post

Exciting Changes for Texas Racing in 2026

by Posted in 2-Year-Old Sale, Mixed Sale, Yearling Sale

Changes have been made to several major races on the Texas Calendar for 2026.  “The Texas Thoroughbred Association is very excited about these changes” commented Tracy Sheffield, executive director of the TTA.  “We feel that these changes will make several of our most exciting stakes races accessible to a greater number of horses.”

The Texas Stallion Stakes Series now has a pathway to nominate two-year-olds.  A foal by a nominated stallion (a stallion paid into the program for the conception year of the foal) that did not nominate for the series as a weanling or a yearling can now nominate as a two-year-old with the following rules:

  1. The horse must go through a TTA sale. Either the yearling sale or the two-year-old in training sale.
  2. The nomination fee for a two-year-old will be $5000. No partial payments will be accepted.
  3. The nomination fee must be paid by May 1.

The dates for the TTA Futurity, Derby and Oaks have been changed.  Sam Houston Race Park and Lone Star Park are planning to slightly adjust their racing calendars to allow the TTA Futurity to be run in December of a horse’s two year old year.  Currently, the TTA Futurity is run in July.  Making this date change will allow trainers and horses more time to prepare two-year-olds and lead to fuller, more competitive fields.  In 2026 the Derby and Oaks will be run at the Sam Houston Race Park January through April meet.   Sam Houston Race Park will host the TTA Futurity in December of 2026.  In an interview, trainer Karen Jacks said she is pleased with the change.  “This gives us several more months to prepare two-year-olds for the futurities.”

The TTA Derby and Oaks will be moved to the meet at Lone Star for 2027.

If you have any questions about these changes, please contact the TTA office at (512) 458-6133 or email Tracy Sheffield at tracys@texasthoroughbred.com

Louisiana-bred Colt by Aurelius Maximus Tops Texas Summer Yearling Sale

by Posted in Yearling Sale

The Texas Summer Yearling Sale was held Tuesday at Lone Star Park with the largest catalog of horses since the Texas Thoroughbred Association took over operation of the auction in 2016. This year’s yearling session had 234 head go through the ring with 182 selling for a total of $2,918,100. The average came in at $16,034 and the median was $7,500, which both declined from last year’s smaller catalog of 187. Last year’s total sales were $2,685,200 with an average of $18,910 and median of $13,000.

“We expected the average and median to slip with a bigger catalog this year, so overall we are pleased with the results,” said Foster Bridewell, sales director. “We also had two six-figure horses last year to help boost the numbers as well. We had a big crowd on hand today and the middle and higher end market were strong, and our total sales were up.”

The high seller was hip 130, a Louisiana-bred colt by young stallion Aurelius Maximus that went for $95,000. The April 17 foal sold to Terry Stephens from the consignment of Scott Mallory, agent.

Aurelius Maximus, the leading second-crop sire in the Southwest region, is represented by one of the top horses to come out of the Texas Summer Yearling Sale in recent years in Secret Faith. That 3-year-old Louisiana-bred filly, who sold two years ago for $75,000 to Jayde Gelner from the Red River Farms consignment, is now a seven-time stakes winner with earnings approaching $500,000.

The sale-topping colt this year is out of the stakes-placed Too Much Bling mare Too Much to Bear, who has produced two winners including $99,790-earner Mo Bling.

The high-selling filly was hip 188, an Arkansas-bred filly by Grade 1 winner Yaupon. She is the first foal out of Cara’s Dreamer, a multiple stakes-placed mare by The Factor who earned $259,820. The filly sold to OCL (Abul-Keer Okab) for $87,000 from the consignment of Colin Brennan Bloodstock at Highlander Training Center, agent.

Following the yearling session, a short mixed session was held, topped by the Texas-bred gelding Shanghai Bobby, a 7-year-old with earnings of more than $325,000, selling for $10,000.

Click here for hip-by-hip results, or get PDF yearling results or PDF mixed results.

Important Changes for the August 26 Yearling Sale

by Posted in Yearling Sale

On the occasion of Mary Ruyle’s retirement after 37 years with the Texas Thoroughbred Association, buyers and consigners will notice a few changes at the upcoming TTA Yearling Sale.

First and most significant, the sales pavilion has been renamed The Mary Ruyle Sales Pavilion at Lone Star Park. The TTA board of directors unanimously agreed that this was the best way to honor her years of service to the Thoroughbred industry.

With Mary’s retirement, she will no longer be at the sale, and this has necessitated the need for some changes in our office procedures. These changes are aimed at making the purchase and check out process as efficient as possible. With the number of horses at the upcoming sale we want to minimize waiting times for everyone.

