LEXINGTON, Ky. - A $300,000 filly by first-crop sire Friends Lake was a highlight Thursday afternoon at the final session of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's spring 2-year-old auction in Ocala, Fla.

Trainer Linda Rice, acting as agent, purchased the daughter of Trix City. The Eisaman Equine agency sold the chestnut filly as Hip No. 1211. Her dam was a winner by Carson City and has produced one starter, Mr. Charmer (by Silver Charm), who has yet to win but has finished second. Hip No. 1211 breezed a quarter-mile in 21.20 seconds at the under-tack preview.

Penn National Gaming Inc., the owner of three racetracks and more than a dozen casino facilities, had net income of $40.7 million in the first quarter of 2008, down 5.1 percent compared with net income of $42.9 million in the first quarter of 2007, according to financial statements released Thursday.

Golden Gate Fields would host nearly all the Thoroughbred racing conducted in Northern California in 2009-10 following the planned closing of Bay Meadows later this year and the expected renovation of the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton, the California Horse Racing Board heard Thursday.

Executives from Northern California racetracks and fair associations emphasized that the dates are "a work in progress." The racing board will issue dates for 2009 in coming months.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Topped by a $400,000 Storm Cat colt, the penultimate session of the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s spring 2-year-old auction saw gains in all categories Wednesday in Ocala, Fla.

John Fort of the Peachtree Stable public partnership group bought the session topper, who also leads the sale with one day remaining. The Storm Cat colt is a bay son of Grade 1 winner Nany’s Sweep and is a half-brother to graded winner She’s Indy Money. Offered as Hip No. 761, he was the only juvenile by Storm Cat in the four-day auction’s catalog.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Better Than Honour, the dam of back-to-back Belmont Stakes winners Jazil and Rags to Riches, is Kentucky's broodmare of the year.

The Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders made the announcement Wednesday, confirming what many had considered a foregone conclusion since last June, when Rags to Riches became the first filly in 102 years to win the Belmont.

With Rags to Riches's victory, Better Than Honour became the first broodmare to produce two consecutive winners of the Belmont Stakes.

The Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders named Curlin the Kentucky-bred Horse of the Year Wednesday as it honored Bluegrass-bred champions at Keeneland.

Curlin, North America's 2007 Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old, also picked up the Kentucky-bred 3-year-old championship for 2007 at the awards luncheon. Highlighting Curlin's 2007 racing season were his victories in the Preakness, Breeders' Cup Classic, and Jockey Club Gold Cup. He was bred by Fares Farm.

Churchill Downs Inc. and its simulcast-marketing company remain locked in stalemates with Florida horsemen and a company that is negotiating contracts on behalf of horsemen for the rights to provide signals to account-wagering companies, officials on both sides of the dispute said on Tuesday.

The ongoing dispute has already resulted in the blackout of the signal from Churchill's Calder Race Course at nearly all interstate betting locations and account-wagering operations. Calder opened on Monday, and its next scheduled live racing day is Friday.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Sheikh Mohammed al-Maktoum's Darley organization, which shocked Australia's Thoroughbred industry last month by purchasing Bob Ingham's entire Woodlands Stud for almost a half-billion dollars, came back on Tuesday to pick up the top two horses at the Inglis Easter select yearling sale.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - The Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s spring 2-year-old sale endured slides across the board in its opening session Monday in Ocala, Fla.

The session-topper was a $250,000 Macho Uno colt signed for by Klaravich Stable agent Terri Pompay. The gray or roan colt is a son of Enterprizing Cat, a Storm Cat mare who is a daughter of Grade 1 winner Family Enterprize. Woodside Ranch, agent, consigned the colt, who worked an eighth-mile in 10.20 seconds at the auction’s under-tack preview.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Australia's select yearling auction season, which got under way last month with a record-producing run at Magic Millions, continued in a similarly strong fashion at William Inglis & Son's Easter yearling sale Sunday and Monday.

The Easter yearling sale, held this year in a two-part format and on later dates than in previous years, will hold select sessions through Thursday in Sydney.