Stud fees at top farms flat or dipping. The general trend in central Kentucky stud fees is following the one seen at 2008’s yearling sales: prices are dropping, or, at least, remaining the same.

The latest large Lexington farm to hold the line or trim fees is Hill ‘n’ Dale, which lowered the prices on almost half its stallions, with most of the remainder keeping the same fees they had in 2008. Stormy Atlantic is one that will stay the same in 2009 at $45,000.

“We had a lot of pressure to raise Stormy Atlantic’s stud fee with the great year he is having but decided to remain at $45,000 for 2009,” said farm owner John Sikura. “Stormy Atlantic has gone from a champion juvenile sire to the sire of 13 stakes winners and 33 stakes horses this year.”

Those who will have lower fees in 2009 are El Corredor at $25,000; Grand Reward at $8,500; Mutakddim at $12,500; Roman Ruler at $20,000; Seeking the Best at $6,500; Shakespeare at $15,000; and Theatrical at $35,000. Seeking the Dia, whose fee was advertised as private in 2008, will stand for $10,000.

Hill ‘n’ Dale has two new horses debuting. Sprint champion and two-time Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner Midnight Lute will carry a $20,000 fee, while Grade 2 winner Harlington, by Unbridled, will stand for $10,000.

Sheikh Hamdan al-Maktoum’s Lexington division, Shadwell Farm, cut all its fees. That put 2006 Horse of the Year Invasor, who will be in his second year at stud, at $28,000, down from $35,000. Also dropping were Daaher, whose 2009 fee is $16,000; Dayjur, $4,000; Dumaani, $2,000; Intidab, $4,000; Jazil, 10,000; Kayrawan, $2,000; Mustanfar, $2,400; and Swain $4,000.

Shadwell’s Aljabr will stand this year at Ascot Stud in Ontario, Canada, for $3,500, down from $5,000.

Spendthrift Farm, also in Lexington, left its sires’ fees the same as last year. B. Wayne Hughes’s farm will also nearly double its roster in 2009 with the introduction of three new sires. They are Grade 2 winner Tiz Wonderful, by Tiznow, who stands for $12,500; multiple graded winner Notional, by In Excess, who stands for $10,000; and Into Mischief, a Grade 1-winning son of Harlan’s Holiday who will retire from racing after the Dec. 26 Malibu Stakes. Into Mischief will stand for $12,500.

Coolmore Stud adds Henrythenavigator to Ashford

Coolmore Stud will add Breeders’ Cup Classic runner-up Henrythenavigator to its Kentucky stallion ranks in 2009. The global breeding conglomerate hasn’t set his fee yet, but the move to debut the Kingmambo colt at Ashford, rather than at Coolmore headquarters in Ireland, signals confidence that his good performance on the Santa Anita synthetic surface as runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Classic will appeal to American breeders.

Henrythenavigator won the English and Irish 2,000 Guineas this year, as well as two other Group 1 races, the Sussex and St. James’s Palace Stakes, in a record that includes five stakes wins and four stakes placings. He retires with $2,750,538 in earnings from 11 starts.

Henrythenavigator is out of former Irish champion juvenile filly Sequoyah, by Sadler’s Wells. He is a full brother to 2006 Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Queen Cleopatra.

Sales calendar changes in 2009

The Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s 2009 juvenile sale calendar features a number of important changes.

Just three months after Frank Stronach’s Adena Springs South said it would become a public training center and stop holding its annual spring juvenile sale, OBS has put that 2-year-old auction back on the calendar for March 16, 2009. An Adena Springs representative in Ocala declined to comment on the reversal, and Adena Springs executive Jack Brothers had not returned a call seeking comment by late afternoon Wednesday.

OBS also has changed the date for its 2009 February select juvenile sale from Feb. 10 to Feb. 17 to give consignors an extra week to prepare. The company also announced a policy of limiting previews to one under-tack show. For the rescheduled February select sale, OBS will host an under-tack show on Feb. 13 at 9 a.m.

