Noel Hickey, the previously ubiquitous horseman, has not been to the racetrack this year, but he has not packed it in.

"I've never been so bloody busy," he said, speaking at his Irish Acres Farm in Ocala, Fla.

"I have a lot of young horses," Hickey said, watching a group of unraced 2- and 3-year-olds go through their training routine. "And I want to give them full attention. I am racing some of them at Calder Race Course, off the farm, and others will go to the main Irish Acres group, which is stabled in Illinois."

LEXINGTON, Ky. - As of 5:30 p.m. Thursday, a $1.1 million Hennessy colt was the session-leader at day four of the Keeneland September yearling sale. The colt - a son of the unraced Alydar mare Altair - sparked a three-way bidding battle among J. B. McKathan, Eugene Melnyk's representative Robert McMartin, and Demi O'Byrne, who was bidding by phone.

O'Byrne, who usually buys for Michael Tabor, won out. That was fitting considering that Tabor is a Coolmore Stud client and the expensive colt's sire stands at Coolmore.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - As of 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, a $450,000 Thunder Gulch filly was the session-leader on the third day of the .

Robert Scanlon, agent, purchased the Thunder Gulch filly from BryLynn Farm (Taylor Made, agent) at the auction's first open session, which followed two select sessions that saw marked declines from last year.

The chestnut filly sold as Hip No. 770 and is a daughter of stakes producer Andriana B. (Far North). She is a half-sister to Grade 2 winner Crafty C. T. and Grade 3-placed stakes winner Carmen's Baby.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Led by Michael Tabor's bloodstock adviser Demi O'Byrne, the Thoroughbred world's big spenders took their hands out of their pockets and bid high Tuesday at the second session.

As of 6 p.m. Eastern, O'Byrne had done his bit to support the select yearling economy with purchases including the $2.5 million session leader, an Storm Cat-Clear Mandate colt consigned by Lane's End; a $1.5 million Danzig-Catchascatchcan colt from Castleton Lyons (Paramount Sales, agent); and a $330,000 Kingmambo-Victorica colt from Lantern Hill, agent.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - opened with steep declines on Monday but still produced six lots at prices of $1 million or more.

The day's top lot was a $2.4 million Danzig colt out of the Grade 2-winning Alydar mare Aquilegia; D. Wayne Lukas signed the ticket. Helen Alexander's Middlebrook Farm, agent, consigned the colt. He is a full brother to Group 3 winner Bertolini and a half-brother to stakes-winner Amelia.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Many consignors predicted doom and gloom for Monday's opener at the 12-day Keeneland September yearling sale, but there was ample money on hand for the right horse.

As of 5:30 p.m. Eastern time, the session-leading price was the healthy $2.4 million that trainer D. Wayne Lukas paid for Middlebrook Farm's Danzig colt out of Aquilegia. And though no horse by that time had come close to the sale-record $6.8 million that Michael Tabor paid for Tasmanian Tiger two years ago, there were five other millionaires and a host of lots sold in the high six figures.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - A $110,000 colt from the first crop of graded turf stakes winner Crown Attorney highlighted the open sessions of the Fasig-Tipton Sale of Canadian-bred yearlings, held Friday and Saturday at the Woodbine Sales Pavilion.

Molinaro Stable, with Richard Hogan as agent, purchased the sale topper, who is a half-brother to stakes winner Forever Grand and stakes-placed Bound to Astound. Janet Motz was the consignor.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Grade 1 winner Yonaguska has retired from racing and will stand at stud in 2003 at Dr. Tom Simon's Vinery in Lexington, Ky. His fee has not been set yet.

Vinery completed a deal last Tuesday to purchase Yonaguska, a 4-year-old Cherokee Run colt, privately from Michael Tabor and Sue Magnier. Tabor and Magnier purchased the colt for $1.95 million at the Fasig-Tipton Calder sale and raced him in partnership.

Vinery has not yet decided whether to syndicate the horse, said Bates Newton of Vinery

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Keeneland's epic September yearling sale gets underway on Monday with a changed format, about 4,300 horses, and a great deal of nervous anticipation by consignors.

The Keeneland September sale's gargantuan catalog always offers an interesting array of stallions. This year's catalog of 4,367 lots is no different. The 2002 September sire ranks include first-time sires as well as established sires, including some who are no longer living.