Creative Cause stands at Majorie Farms in Fredericksburg, Tx., for $6,000. (Image courtesy of Majorie Farms)
The 2024 Texas Summer Yearling Sale At Lone Star Park
207 Yearlings will Pass Through the Sale Ring on Monday, Aug. 26
By Martha Claussen
GRAND PRAIRIE, Tex.—The Lone Star State is famous for its horse population and there are many ways in which Texans enjoy owning these amazing athletes. Whether it be show jumping, dressage, reining, roping, barrel racing or a relaxing weekend trail ride, horses are multi-faceted.
The three Class 1 Texas racetracks welcome fans from January through August each year and the grandstands are filled during the Gillespie County Fair meet even when the temperatures soar into the 90’s.
An opportunity to own a racehorse will take place on Monday, August 26 when the Texas Thoroughbred Association hosts its annual Texas Summer Yearling Sale at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas. The public is invited to the sale and also to view the yearlings on Saturday, August 24 and Sunday, August 25 in the barn area, prior to the sale. Admission is free; no special credential is required.
This year’s sale catalog includes 207 yearlings available for purchase as well as 10 horses as part of a Three Feathers Farm dispersal. The first horse will enter the sale ring at 10 a.m. (Central). That is a certainty, but what happens throughout the day has to be experienced. Each yearling has a unique pedigree, birthdate, color and markings. Some may sell for less than $10,000, but others will inspire a spirited bidding exchange with the new owner signing a six-figure ticket.
Foster Bridewell serves as the Sale Director for the Texas Thoroughbred Association, which also presents the Texas 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale in early April at Lone Star Park. The success of the Yearling Sale involves many components but begins with well-bred yearlings and this year’s sale includes 48 Texas-breds, 91 Louisiana-breds, 32 Arkansas-breds and 18 Oklahoma-breds.
The sale includes sons and daughters of established stallions including:
• Hip #7, a colt sired by El Deal out of Flashy Prize, whose foals include Free Like a Girl, winner of $1.6 million.
• Hip #13 is a colt by first-crop stallion Volatile out of the Malibu Moon mare Funny Moon, who won the Coaching Club Oaks and earned more than $500,000 in her racing career.
• Hip #181 is a filly sired by Aurelius Maximus, whose daughter Secret Faith graduated from last year’s sale and has already won two black-type stakes in 2024.
Other notable stallions represented in the Texas Yearling Sale include By My Standards, Cloud Computing, Exaggerator, Flat Out, Goldencents, Higher Power, Mo Town, Mr Speaker, Practical Joke, Runhappy, Star Guitar, Street Boss, Tapiture, Thousand Words, West Coast, Will Take Charge and Yaupon.
“We have a well-balanced catalog this year,” Bridewell said. “A runner can come from anywhere and prospective buyers have a variety of stallions and mares who are quality producers in the upcoming sale.”
Bridewell credits the Texas Thoroughbred Association (TTA) board of directors for their support in creating stakes opportunities for sale graduates. The $150,000 Texas Thoroughbred Association Futurity, with a division for fillies and one for colts and geldings, has been extremely well-received by owners. For the past two years, 3-year-old sale grads have been eligible to compete in the $100,000 TTA Derby or Oaks.
Jeff Hooper, Chairman and CEO at Highlander Training Center in Sulphur Springs, is very familiar with the annual TTA Yearling Sale and its impact on Texas racing. Highlander Training Center became a consignor in 2022 with 21 yearlings owned by individuals as well as partnerships. It has been an excellent addition for the multi-faceted operation that offers breaking, training, physical therapy and lay-ups for Thoroughbred racehorses.
Highlander consigned sale-topper Too Much Kiki, a striking filly by Too Much Bling who sold for $100,000 in the 2022 Texas Yearling Sale and is a four-time stakes winner for Mansfield Racing and trainer Bret Calhoun.