The forms needed to be a buyer are now available on this website under forms or by clicking here. There you will find the buyer application form, the credit reference form and the authorized agent form if you a planning to use an agent. The forms can either be printed out or filled out online and emailed to the TTA.

We request that all buyers (even if the buyer has purchased previously from a TTA sale) check in at the office prior to making a purchase. This will allow us time to answer any questions and to be sure that we have all the paperwork we need so your purchase can be processed quickly and efficiently. It will be easiest if buyers check in upon arrival at the sale.

At this sale, as we did for the Two-Year-Old In Training sale we will have college interns helping out in various areas of the sale. They will be wearing name tags identifying them as interns. If you have the opportunity to meet them, please welcome them. Young people are the future of our industry.

Widely Respected Texas Horseman Al Pike Passes

by Posted in 2-Year-Old Sale, Yearling Sale

Al and Salley Pike

Al Pike, a veteran horseman who was a perennial leading 2-year-old consignor in Texas and on the national scene, passed away on July 26 at the age of 70 after a valiant battle with cancer. Pike, along with his wife of nearly 45 years, Salley, and their son, Colt, operated Pike Racing. Pike is also survived by daughter Chelsey Pike Hooton.

Pike got his start in the horse industry in the 1970s as a Quarter Horse trainer in Texas, and then he and Salley transitioned to Thoroughbreds and eventually focused on pinhooking.

The Pike family enjoyed considerable success at sales in Texas and around the country. In the Lone Star State, Pike Racing sold the $300,000 sale-topper at the 2023 Texas 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. That price set a record for the TTA sale. Originally a $60,000 yearling purchase, the filly by Tapwrit who would later be named Blue Squall has earned $338,703 and is still in training.

Pike Racing again had the sale topper at the 2024 Texas juvenile sale with a Texas-bred colt by Street Boss who sold for $265,000. That was part of the Pike Racing at Highlander consignment. Pike retired from working with Texas-based Highlander Training Center earlier this year.

Pike Racing was active at many other sales in the Southwest and around the country. On the national scene, Pike Racing had three juvenile sale horses make it to the Kentucky Derby, including millionaires Vyjack and Vicar’s in Trouble. Other notable sale horses included Modest Maven, an $80,000 yearling who sold for $1 million as a 2-year-old, and Shazz, a $185,000 yearling who brought $1.1 million the following year.

The Texas Thoroughbred Association and TTA Sales extends its condolences to the Pike family and all of Al Pike’s many friends in the industry.

“Al Pike was synonymous with Texas sales,” said Foster Bridewell, sales director for TTA Sales. “Everyone knew and respected Al, and together with Salley and Colt they were a vital part of the sale scene here. We are going to miss Al dearly and plan to honor his memory at our next auction.”

Texas Summer Yearling Sale Attracts Record Number of Entries

by Posted in Yearling Sale

The Texas Summer Yearling Sale will showcase a record number of offerings on August 26 starting at 10 a.m. Central at the Mary Ruyle Thoroughbred Sales Pavilion on the grounds of Lone Star Park near Dallas. A total of 261 yearlings have been consigned, smashing the record number since the TTA took over operation of the sale in 2016. An additional 22 horses have been entered for the mixed session for a total headcount of 283.

“We went from 207 yearlings in 2024 to 261 this year, so we are very thankful for the support shown by consignors all around the Southwest,” said Sales Director Foster Bridewell. “The mixed session is also quite strong this year with several stakes-level racehorses and excellent breeding stock available.

“Our 2023 yearling sale produced graded stakes-winning millionaire and Kentucky Derby (G1) starter Coal Battle, and I think this year’s catalog has many horses of similar quality,” Bridewell added.

All of the states in the region are well represented, topped by Louisiana-breds with a total of 115 yearlings entered. There are 63 Texas-breds, 30 Arkansas-breds and 11 Oklahoma-breds, along with yearlings bred in California, Pennsylvania and Kentucky.

Among the leading Southwest sires with yearlings entered are Coal Front, Star Guitar, Competitive Edge, Creative Cause, El Deal and Aurelius Maximus. Numerous accomplished Kentucky stallions are represented, along with first-crop yearlings by Corniche, Early Voting, Mo Donegal, Cyberknife and Mandaloun.

The catalog is now online by clicking here, and streaming video and online bidding will be available on sale day. The catalog will also be available on the Equineline Sales Catalog iPad app.

post

Texas Summer Yearling Sale Set for August 26 at Lone Star Park

by Posted in Yearling Sale

The Texas Thoroughbred Association has announced that the 2025 Texas Summer Yearling Sale will be held Tuesday, August 26, at 10 a.m. at Lone Star Park. A limited mixed session will follow the yearling session.

