LEXINGTON, Ky. - The status of the Metropolitan Mile is very high as a critical test of racing ability, and also it is a benchmark as a proving ground for stallion prospects. The rationale for the Met Mile's prestige is the stud success of previous winners such as Fappiano, Native Dancer, Tom Fool, Buckpasser, In Reality, and Nodouble.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Will Farish and E.J. Hudson Jr. have sold their Grade 2 winner Parade Leader to a South African concern for $1 million, according to a report in Thoroughbred Times.

Parade Leader, a 6-year-old Kingmambo colt who won last year's New Orleans Handicap, will stand at Mike Rattray's Lammerskraal Stud in Ceres, South Africa, for slightly more than $2,000.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - One of the more significant stories apparent at this week's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale of 2-year-olds in training at Timonium racetrack in Maryland was the continuing development of Art and Stephanie Preston's Oxbow Racing stable.

Art Preston, along with his brothers Jack and J.R., previously raced a large stable of Thoroughbreds and developed Prestonwood Farm in Lexington, where they stood the top sire Kris S., along with champion Groovy, Belmont Stakes winner Victory Gallop, and the fast Forty Niner horse Distorted Humor.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - From the Preakness undercard at Pimlico to a training session for a 2-year-old sale at Pomona, the progeny of Lord Carson helped enhance the stallion's reputation last week.

In the hours before Funny Cide won the Preakness Stakes May 17, Lord Carson was represented by two stakes winners on the undercard. Four days earlier, a Lord Carson filly sold for $155,000 at the Barretts May sale of 2-year-olds in training.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Funny Cide's quest for the Triple Crown has generated some new publicity for Thoroughbred ownership, and that has partnership managers and breeders' organizations reaping the benefits.

Triple Crown media coverage frequently has highlighted the fact that Funny Cide is owned by a 10-man partnership from New York that bought their future Derby winner for $75,000.

Spite the Devil's win in the $150,000 Withers at Aqueduct on May 3 was a family affair in every sense of the word.

A 3-year-old New York-bred, Spite the Devil is trained by Hall of Famer Allen Jerkens and owned and bred by Jerkens's wife, Elisabeth. Allen Jerkens also trained Spite the Devil's sire, Grade 1 winner Devil His Due, and the colt's dam, Samantha D.

Spite the Devil, who is not nominated to the Triple Crown, was expected to run in Saturday's $200,000 Peter Pan at Belmont Park.

The 5-year-old Maryland-bred horse Dr. Brendler ran the race of his life to win the Grade 2 Dixie Stakes before the Preakness Day crowd at Pimlico on May 17.

The Dixie, a Pimlico fixture even older than the Preakness itself, has over the years showcased winning performances by the likes of Equipoise, Whirlaway, Assault, Fort Marcy, and Paradise Creek.

Two more well-known Ocala horsemen died recently. The first was Robert Gaudio Jr. A former Cleveland Browns lineman, he died May 10 in south Florida at the age of 77. The next was Robert Candow, founder of Southeast Bloodstock Agency, who died May 15 in Ocala's Munroe Regional Medical Center at the age of 62.

These deaths come on the heels of the recently departed Elmer F. Heubeck Jr., Scott Dudley, and Frank "Buddy" Yates - all prominent Florida breeders and farm owners.

The Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May 2-year-old auction ended Tuesday with a sale record of $9,805,300 in gross receipts for two sessions in Timonium, Md.

In all, 322 lots were sold, surpassing the total of $9,658,600 in 1998, when 319 lots were sold. Last year's total was $9,312,600 for 282 lots sold.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Fasig-Tipton Midlantic's May 2-year-old sale, which posted gains for gross receipts and median price in Monday's opener, continued into its second and final day with strong early results.

A $320,000 Smoke Glacken colt led all selling Tuesday at 5 p.m. Klaravich Stables bought the colt, a bay son of Baydon Belle, from Niall Brennan Stables, agent. Baydon Belle is by Al Nasr. The colt, who sold as Hip No. 402, breezed the fastest three-eighths on May 18, covering the distance in 33.20 seconds.