Monday’s Texas Summer Yearling and Horses of Racing Age Sale at Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie recorded sizable increases in gross sales, average and median with a Texas-bred colt by Too Much Bling topping the auction.

A total of 228 yearlings went through the ring with 176 selling for $3,219,600, a 138.9% percent increase from last year when 106 of 137 sold for $1,347,700. The yearling average this year came in at $18,293, a jump of 43.9% from last year’s $12,714. The median soared to $10,000 this year, up 96.1% percent from $5,100. The buy-back rate was 22.8% this year compared to 22.6% last year.

There were also three horses of racing age in the sale this year, which sold for a total of $17,500. Last year’s auction had 15 older horses sell for a total of $162,500.

“The numbers are almost overwhelming compared to last year, and this sale exceeded even our very high expectations,” said Tim Boyce, sales director. “The recent gains in purses and breeding incentives in Texas, along with the strong programs in place in Louisiana and Oklahoma, have helped make this a very powerful regional marketplace. This is truly one of the best sales we’ve ever had in Texas.”

“We recently announced increased purses of $300,000 for sale horses to run at in the two divisions of the Texas Thoroughbred Association Futurity, and we added a total of $200,000 for a Derby and Oaks race, so that has attracted some extra interest,” added Mary Ruyle, executive director of the Texas Thoroughbred Association.

Proving the point about the resurgence of interest in Texas racing, the sale-topper was Hip 101, an accredited Texas-bred colt by Too Much Bling, who stands at Valor Farm and is a perennial leading sire in the state. Consigned by Benchmark Training Center, agent, and purchased by Finisterre Racing, the April 3 foal sold for $175,000. The colt is out of Swifterthantaylor, a multiple winning daughter of another top Texas stallion at Valor Farm, My Golden Song. Swifterthantaylor’s first starter is a stakes-placed winner. Two other horses sold for six figures, both Louisiana-bred colts. A son of Not This Time named Star Redemption sold for $120,000 from Clear Creek Stud, agent, to Al and Bill Ulwelling, and a son of Violence sold for $100,000 from 4M Ranch, agent, to Set-Hut LLC.

For complete results, click here.

The 2021 Texas Summer Yearling and Horses of Racing Age Sale will feature five supplemental hips, all added to the body of the catalog and available online in the interactive catalog. The Texas Thoroughbred Association will provide a supplement paper copy of these hips available at the sales pavilion before and during the sale. Additionally, the hips will automatically be updated and added into the Equineline catalog iPad app.

The supplement hips are:

• Hip 13: B C by Midnight Lute out of Moneybru; consigned by Stuart Morris, Agent for Highclere, Inc.
• Hip 85: Ch F by California Chrome out of Salty Mo; consigned by Craig Singer
• Hip 117: B F by California Chrome out of Better Be Better; consigned by Craig Singer
• Hip 185: Gr/Ro F by Cupid out of Colombe; consigned by KP Sales, Agent
• Hip 243: DkB/Br F by Liaison out of Raffie’s Treasure; consigned by Ellen Caines, Agent

“We’re excited about adding these supplemented horses to our already diverse and strong group of yearlings for this sale,” Sales Director Tim Boyce said. “There’s been quite a bit of interest from prospective buyers this year, thanks in part to the breeders, owners and consignors who have entered quality yearlings. I am looking forward to getting the horses on the grounds at Lone Star Park and our sale on August 30.”

The supplement paper catalog will be available at and around the sale pavilion at Lone Star Park. The horses in the supplement are already added into the interactive online catalog. Online bidding will be available for the sale, and the deadline to register for online bidding is Monday, August 23. The sale will be held at Lone Star Park on August 30 at 10am CT and will be livestreamed on the sale website.

The Texas Summer Yearling and Horses of Racing Age Sale, set for Monday, August 30, at Lone Star Park, will feature a record number of entries with nearly 250 yearlings consigned to the Southwest’s biggest auction. The sale, held jointly by the Texas Thoroughbred Association and Lone Star Park, will begin at 10 a.m. in the sales pavilion on the grounds of the Dallas-area track.

“This will easily be our largest sale since taking the reins from Fasig-Tipton in 2016,” said Tim Boyce, sales director. “We’ve seen some solid growth over the past few years, despite the challenges of the health pandemic, and now we’ve really hit a milestone this year. We have several new consignors for this sale, and the sire power is stronger than I can ever remember seeing here.”

In addition to nearly 250 yearlings, there are three 2-year-olds in the sale.

“Texas racing and breeding have been on the upswing thanks to the Horse Industry Escrow Account authorized by the Texas Legislature, which has helped boost purses and breeding incentives,” said Mary Ruyle, executive director of the TTA. “That in turn has increased interest in our sales and allowed us to develop a consignor rebate program. We are also pleased to introduce the Texas Thoroughbred Sales Derby to be run in 2023 to complement the very popular Texas Thoroughbred Sales Futurity.”

Details on the Sales Derby are still being finalized, but the race for sale graduates is expected to offer two divisions (one for fillies and one for colts/geldings) with an estimated purse of $75,000 apiece at Sam Houston Race Park. The Sales Futurity also offers two divisions at $100,000-estimated apiece at Lone Star.

The TTA and Lone Star will host a pre-sale party for consignors and buyers on Sunday, August 29, at 6:30 p.m. in the Alysheba room on the second floor of the Lone Star grandstand.

The yearling sale comes on the heels of the Texas 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale held in April, which posted the highest gross, average and median since the TTA and Lone Star took over both sales in 2016.

Online bidding and live online video will be offered on this sale. To view the catalogue, click here.

The Texas Thoroughbred Association and Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie have announced that the Texas Summer Yearling Sale will be held Monday, August 30, at the Dallas-area track. Entries are now being accepted with a deadline of June 21. Click here for the entry form.

Despite the current health pandemic, last year’s Texas Summer Yearling Sale resulted in an increase in gross sale receipts of more than 166% with approximately twice the number of horses consigned compared to the previous year. Even with the larger catalog, last year’s sale posted an increase in average and median as buyers reacted positively to rising purses and breeders awards in Texas thanks to new legislation.

“Last year’s sale showed how strong the Southwest market is with Texas on the rise and Oklahoma and Louisiana continuing to have solid racing and breeding programs,” said Tim Boyce, sales director. “We fully expect that upward trend to continue with our upcoming 2-year-olds in training sale followed by this yearling sale.”

Last year the TTA introduced a consignor rebate program that rebates up to 50% of the consignment fee using funding from the passage of HB 2463, and that offer will again be in effect for this sale. As previously announced, the TTA and Lone Star Park will hold the Texas 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale on April 7. The breeze show will be held April 5.