Betting on Thoroughbred races through the account-wagering companies that have hubs in Oregon declined for the first time on a quarter-to-quarter basis in the second quarter of 2007, according to figures supplied by the Oregon Racing Commission and one of the account-wagering companies.

The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company opened its August yearling sale with a select session on Monday that saw pinhookers in action on some of the top lots.

But it was a trainer - Ken McPeek, acting as agent - who purchased the select session's top-priced yearling, a $210,000 Cape Canaveral colt out of the Chief's Crown mare Caveat Apt. Cataloged as Hip No. 14, the colt is a half-brother to Grade 3 winner Crowned Dancer and went through the ring as part of agent Janie Roper's consignment.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – In the wake of a plethora of gate mishaps at this meet, the New York Racing Association announced Monday that it has promoted Roy Williamson to head starter, replacing Richard Brosseau, who had been the starter since 2004.

Williamson has been an assistant starter since 1985.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Last year at this time, a horseplayer had a reasonable chance of sitting down at a home computer and playing nearly every racetrack in the country using only one in-home wagering account.

Ms Mercier, a yearling filly by My Friend Max, brought a bid of $17,000 to top the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders' Sales Co. summer mixed auction in Lafayette, La., on Aug. 5. Terry Gabriel purchased Ms Mercier from consignor Gill Frederick. The filly is a half-sister to Rodrigues, who is a stakes-placed winner of nine races and $111,050.

There are 70 yearlings cataloged to Saturday's inaugural Oklahoma City Thoroughbred yearling sale, said Terri Carter, the sale's manager. The auction will be held at a new, state-of-the-art sales pavilion at the state fairgrounds in Oklahoma City, about 10 minutes from Remington Park.

Among stallions represented by offspring in the sale are Brahms, Harlan's Holiday, Hold That Tiger, Kipling, Lucky Lionel, Medaglia d'Oro, Northern Afleet, and Yonaguska.

The sale will begin at 11 a.m. Central.

The connections of recently retired 2003 Kentucky Derby hero Funny Cide were among the prominent buyers Tuesday at Fasig-Tipton's Saratoga open yearling auction in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Barclay Tagg, who trained Funny Cide and now has the Distorted Humor gelding as a stable pony, picked up the sale's session-topper. That was Hip No. 746, a $50,000 Lion Hearted colt out of the unraced Clever Trick mare Flying Nightengale. Tagg signed the ticket on behalf of David Mahan. The colt is currently named I Got Things to Do and is a half-brother to Finger Lakes stakes-winner Fly To Me.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Fasig-Tipton’s two-day New York-bred preferred yearling auction ended Saturday night in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., with a total of 113 horses sold for $5,831,500, a 10 percent increase over last year’s gross for 101 yearlings. Median price also gained 9 percent to reach $38,000. But average price dropped by 2 percent to $51,606. Buybacks rose from 30 percent last year to 41 percent. The sale-topper, sold Saturday night, was Hip No. 445, a $265,000 filly by the first-crop sire Medaglia d’Oro out of the winning Rahy mare Adorahy.

Magna Entertainment Corp. will not rule out selling its racetracks as part of a plan to improve the company's financial performance and reduce a $500 million debt load, a consultant and former chief executive of the company said Friday.

Magna Entertainment Corp. lost $23.7 million in the second quarter of 2007 and has decided to drop its plans to build new racetracks in Northern California and Michigan, the company announced late on Thursday.

The second-quarter results brought Magna's losses over the past three years to approximately $325 million. Magna's accounting firm has said for the last three quarters that the company's ability to operate remains in doubt without significant improvements to its results.