The company’s March select 2-year-old sale will take place on March 17-18, with an under-tack show divided into two sessions. Horses cataloged for March 17 will work on March 12, while those selling on the second day will work on March 13; both previews start at 8 a.m.

In another change, the Darley-sponsored OBS Championship Stakes racing day will take place on Feb. 16, five days later than its 2008 date. Entries will be taken on Feb. 9.

* In other 2-year-old sale news, the Barretts auction house in California also will have a one-breeze format for its 2009 March select sale. The auction will take place on March 10, with the preview set for March 5.

“We’ve always had to be sensitive to weather influences on our track,” said Barretts president Jerry McMahon, “and that means we’ll have to be flexible about the day we actually work.”

* The Tattersalls autumn horses in training sale produced a European record price when Philip Newton’s Group 3-placed Sugar Ray, a 4-year-old Danehill colt trained by Michael Stoute brought a bid of 600,000 guineas, about $1,020,600, from agent Anthony Stroud. The price surpassed the previous record of 525,000 guineas set in 2001 and equaled in 2004. The colt, a three-quarter-brother to Group 3-placed Gaspar Van Wittel, is headed to the Dubai Racing Carnival, Stroud said.

* Littleexpectations, who stood at Millennium Farms in Kentucky this year, will relocate to Robert McDowell’s 519 Thoroughbreds in Arcadia, La., in 2009. He will stand for $2,500. Littleexpectations is full brother to Valid Expectations and the sire of King of the Roxy and He’s Boy Wonder.

Nursery Rhyme wins Churchill feature. Nursery Rhyme worked her way out of a trap at the head of the stretch to win by a head in the $48,000 The Lords Kitchen allowance feature Wednesday at Churchill Downs.

Ridden by Jaime Theriot, the 3-year-old filly covered the six furlongs in 1:11.97 for her second victory in 10 starts.

The daughter of Tale of the Cat out of the Sunnys Halo mare Our Suzette raced just behind the leaders near the inside fence early but found herself trapped behind a wall of six horses on the final turn. Theriot and Nursery Rhyme found a clearing on the outside and took the lead with about 50 yards to go.

Nursery Rhyme, the 9-5 favorite in the field of 10 fillies and mares, paid $5.60, $3.80 and $2.60, while Kaiwahs Magic returned $11 and $7. Pump Up finished third and paid $5.40

Owned by Janis R. Whitham, Nursery Rhyme earned $30,024 to increase her career total to $95,187.

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Queen Ofthe Catsle wins at Hollywood Park.

Queen Ofthe Catsle, the 9-10 favorite, overtook 10-1 long shot Kalookan Dancer in the final sixteenth of a mile to win the $75,165 Dance In The Mood Stakes by a half-length Wednesday on opening day of Hollywood Parks Autumn Meet.

Queen Ofthe Catsle, ridden by Victor Espinoza and carrying 124 pounds, covered six furlongs on Hollywood Parks turf course in 1:08.35. She paid $3.80, $2.60 and $2.20 in the inaugural running of the race named for the Japanese-bred winner of the 2007 CashCall Mile.

It was the fourth straight win and sixth in 13 lifetime starts for Queen Ofthe Catsle and was worth $41,725, raising the career earnings of the 4-year-old daughter of Tale of the Cat to $300,509. She has won five of seven starts this year, the last three in stakes races.

Shes awfully good, Espinoza said. The first time I rode her, it was a little bit hard to control her because she wants to go as fast as she can. It took me a couple of races to teach her to relax and use her energy down the lane. Now, she makes my job easy. I know that shes going to respond any time I want to use her. I just took her back, waited for everyone to clear and just let her go.

Kalookan Dancer returned $7.40 and $4.60. Americas Friend, third in the race for fillies and mares, paid $3.20 to show.

The 40-day meeting runs through Dec. 21.

Wednesday National Hockey League Capsules.
TORONTO 6, NEW JERSEY 5 (SO)

NEWARK, New Jersey Martin Brodeur faced a record number of shots prior to the shootout. But it was a sneaky one by Niklas Hagman that got the Toronto Maple Leafs a victory.

