PARIS, Ky. - La Gueriere, dam of Grade 2 winner Lasting Approval, brought $610,000 as the probable sale topper at Wimborne Farm's dispersal in Paris, Ky., on Saturday.

David Plummer opened the bidding at $100,000, then beat back aggressive bidding by British bloodstock agent Joss Collins to acquire La Gueriere, a 14-year-old Lord at War mare.

La Gueriere is a half-sister to three stakes winners, including Grade 1 winner and millionaire Al Mamoon and graded-stakes-placed Lost Soldier. She also is a full sister to Hong Kong stakes winner Lord of Warriors.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - The boutique yearling auction season begins Monday with the two-day Keeneland July select sale, featuring the return of Lane's End Farm, rare commodities in pedigree, and some intriguing first-crop sires.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Former leading American juvenile sire End Sweep, who injured his withers in a fall earlier this year, has died in Japan. Veterinarians in Japan euthanized the 11-year-old Forty Niner horse on July 11, according to a report in the Australian publication Racing and Sports.

End Sweep had shuttled from Australia's Arrowfield Stud to Shadai Stud in Japan for the 2002 breeding season. Arrowfield purchased the stallion from Harry Mangurian's Mockingbird Farm in 1999, a year after he set a North American record of 33 winners from his first crop to race.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - This year's select yearling sales offer a rare treat for racing fans and spectators, as well as for buyers. The reason is that the first yearlings from three Kentucky Derby winners - Silver Charm, Real Quiet, and Charismatic - will be selling this summer.

According to The Blood-Horse, three Kentucky Derby winners haven't had their first-crop sales yearlings in the same year since 1939.

Not only did each horse win the Derby, but each of them also won the Preakness before missing the Triple Crown in the Belmont. Each was named champion 3-year-old colt.

William Scott owns only two broodmares and his racing stable rarely grows past a half-dozen, but one of his homebred runners may go in the $500,000 Prince of Wales Stakes, the second jewel of Canada's Triple Crown, at Fort Erie on July 21.

Le Cinquieme Essai, a lightly raced son of Fastness from the Regal Classic mare Words of Royalty, earned a trip to the Prince of Wales when he impressively won a race on the Woodbine turf on July 7, his second win in two starts this year.

"I've never ever had a horse in that type of race," said Scott, referring to the Wales.

Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck's Summerfield Sales represents a consignor's part of the annual buy-sell yearling sales equation. Nick and Jacqui de Meric's Manuden Farm represents an agent or pin-hooker's part. Both will be doing business next week at the Keeneland yearling sales, and quite possibly with one another.

By the way they have been running lately, it would be hard to guess the ages of two Maryland-bred vintage runners.

Wise Dusty, an 11-year-old chestnut gelding owned by Adrian Merton, may be the oldest horse in training in the country competing in stakes races on the flat. In his second start of 2002, Wise Dusty finished second in a field of 10 to Sheryar Special, a horse nearly a third his age, in the $100,000 Charles Town Dash Handicap on July 4.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Three new stallions and the addition of 26 acres will give Hideaway Farms in Hemet, Calif., a different look for the 2003 breeding season.

Earlier this week, Hideaway Farms announced that Olympio, Strike Gold, and Tricky Creek will stand at the 120-acre farm next year. Farm owners Gary and Marlene Howard recently purchased a parcel of land near the training center and breeding farm that will allow further expansion.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Recent winner Foreverness brought $120,000 on Tuesday to top Fasig-Tipton Midlantic's sale of 2-year-olds and horses of racing age in Timonium, Md.

John J. Brunetti bought Foreverness, a 3-year-old Island Whirl colt out of the Affirmed mare Dearness. Eisaman Equine consigned New York-bred Foreverness on behalf of owner and breeder Harbor View Farm.

Foreverness has made three starts to date for trainer Carlos Martin, winning in his most recent race, a June 30 maiden special weight at Belmont Park. The colt has a record of 3-1-0-0 and earnings of $27,660.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Eugene and Laura Melnyk's millionaire Graeme Hall has been sidelined with a hairline knee fracture and is likely to retire from racing.

Eugene Melnyk confirmed that Graeme Hall, a 5-year-old Dehere horse, is taking time off at the Melnyks' Winding Oaks Farm, formerly Mockingbird Farm, in Ocala, Fla. Melnyk said he had no plans to send the horse for surgery.