LEXINGTON, Ky. - The death this week of 1979 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Spectacular Bid brought back a flood of memories for Mrs. Madelyn Jason of Atherton, Calif. Mrs. Jason bred Spectacular Bid, a champion in each of his three seasons and the 1980 Horse of the Year, in partnership with her mother, Mrs. William Gilmore, from a modest California-bred mare.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Spectacular Bid, victorious in two-thirds of the 1979 Triple Crown before stepping on a safety pin and then losing the Belmont Stakes, died Monday afternoon at Dr. Jonathan Davis's Milfer Farm in Unadilla, N.Y. A 27-year-old Bold Bidder stallion, he died apparently of a heart attack.

His death came just two days after the popular New York-bred Funny Cide became the eighth horse since Spectacular Bid to fail in the Belmont after winning the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes. No horse has won the Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Japan's Shadai Stallion Station in Hokkaido has received breeding-related claims from two of the four companies that insured War Emblem, a farm spokesman confirmed. The winner of the 2002 Kentucky Derby has refused to cover his book of mares since retiring to stud at Shadai.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Two stakes wins by Joey Franco at Hollywood Park this spring has owner Jerry Frankel dreaming of capturing bigger prizes this summer.

"I'm hoping we can win the Triple Bend and the Pat O'Brien," he said. "That's not asking too much, is it?"

Not the way Joey Franco has performed lately. On April 26, he won his second career stakes in the $150,000 Tiznow Stakes for California-breds. On May 31, the 4-year-old Joey Franco won his first stakes against open company in the $91,325 Ack Ack Handicap over 7 1/2 furlongs.

Eclipse champion 2-year-old Vindication is back at the track. Not on a racetrack, but at the Padua Stables's training track where he is being prepared for his return to competition. The goal is the Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita this fall.

"So far, everything is working out as we hoped it would," said Nadia Sanan general manager of Padua Stables, which owns Vindication. Nadia Sanan is the daughter of Padua Stables owner and founder Satish Sanan.

Vindication has been sidetracked since last winter with a suspensory problem in his left foreleg.

AUBURN, Wash. - Good timing and good luck are essential ingredients for success in the breeding industry, and Mary Lou Griffin has had generous portions of both since she purchased a 7-year-old mare named Cozzene's Angel for $35,000 at the November 2000 Fasig-Tipton sale in Kentucky.

Some of the more accomplished individuals in all of racing will step up to receive awards at the Maryland Horse Breeders Association's annual ceremony June 20 in the Carriage Room at Laurel Park.

Along with the previously announced 2002 Maryland-bred champions, the MHBA will honor Sondra and Howard Bender, breeders of the year; Shiner, broodmare of the year; and Not for Love, who stands at Northview Stallion Station, stallion of the year.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Scorpion, a Grade 1 winner and first-year stallion, is subfertile, raising questions about his future at Vinery here.

Bates Newton, general manager of Vinery, said Wednesday that Scorpion, a 5-year-old Seattle Slew horse, had been booked this year to more than 100 mares but has gotten only 23 in foal. Scorpion was advertised this year with an $8,500 stud fee.

"There is an infertility policy in place," Newton said, "and a claim has been lodged."

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Almost everyone associated with Funny Cide during his early training knew he could become a useful horse. Most saw a glimpse of toughness. But no one guessed that the plain, immature chestnut gelding would have a chance to become the 12th Triple Crown winner.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - When pinhooker Tony Everard decided to geld the yearling Funny Cide, he was making a fairly easy choice. If he had kept the colt intact, Everard would have gambled on two issues: first, that Funny Cide's one undescended testicle would never cause him any discomfort when he trained, and second, that Funny Cide would become enough of a star to merit a commercially viable stud fee.