Hagman scored the decisive goal in the fourth round of the shootout, leading the Maple Leafs to a 6-5 triumph over the New Jersey Devils.

Matt Stajan tallied twice in regulation while Alex Steen, Jamal Mayers and Alexei Ponikarovsky also scored for the Maple Leafs, who went 3-for-4 on the power play.

David Clarkson, Dainius Zubrus, captain Jamie Langenbrunner and defenseman Colin White netted goals and blue-liner Andy Greene collected three assists for New Jersey, which has lost three in a row (0-1-2).

Brodeur faced a career-high 48 shots prior to the shootout, one more than the Florida Panthers recorded against him on April 10, 1994. The four-time Vezina Trophy winner turned aside 43 in regulation and did not face a shot in overtime as the Devils recorded six - including five during a full two-minute power play - but were unable to get one past Vesa Toskala.

Patrik Elias gave New Jersey the edge in the second round of the shootout, but defenseman Tomas Kaberle slid the puck between the pads of Brodeur in the third round to even things. After Toskala denied Brian Giontas wrist shot, Hagman had the chance to put Toronto ahead.

Halfway down the ice, Hagman moved the puck to his backhand and carried it in before stuffing it past a shocked Brodeur. Toskala made it stand, stopping Langenbrunners wrister to secure the win for the Maple Leafs, who improved to 3-1-1 on the road.

New Jersey, which swept the four-game season series in 2007-08, appeared on its way to winning this one as Clarkson and Zubrus scored within a span of 4 minutes, 32 seconds early in the opening period. But Toronto stormed back with three goals in less than 3 1/2 minutes in the first half of the second session to move ahead.

After getting the Maple Leafs on the board at 4:13, Stajan forged a 2-2 tie 78 seconds later with a power-play goal. Kaberle unleashed a rising shot from above the slot, and Stajan deflected it into the net from the doorstep for his second of the night.

The Devils argued Stajans stick was above the crossbar, but after video review, the goal stood.

Steen put Toronto in front at 7:31, when he tipped John Mitchells pass past Brodeur during a man advantage.

New Jersey regained the lead before the period ended, however, as Langenbrunner beat Toskala with a wrister from the top of the right faceoff circle at 9:14 and White fired a slap shot from the right point past the Finnish goaltender with 6:18 remaining.

Mayers knotted the contest at 9:15 of the third, poking in a loose puck from the doorstep, and Ponikarovsky beat Brodeur with a wrister from the left circle during a power play with 9:35 left, giving the Maple Leafs a 5-4 edge.

But Parise extended his goal-scoring streak to five games and earned New Jersey a point by burying the rebound of defenseman Paul Martins slapper with 8:43 to go for a 5-5 tie.

Toskala turned aside 26 shots for Toronto.

DALLAS 4, MINNESOTA 2

DALLAS Brad Richards scored the decisive goal in the first period and added an assist while Tobias Stephan stopped 19 shots, leading the Dallas Stars to a 4-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild.

Captain Brenden Morrow and Steve Ott also tallied during a three-goal opening session and defenseman Matt Niskanen added a power-play goal in the second for the Stars, who handed the Wild their first regulation loss.

Blue-liner Marc-Andre Bergeron and Andrew Brunette scored for Minnesota, which has lost nine straight in Dallas.

ANAHEIM 5, DETROIT 4 (OT)

ANAHEIM, California Teemu Selanne recorded a hat trick and defenseman Francois Beauchemin tapped in the game-winning goal 1:39 into overtime as the Anaheim Ducks posted their fifth straight win, a 5-4 triumph over the Detroit Red Wings.

Ryan Getzlaf collected a career-high five assists, including one on the game-winning tally. Getzlaf skated by a defender and unleashed a shot on goaltender Chris Osgood, who deflected the puck into the air, and Beauchemin knocked it in.

There was a video review to see if Beauchemins stick was above the crossbar, but the goal was upheld.