“We’ve already had people asking about the yearling sale, so we are pleased to get the date set and start preparing for another successful auction,” said Sales Director Foster Bridewell. “The yearling sale has produced some tremendous racehorses over the years, including the latest example in Coal Battle.”

A $70,000 graduate of the 2023 yearling sale, Coal Battle is already a millionaire and currently tops the Road to the Kentucky Derby point standings with 70 after taking the $1.25 million Rebel Stakes (G2) last month at Oaklawn Park. The son of Louisiana stallion Coal Front was purchased by Power Racing from the consignment of Red River Farms.

The consignment deadline for the yearling sale is June 24, and forms are now available online.

Next up on the sale calendar at Lone Star Park is the Texas 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale on April 2. The breeze show for that sale will be held March 31. Five supplements were recently added for the 2-year-old sale.

For more information, go to www.ttasales.com.

Oklahoma-bred Colt Sells for $150,000 to Top Texas 2-Year-Old Sale

by Posted in 2-Year-Old Sale

Hip 15 (Photo by Olivia Friesen/TTA)

A total of four horses sold for more than $100,000 at Wednesday’s Texas 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale at Lone Star Park, with Hip 15 topping the sale at $150,000. Purchased by Clark Brewster from the consignment of Bryan Ford Training Center LLC, the Oklahoma-bred colt by Omaha Beach clocked :10 in Monday’s breeze show to tie for the fastest time. The April 16 foal is out of the stakes-placed Into Mischief mare Natalie’s Mischief, whose first foal is a winner.

The high-selling filly was Hip 1, a Louisiana-bred daughter of Lone Sailor who went to Patricia’s Hope LLC from Pike Racing at Highlander, agent. She also worked :10 and is out of a Yes It’s True mare who has produced two stakes winners from three starters.

Pike Racing at Highlander, agent, was the leading consignor with 15 sold for $538,500, followed closely by Bryan Ford Training Center with nine sold for $509,000, including private sales.

All told, 58 of 85 juveniles offered sold for a total of $1,666,100. The average was $28,726, and the median was $18,000.

“We had a Texas-bred sell for $265,000 last year, which really boosted the average and was one of the highest prices we’ve had in quite a while, so considering we didn’t have one hit that lofty mark this year we are quite pleased to be close to $30,000 for our average,” said Sales Director Foster Bridewell. “I think this proves that the 2-year-old market is strong in the Southwest.”

Complete results are available by clicking here.

Next up on the sale calendar is the Texas Summer Yearling Sale set for August 26.

Four Horses Tie for Fastest Breeze Time in Advance of Wednesday’s Texas 2-Year-Old Sale

by Posted in 2-Year-Old Sale

Hip 1 (Photo by Olivia Friesen/TTA)

A quartet of horses worked an eighth-mile in :10 flat to tie for the fastest time during Monday’s breeze show for the Texas 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale at Lone Star Park. A catalog of 100 head is set to go through the newly renamed Mary Ruyle Thoroughbred Sales Pavilion on Wednesday starting at 10 a.m. Central. The pavilion on the grounds of Lone Star Park honors the recently retired executive director of the Texas Thoroughbred Association who was instrumental in launching the TTA Sales division a decade ago.

Videos from the breeze show are now posted online, and live video and online bidding will be available for Wednesday’s sale. CLICK HERE to view the catalog and videos.

The first horse over the track to record a :10 clocking was also the first horse to breeze, as Hip #1, a Louisiana-bred filly by Lone Sailor, set the standard. Consigned by Pike Racing at Highlander, agent, she is out of a winning Yes It’s True mare whose two winners are also both stakes winners, including $328,605-earner Yes Gorgeous.

Hip 32 (Photo by Olivia Friesen/TTA)

Pike Racing at Highlander, agent, had another filly work :10 with Hip #32, a Kentucky-foaled daughter of More Than Ready. She is the second foal out of a young Hard Spun mare whose family includes Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Giacomo.

The consignment of Bryan Ford Training Center LLC was responsible for the other two juveniles, both colts, with the fastest works as Hip #12 and Hip #15. First up was a Kentucky-foaled son of Goldencents out of a winning Uncle Mo mare whose three starters are all winners. Shortly after, an accredited Oklahoma-bred by Omaha Beach matched the time. That colt is out of the stakes-placed Into Mischief mare Natalie’s Mischief, whose first starter is a winner.

Hip 15 (Photo by Olivia Friesen/TTA)

Hip 12 (Photo by Olivia Friesen/TTA)

“Our consignors brought a strong group of 2-year-olds to the sale, and I think that was proven on the track today,” said Sales Director Foster Bridewell. “The buyers that I’ve talked to have been impressed by what they’ve seen both on the track and in the barns, so we are looking forward to a good auction on Wednesday.”