February 16, 1998

• Captain Bodgit, winner of the 1997 Florida Derby (gr. I) and Wood Memorial (gr. II), bred his first mare last week when he covered $288,000 Grade 3-placed runner Tell a Secret, dam of $240,000 stakes winner Lismore Lass at Margaux Stud.
• Chile Chatte has been retired and will be bred to Seeking the Gold, according to Gary Mandella, assistant to trainer Richard Mandella. Chile Chatte showed no interest when finishing last of eight in the Southern Truce Stakes on Feb. 11.
• Mighty Forum enteres stud at Rocketts Mill Farm, Doswell, VA, for a $1,500 stud fee as the property of Team Valor.
• Placid Fund has been sold by Team Valor to Cross Creek Farm near Folsom, LA, and will enter stud as the property of Bryan Krantz and a partner.

February 9, 1998

Balisian Beauty (Afleet &endash; Joe's Tammie, by Zoning) has been retired at age three and will be bred to Phone Trick. The filly finished 11th in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) in her last start.

Appealing Skier was retired to an Ocala farm due to injury. In 26 starts, the colt won eight times, was second seven times, and third three times and earned nearly $600,000. Exact plans for the sprinter were as yet unknown.

Harris Farms has purchased a major interest in two stallions that will now stand at the Thoroughbred facility in Central California:

• Huddle Up (Sir Ivor &endash; Huggle Duggle, by Never Bend) was originally owned by the late Gene Klein and trained by D. Wayne Lukas. The multiple stakes-placed 16YO lost a nose decision to Phone Trick in the Debonair Stakes while that horse set a track record at Hollywood Park. Huddle Up's career was cut short by an injury in the Jersey Derby while in a stretch duel with spend a Buck. He has sired 32 winners from 49 runners in six crops, including stakes winner Rexy Sexy. His 1998 fee will be $2,000.
• The other stallion is High Brite (Best Turn &endash; Spray, by Forli*), North America's leading stallion by number of winners and California's leading sire by progeny earnings. John Harris purchased the interest in High Brite from John Zamora, who had stood the stallion at his JZ Stock Farm. High Brite is in the process of being syndicated, and will stand for $5,000. Himself a millionaire multiple graded stakes winner, High Brite has sired 22 stakes winners, including Mexican champion Pensativa, High Stakes Player, Hyroglyphic, and Bright Time.

Affirming, by Affirmed foaled a bay colt by 1995 2YO Champion Maria's Mon on January 24.

Dixiana Farm in Lexington, KY has two new stallions for 1998. Mystery Storm (Storm Bird &endash; Affirmed Classic, by Affirmed) previously stood at Hart Farm in Ocala. The multiple graded stakes winner is being syndicated and will stand for $7,000. Gold Spring (Arg) (Gold Trojan &endash; Spring Light, by More Light) is a sprinter who has won both Group and graded stakes, and finished in the money in 21 of 23 starts. Gold Spring (Arg), a grandson of Gummo, will stand for $2,500.

Bonnie Heath Farm in Ocala, Florida is in negotiation with developers to turn the 40-year-old facility and parts of nearby Tartan Farms and Dudley Farm into a residential golf community. Bonnie and Kim Heath say that it is at least a year away, if the transaction makes it through all the government hoops, and that they will still run a Thoroughbred farm in Marion County nearby at that time. Bonnie Heath has been home to such top Florida-breds as Kentucky Derby winner Needles, who later stood at Jack Dudley's neighboring farm as a stallion.

Easy Miner (Mr. Prospector - Wac, by Lt. Stevens), a half-brother to leading sire Lear Fan, will stand the 1998 season at Hurstland Farm in Midway, KY. Stakes-placed against Flag Down and Diplomatic Jet, Easy Miner won three of 18 starts. He will stand for $3,500.

• Serena's Song (Rahy - Imagining by Northfields) gave birth to a filly by Mr. Prospector. Mother and daughter are doing well. Serena's Song is owned by Bob and Beverly Lewis, current owners of Silver Charm. Serena (as she is called) retired with record setting life-time earnings for fillies and mares, which was just over three million dollars.
• Hesabull (Dispersal &endash; Proud Clarioness, by Tri Jet) has been retired and sent to Live Oak Stud in Ocala, Florida. Second in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I) in his last race, Hesabull earned $826,255 during a career record of five wins, nine seconds, and three thirds in 20 races. Among his victories was the Mervyn LeRoy Handicap (gr. II). Bred in Florida by Lou-Roe Farms, Hesabull raced for the Three Sisters Stable of Ronald J. Judy and was trained by Mike Chambers. Hesabull will stand for $3,000.
• Track Gal has been retired and sent to Kentucky to be bred, but the stallion has not been determined yet. Track Gal earned $610,828 as a homebred for William Oldknow and Robert Phipps. She won 13 of 25 races, including the Rancho Bernardo Handicap (gr. III) twice, and four seconds, including the Las Flores Handicap (gr. III).

Gainesway Farm has two new stallions.

• C.N. Ray's Fastness (Rousillon - City Fortress, by Troy) compiled a record of 24 starts, nine wins, six seconds, and one third while earning $1,580,110. A stakes winner in France before coming to America, Fastness twice won the Eddie Read Handicap (gr. IT) and was second in the Breeder's Cup Mile (gr. IT) in 11 graded stakes placings. His stud fee will be $7,500.
• Joining Fastness is Cobra King (Farma Way - Straight Story, by Fabled Monarch), a top contender for the 1996 Kentucky Derby (gr. I) until he was injured. Cobra King won five races and finished second once in eight starts, and earned $256,825.

Prominent mares in foal (sire of foal in parentheses) -- due dates are approximate:

• Bound (Seeking the Gold) due 4/27
• Cadillacing (Storm Cat) due 3/19
• Dance Smartly (Mr. Prospector)
• Educated Risk (Danzig) due 4/24
• Flanders (Capote)
• Inside Information (Seeking the Gold) due 2/6
• Never Knock (St. Jovite)
• Oh What A Dance (Seeking the Gold) due 2/3
• Personal Ensign (Mr. Prospector) due 4/12
• Pure Profit (Storm Cat) due 1/22
• Relaxing (Unbridled) due 5/15
• Serena's Song (Mr. Prospector)
• Sky Beauty (Storm Cat)
• Soviet Problem (Arazi)
• Wild Applause (Unbridled) due 3/2
• Winning Colors (Broad Brush)

• Leo Castelli will stand the 1998 breeding season at Lane's End's Texas farm, Huisache. He is a sire of 17 stakes winners in the United States, and several classic winners in Russia, where he stood for two seasons. . . .
• Lane's End homebred Dove Hunt (Danzig-Hunt's Lark) has been moved to Meadowbrook of Ocala Jockey Club in Ocala, Florida. . . .
• Wafare Farm in Lexington has added three new stallions, bringing its roster to 11 for 1998. The new stallions are Barkerville (Mr. Prospector - Euryanthe), standing for $6000; Gone for Real (Gone West - Intently), standing for $2500 and Prospector's Gamble (Crafty Prospector - Fannie G), standing for $4000. Barkerville will arrive late in December. . . .
• Radu Cool is being sent to A.P. Indy, but will race one more time first.