Pavel Datysuk and Henrik Zetterberg each scored twice for Detroit, which had its five-game winning streak snapped.

Steve Ott has been hobbling because of a sore groin for much of this season. But the last time the Dallas Stars had him in the lineup, they played one of their best defensive games of the year - a 2-1 win against the New York Rangers.

So when Ott returns tonight after a three-game injury hiatus, the Stars are hoping they will be better defensively.

“We miss his energy out there,” coach Dave Tippett said. “He plays the game hard every shift. He’s a physical player who will compete for space. He’s a gritty player that plays hard in those defensive areas. That’s what we need right now.”

Ott played on the left wing with Brad Richards and Sean Avery in practice Tuesday, and that could mean the two agitators will be on the same line against the Minnesota Wild tonight. Tippett tried that combination with some success in the preseason but has stayed away from it during the regular season.

“I can’t wait to see it,” center Mike Ribeiro said. “Those two together would be interesting.”

Ott said he’s excited about returning. He has been trying to play injured, and he believes he lost some of his edge.

“I think with something like that, you have to sit down for a while and just let it rest,” Ott said. “I feel much better, and I’ve really been able to push it the last couple of days.”

Ott has an obvious love for the game, and his annoying antics often create tension-breakers for his teammates on the ice. With the Stars 3-4-2 on the year and the Wild 6-0-1, Dallas needs a release of pressure.

“I’ve been bugging him to come back,” Ribeiro said. “We’ve been having some ups and downs, so we need a guy like that. He brings energy to the building.”

Lundqvist out 4-6 weeks: Joel Lundqvist suffered a shoulder injury Saturday in the Stars’ 6-5 OT loss to Washington and will be out 4-6 weeks, Tippett said.

The Stars do not have an immediate plan to replace Lundqvist in the lineup, but they hope Jere Lehtinen (groin) can start skating Wednesday and return soon.

The ability to place both Lundqvist and Lehtinen (retroactively) on long-term injury could create the salary cap space necessary to make Sergei Zubov’s return to the lineup Saturday a smooth transition.

Miettinen returns: Former Stars winger Antti Miettinen will play his first game against his old team tonight. Miettinen, who signed as a free agent with the Wild in the summer, has six goals in seven games.

“I liked Antti,” Tippett said. “You’re happy to see guys like that succeed, because he’s a great kid. I hope he doesn’t have a great game against us, but sometimes change is good for everybody.”

Injury-plagued Devils hope to avoid third straight loss.

Toronto (3-3-3) at New Jersey (5-2-1), 7:30 pm EDT
While the New Jersey Devils have as many key injuries as losses, their hot start is slowly evaporating.

The injury-stricken Devils will be without three of their top six forwards once again when they try to snap a two-game losing streak on Wednesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Brian Rolston (high right ankle sprain) and Bobby Holik (fractured right pinkie) were placed on injured reserve on Monday, retroactive to the dates of their respective injuries. Rolston was injured on October 16 in Atlanta; Holik went down two days later in Washington.

Captain Jamie Langenbrunner will also be a scratch due to a lower body bruise suffered in Fridays 6-3 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. He did not practice on Tuesday.

Since their offense has taken such a hit, there will be more pressure will be placed on goaltender Martin Brodeur, who needs nine wins to break Patrick Roys all-time NHL record of 551.

New Jersey, which starts a four-game home stretch, opened the season 5-1-0, but fell to the Flyers twice in a home-and-home series over the weekend.

Toronto is coming off a 3-2 loss against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday.

Matt Stajan and defenseman Mike Van Ryn each netted power-play goals for the Maple Leafs. Goaltender Vesa Toskala played well, turning aside 22 shots. He has allowed nine goals in his last five games after giving up 12 in his first three.

Toskala has never beaten the Devils, going 0-3-0 with a 3.06 goals-against average.

Sabres relish junior moments. How big a step is participating in the World Junior Hockey Championships to a future NHL regular?

