ARCADIA, Calif. - A year ago this week, Big Brown was three months removed from his debut win in a maiden race, and was still three months away from making his second start. He was barely on the radar of Kentucky Derby prospects. But in a dizzying spring, he won an allowance race, the Florida Derby, and then the Kentucky Derby, then later added the Preakness Stakes and Haskell Invitational.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - With four consecutive victories, including graded stakes scores in the Bold Ruler and Tom Fool, Lucky Island had risen through the ranks of the sprint division by early summer. But just as he was about to stake his claim to the top of the division, things went wrong.

ARCADIA, Calif. - What at first appears to be a consolation prize may, depending on the weather, turn out to be a grand experiment for Gio Ponti, who heads the field in the Grade 3, $100,000 Sir Beaufort Stakes for 3-year-olds on Friday's opening-day program at Santa Anita.

Gio Ponti was the 3-1 favorite in his last start, the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby, but he had no room down the stretch and wound up seventh in the nine-horse field.

"He had no luck whatsoever in the Hollywood Derby, like in the Breeders' Cup," trainer Christophe Clement said Monday from Florida.

It may be time to raise a toast to Storm Treasure - surely one of the most talented horses currently training who has a 15-race losing streak on his resume.

ARCADIA, Calif. - It rained twice last week at Santa Anita, fairly hard on one of the days, and the rain returned on Monday morning, with more forecast for the middle of this week. Yet with opening day Friday just around the corner, training proceeded uninterrupted.

The synthetic Pro-Ride surface installed over the summer seems to be doing what it is supposed to do, unlike the Cushion Track surface that turned into mush at Santa Anita a year ago.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Hollywood Park ended its 40-day autumn meeting on Sunday with the expected declines in attendance and handle.

According to figures released by the track, all-sources average handle on Hollywood races, including ontrack, satellite, and account-wagering sources, was $8,951,903, a drop of 18.3 percent from last year's meet. All categories showed double-digit declines. Ontrack average handle was $1,056,996, a drop of 21 percent; account wagering fell 22.8 percent, to $1,354,647; and out-of-state simulcasting fell 21 percent.

One of them won the Travers Stakes. Another won the $1 million Sunshine Millions Classic in a dramatic upset. Yet another is by one of the most storied racehorses to campaign in the last 35 years.

Whether it's Ten Most Wanted, McCann's Mojave, Council Member, or one of the other 10 new stallions, California breeders have a wide range of choices among first-year stallions and those that have relocated from other states for the upcoming breeding season.

Here is a glance at those stallions.

First-year stallions

MIAMI - Nominations are out for the eight Sunshine Millions races to be held simultaneously at Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita on Jan. 24. And while the big day is still a month away, some trainers are already looking ahead, including Bobby Dibona, whose Actin Good is one of the 43 horses nominated for the $1 million Sunshine Millions Classic at Gulfstream.

PHOENIX - Surely by the far turn owner Dennis Weir and trainer Kevin Lewis knew they'd be posing for pictures after the $50,000 Cactus Wren Handicap at Turf Paradise Saturday. It was just a matter of whether it would be with even-money favorite White Spar or 8-5 second choice El Mirage.

Merus Miami ($15.60) remained undefeated, rallying from last to capture the $75,000 Gold Rush Stakes at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday.

Merus Miami settled into a nice stalking position early before dropping back to last down the backstretch in the one-mile race for 2-year-olds. When jockey Alex Bisono asked the son of Friends Lake to move up on the second turn, he was forced five wide. But he was clear and had momentum, rolling past favored Cut the Check and Adriatic Moon, who had taken the lead at the eighth pole.