“We have sold yearlings from $15,000 to $100,000 and will have several in the upcoming sale by proven stallions, including Mr Speaker and Competitive Edge,” Hooper said. “The TTA Sale continues to offer quality yearlings that go on to prominence in Texas and other regions. Plus, pinhookers have taken notice of the Texas sale and have done well here.”
This year Highlander Training Center will be represented with 23 yearlings.
“We have a nice mix of yearlings this year,” Hooper said. “We are pleased to be part of the Texas Sale. Graduates have some excellent stakes opportunities here in Texas paired with many restricted stakes offerings in Louisiana, Oklahoma and Arkansas.”
Sale Graduates Eligible to Compete in Lucrative Stakes
The Texas Thoroughbred Association recognized the importance of stakes opportunities for Texas Yearling Sale graduates and boosted the purse of the Texas Thoroughbred Association Futurity at Lone Star Park to a $150,000 purse for both the filly and colt/gelding division.
Brothers Mark and Robbie Norman have high regard for the Texas Thoroughbred Association Sale, with a successful purchase of Strong Promise for $125,000 in the 2023 TTA 2-Year-old in Training Sale. The colt by Broken Vow, consigned by Jay Adcock and Hume Wornall, won the $150,000 TTA Futurity at Lone Star Park. With four wins from 10 starts, his earnings stand at $253,600.
“Scott Gelner had seen him work at Copper Crown Training Center in Louisiana and knew he was going to be a runner,” said Robbie Norman. “We have always enjoyed working with breeders Jay and Hume. They have been great in letting us visit their farm.”
Jayde Gelner, a 23-year-old third-generation horseman, teamed with Norman Racing Stables LLC again in last year’s TTA Yearling Sale, purchasing Secret Faith for $75,000. The Louisiana-bred filly by Aurelius Maximus out of the Macho Uno mare St. Jean is undefeated in three starts this year, including the $150,000 TTA Futurity at Lone Star Park in July followed by a commanding score on August 2 in the $70,000 D.S. “Shine” Young Futurity for 2-year-olds at Evangeline Downs. She has already doubled her sale price, much to the delight of her connections.
“Everything that dam has produced has been good,” Norman said. “We weren’t as sure about (stallion) Aurelius Maximus, but after seeing Secret Faith draw off by 14 lengths, we were a lot more convinced!”
The Normans love watching their horses run and have enjoyed winning the TTA Sale Futurity in Texas and going on to stakes options at the Louisiana tracks. In addition to Jayde and Scott Gelner, Louisiana-based conditioner Lonnie Briley trains for the Normans.
“As in any business, you have to have a plan,” Norman said. “We enjoy running in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas and the TTA Yearling Sale has been good for us. I’ve looked at the (sale catalog) book 10 times already and will be there on August 26 looking for the right yearling.”
Paul Pruett, owner of Oakridge Farm in Lufkin, Texas, has been a longtime breeder and Texas Sale consignor. He has 12 yearlings in the 2024 sale, including offspring of El Deal and Mo Tom.
“I’m a regional breeder and supporter of Texas racing,” said Pruett. “Lone Star Park is a great facility for this sale and the Texas 2-Year-olds in Training Sale.”
Texas Thoroughbred Association Oaks and Derby Well-Received by Owners and Trainers
The $100,000 Texas Thoroughbred Association Derby and Oaks were added to the Sam Houston Race Park stakes schedule in 2023.
Owners Jeffry and Julie Puryear purchased the daughter of Code West out of the Kipling mare Inca Miss for $12,000 at the 2022 TTA Yearling Sale. Trained by Kevin Scholl, Miss Code West won her first four starts, including the Oklahoma Classics Lassie Stakes and the Trapeze Stakes at Remington Park before finishing fourth in the $150,000 Silverbulletday on January 24 at the Fair Grounds. On March 23, the bay filly again thrilled her owners by winning the Texas Thoroughbred Association Oaks.
The couple, who reside in Denton, Texas, have supported the TTA Sale and enjoy racing their young horses in both Texas and Oklahoma.