Buffalo Sabres left wing Clarke MacArthur calls making Team Canada in 2005-06 the happiest moment of his life.

Center Derek Roy compares the pressure to the Stanley Cup.

Left wing Daniel Paille recalls goose bumps, playing for his home nation in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Center Tim Connolly and right wing Drew Stafford are living proof that USA Hockey, which won gold in 2004, is moving in the right direction. Western New York hockey fans will get the chance to see similar stories forged when the tournament is held at HSBC Arena and Niagara University’s Dwyer Arena from Dec. 26, 2010 through Jan. 5, 2011.

“Winning the gold medal, when the clock was winding down against Canada, it’s something I will have for the rest of my life,” said Stafford, referring to a 4-3 victory in Finland in 2003-04, his first of two appearances in the event. “The second year it was in Grand Forks, N. D., which is where I was playing college at the time, so it made it even more extra special for me.

“Any time you play for your country, and I’ve been fortunate to play in quite a few events, it’s an honor and a real privilege.”

Connolly doesn’t remember being nervous while wearing red, white and blue in Winnipeg in 1999.

“When you’re at that age and you get the chance to compete on a worldwide level, to play for your country against all the other top junior players in the world, it’s a pretty exciting feeling,” he said. “There are a lot of NHL scouts at the tournament and they’re looking to see how you can do against other top players from around the world. There are players who have already been drafted in the tournament and it’s definitely a steppingstone to the NHL.”

In 2004-05, MacArthur played alongside Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby, Anaheim’s Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry and Boston’s Patrice Bergeron in helping Canada win the gold medal in Grand Forks.

“I do , especially when I see guys around the league like Bergeron,” MacArthur said with a grin. “It always makes you think back to those times. Any time I’m at home in the summer my dad has a big shrine there with my jersey and other things. It’s a great memory, that’s for sure.”

At the time, he was excelling as a junior player, tallying 30 goals and 74 points in just 58 games with the Medicine Hat Tigers in Alberta.

“I felt like I was ready at the time,” he said. “I went in and got more of a checking role and penalty killing. I loved it. It was a chance for me to show my speed and I think I did a good job there. Getting to play with guys you knew were going to go to the next level and knowing that I could keep up and play with them really helped my confidence.”

Because the tournament consists of just 31 games, all are important.

“It’s a short tournament and every game is a crucial game, so every game is a Stanley Cup final game,” said Roy, who won 59 of 82 faceoffs in helping Canada take silver in 2002-03. “Every team is at their best, and it’s all the best players in the world at that age level.”

Paille captained Team Canada to a silver in Finland in 2003-04, his second year on the squad.

“Every shift you got goose bumps,” he said. “You could hear the crowd screaming and every shift was so important. You get the chills playing for your country.”

Ten other Sabres played in the World Juniors, including (number of appearances in parentheses): Jochen Hecht (4), Max Afinogenov (2), Andrej Sekera (2), Jaroslav Spacek (2), Toni Lydman (2), Nathan Paetsch (2), Adam Mair (1), Thomas Vanek (1), Teppo Numminen (1), and Henrik Tallinder (1).

“I think it’s probably the biggest honor you can have in hockey, representing your country,” said Paetsch, who won two silver medals. “I don’t think it gets any bigger.”

Senators send G Elliott back to AHL. The Ottawa Senators on Wednesday sent goaltender Brian Elliott back to Binghamton of the American Hockey League.

Martin Gerber, who suffered a pulled leg muscle at practice Friday, will dress and back up Alex Auld for Ottawas next game against Florida on Thursday.

In five games with Binghamton, Elliott is 3-1-1 with a 2.10 goals-against-average and a .924 save percentage. He last played on Friday, when he made 25 saves in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Syracuse Crunch.

Elliott has made one career NHL regular-season appearance, stopping 28 shots in Ottawas 3-1 win over the Atlanta Thrashers on October 10 of last season.

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Hossa, Red Wings try to keep streaks alive.

