 and keeping her through three fruitless breeding seasons isn't the recommended way to breed a graded stakes winner.

But don't bother telling that to Jim Courtney.

Courtney, who keeps only one broodmare at his 13-acre Lane's End Farm in Monkton, Md., took exactly that route as the breeder of Finally Here, winner of the Grade 3 Duchess Stakes on Aug. 9 at Woodbine.

The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company continued its strong run at its August yearling sale Thursday, with an early session leader bringing $52,000. That lot, a Slew Gin Fizz filly consigned by Kelli Mitchell, agent, went to Welcome Gate Farm.

The filly is out of the Proper Reality mare Inthemiddleofitall and was the afternoon's top price as of 5 p.m.

Graham Beck's Gainesway Farm has pensioned 24-year-old former champion Bates Motel because of the horse's age.

Bates Motel, 1983 champion older male, stood his final season this year for an advertised fee of $3,000. A Sir Ivor stallion out of the T.V. Lark mare Sunday Purchase, he currently has eight foals on the ground. He was bred to 18 mares this year and 11 are in foal, according to the farm.