“I went to the sale prepared to buy two Oklahoma-breds,” Jeffry Puryear said.“You bet I was pleased with Miss Code West being eligible to run in the $100,000 Sam Houston Oaks. That was worth $60,000, and you can be sure we will attend this year’s sale looking to buy three.”
Miss Code West, who has also competed at Lone Star Park and the Fair Grounds, has won six of her eight lifetime starts, banking $236,334 to date.
Trainer Bret Calhoun has won three of the four editions of the Oaks and Derby, beginning in 2023 with Santa Fe Gold, a $50,000 Texas Yearling sale purchase by Wayne Sanders and Larry Hirsch, taking the Oaks and Release McCraken, purchased by Mansfield Racing for $125,000, winning the Derby. This year, Victory for Vets captured the Derby for owner James Stodola, who signed a $70,000 ticket for the son of Tapiture.
“These races are very good incentives for owners,” Calhoun said. “Buying a racehorse is an investment, but for an owner to see their purchase become a stakes winner fuels their interest in returning to the Texas sales the next year.”
Texas-breds benefited from purse increases in the 2024 Thoroughbred race meets at Class 1 tracks in Texas. The Texas Thoroughbred Association, Texas Horsemen’s Partnership, Sam Houston Race Park and Lone Star Park collectively approved the new purse structure. Texas-bred maiden special weight and allowance races ran for upwards of $40,000 at Sam Houston Race Park and Lone Star Park, a 21-percent increase from 2023.
The entities felt strongly that purse increases would also greatly benefit breeding in Texas. With the passage of HB 2463 by legislators in 2019, $25 million annually was provided for the Texas Equine Industry for purses and other beneficial initiatives.
The Role of Sale Prepping
Prospective owners attending the TTA Yearling Sale have already done their homework in lining up their prospects. The sale catalog provides extensive information on pedigree. But when a yearling makes a good impression entering the ring, attendees will take notice. Sale prepping is perhaps an underrated element to some, but a well-turned out yearling can command bids higher than their projected value.
Heidie Jo Maikranz of 4 M Ranch is a consignor with more than three decades in the breeding and racing industry. She is highly respected for her sale prepping expertise. When possible, Maikranz asks her clients to allocate 90 days to physically and emotionally prepare a yearling for the sale. It begins with a full evaluation of weight, muscle tone, movement and handling aptitude. Proper nutrition is essential, and Maikranz believes in high-quality feed and a fitness routine to ensure that her yearlings ship to Lone Star Park as well-rounded individuals. Proper hoof care cannot be overlooked, and her team includes farrier Kent Boullion of Erath, La.
A prospective owner might love everything about a yearling on paper, but an unruly appearance in the sale ring is a major detriment.
“We try to do everything possible to prepare them for that experience,” explained Maikranz. “They might come to me as flighty fillies or stubborn colts, but they will leave looking great and behaving well. The greatest compliment I have received is when a breeder tells me that their yearling acted like ‘an old horse’ in the sale ring.”
Final Preparations for August 26
The Texas Yearling Sale catalogs have been mailed and can be viewed online at www.ttasales.com. Online bidding was first offered in 2021 and will be available again this year.
Registration is required with information available on the TTA Sale website. The Texas Thoroughbred Association hosts a Pre-Sale Party on Sunday, August 25 at 5:30 p.m. in the Alysheba Room at Lone Star Park. The event is open to all buyers, consignors and horsemen.
“Bart Lang, Lone Star Park’s director of racing, and his staff continue to do a great job preparing for the sale and accommodating the needs of the horsemen and prospective buyers,” Bridewell said. “We are proud of our Texas Yearling Sale graduates and look forward to following the careers of the 2024 prospects.”
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Martha Claussen has been involved in the racing industry since 1997. She served as publicity director for Sam Houston Race Park for 10 years and continues to be active in writing, fan education and racing publicity in Texas, Louisiana, Indiana and other regions in North America