Detroit (7-1-1) at Anaheim (5-5-0) 10:00 p.m. EDT

The offseason acquisition of Marian Hossa is paying off for the Detroit Red Wings.

Hossa and the Red Wings look to keep a pair of streaks going on Wednesday when they visit the Anaheim Ducks.

The 29-year-old right wing signed a one-year contract with Detroit as a free agent after he was traded from the Atlanta Thrashers to the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 2007-08 season. The move is working out as Hossa has registered at least one point in each of his last seven games and eight of nine contests this season.

Hossa has five goals and six assists during the last seven games and tallied against the Los Angeles Kings on Monday as the Red Wings extended their current winning streak to five games with a 4-3 shootout victory. The goal was his fifth, tying him for second on the team.

The Ducks enter the contest on a win streak of their own. Teemu Selanne snapped a tie with 3:55 remaining in the third period to net Anaheim a 3-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday.

Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf each had a goal and an assist and goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere collected 30 saves for the Ducks, who completed their road trip a perfect 4-0-0.

Maple Leafs most valuable NHL team. For the third straight year, the Toronto Maple Leafs are the NHL’s most valuable team, worth $448 million.

The Leafs increased in value by 9 percent and easily were valued ahead of the New York Rangers in Forbes’ annual rankings. The Rangers are worth $411 million.

Third on the list were the Montreal Canadiens at $334 million, followed by the Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings ($303 million) and the Philadelphia Flyers ($275 million).

But the biggest increase in value was made by the Pittsburgh Penguins, who made the Stanley Cup finals last spring and boast stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Pittsburgh is worth $195 million, up a whopping 26 percent.

The next biggest gainers were the Calgary Flames, up 24 percent to $203 million) and the Minnesota Wild, who improved 21 percent and are worth $217 million.

The average team value was $220 million; by comparison, the average for NFL teams this season was $1 billion, according to Forbes.

At the bottom of the list were Columbus ($157 million), the New York Islanders ($154 million), and Phoenix ($142 million). The Coyotes were the only team to go down in worth, by 3 percent.

Toronto also led the list with $160 million in revenues, followed by Montreal ($139) and the Rangers ($137).

Ominously, 12 teams showed a negative operating income, including the Flyers (minus $1.8 million), and Boston Bruins (minus $3 million) - both top 10 franchises in total value.

Judge says Greschner doesn’t owe Alt. A judge says former New York Rangers star Ron Greschner doesn’t owe Carol Alt money because the actress-model waited too long to make a claim on her ex-husband.

Alt and Greschner were married for 18 years until 2001.

Alt was hoping to gain $165,000 from the sale of their shares in a water filtration company. She said in tears outside federal court in Manhattan that she’s happy she’s freed from the relationship. Greschner declined comment.

Greschner lives in West Palm Beach, Fla. He spent all 16 of his NHL seasons with the Rangers and retired in 1990. Alt lives in Manhattan but has been in Europe working on a movie and is about to appear in Playboy magazine.

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Rangers demote LW Korpikoski.

The New York Rangers on Wednesday assigned left wing Lauri Korpikoski to Hartford of the American Hockey League.

Drafted 19th overall in 2004, Korpikoski appeared in seven games with the Rangers this season, recording two penalty minutes and a minus-3 rating.

Last campaign, the 22-year-old Finn registered 23 goals and 27 assists in 79 contests with the Wolf Pack.

Midnight Lute retired, to stand for $20K. Champion sprinter Midnight Lute, the only horse to win back-to-back runnings of the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, has been retired to Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm in Kentucky.

The 5-year-old Real Quiet horse will stand for $20,000 in 2009.

Named champion sprinter after his 2007 Breeders’ Cup victory, Midnight Lute leaves racing with earnings of $2,690,600 and wins in 6 of 13 starts. Four of those victories came in stakes. In addition to his consecutive Sprint wins, he also won the Grade 1 Forego and Grade 3 Perryville stakes, posting a 124 Beyer Speed Figure in the former race. He placed in three other graded stakes: the Grade 1 Cigar Mile Handicap and Malibu Stakes and the Grade 2 San Fernando Breeders’ Cup Stakes.

Midnight Lute won the 2008 Breeders’ Cup Sprint in stakes-record time of 1:07.08 for six furlongs, breaking Kona Gold’s record of 1:07.77.

Tom Evans, Macon Wilmil Equines, and Marjac Farms bred Midnight Lute from the unraced Dehere mare Candytuft, and he is a half-brother to stakes-placed Tusculum Road. Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Weitman Performances campaigned Midnight Lute.

Midnight Lute will be available for viewing at Hill ‘n’ Dale from Oct. 31.

Darley reduces most stallion fees

As expected, a number of major stallion operations in Kentucky are trimming fees for their stallions after slower 2008 yearling sales and an economy in recession.

Darley America in Kentucky revealed Tuesday that it will cut fees for all but three of its stallions in 2009. The three whose fees will not drop are Street Cry, who rises from $100,000 to $150,000; Elusive Quality, who remains the same at $75,000; and E Dubai, who also is unchanged at $15,000. All three had winners at the Breeders’ Cup. Street Cry is sire of undefeated Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic winner Zenyatta, while Elusive Quality’s son Raven’s Pass won the Classic, and E Dubai is the sire of Desert Code, who took the Turf Sprint.

Darley America’s other stallions will all have lower fees in 2009. Their new fees are as follows: Bernardini, $75,000; Street Sense, $60,000; Hard Spun, $40,000; Any Given Saturday, $30,000; Henny Hughes, $30,000; Discreet Cat, $25,000; Cherokee Run, $25,000; Consolidator, $15,000; Rockport Harbor, $15,000; Quiet American, $15,000; Holy Bull, $10,000; and Offlee Wild, $7,500.

In related news, Darley has retired Street Cry’s Grade 1-winning son Street Boss and will stand him for $25,000.

Also on Tuesday, WinStar Farm announced it will trim Distorted Humor’s fee from $300,000 to $225,000 in 2009. That reflects what WinStar termed “the market adjustment” of falling yearling prices.

The 15-year-old Forty Niner horse is the sire of such Grade 1 winners as Commentator and Hystericalady, both of whom are graded stakes winners this year, and dual classic winner Funny Cide. His yearling sale average and median this year were $416,396 and $385,000, respectively, according to SireAverages.com.

“Distorted Humor is in his prime and is one of the few stallions that can consistently command seven figures for a yearling year after year,” WinStar president Doug Cauthen said. “This fee acknowledges the market adjustment and we now feel his 2009 fee is right on the money for both our shareholders and breeders.”

Distorted Humor is a son of the Grade 2-winning and Grade 1-placed Danzig mare Danzig’s Beauty.

* Multiple graded winner Zavata will relocate from Walmac Farm in Kentucky to Pin Oak Lane Farm in New Freedom, Pa., in 2009. The 8-year-old son of Phone Trick stood for $5,000 this year; his 2009 fee hasn’t been announced. From two crops of racing age, Zavata has sired stakes performers Dakota Phone, Secret Talent, and Almendrado among his 31 winners. Zavata is out of the Cox’s Ridge mare Pert Lady.

* Heiligbrodt Racing’s two-time Grade 3 winner Gaff has retired from the track and will stand at Journeyman Stud in Ocala, Fla. The 6-year-old Maria’s Mon horse retires with earnings of $569,513 from wins in 8 of 23 starts, including five stakes wins and four wins on turf. Gaff is a son of the Tunerup mare Ionlyhaveeyesforu. The farm will announce his fee later.

* Capitano, a multiple-stakes-winning son of Belong to Me, has retired to stud at Fox Tale Stud in Coopersburg, Pa. He will stand for $2,500, or $1,500 for mares who will produce a registered Pennsylvania-bred foal. Capitano, 7, is out of the Tabasco Cat mare Heavenly Cat, making him a half-brother to Grade 3 winner Heavenly Ransom and stakes winner Dilemma.