The Texas Thoroughbred Association has announced that it will hold its second Texas 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale on April 4, 2017, at Lone Star Park. The under tack show will be April 2, also at Lone Star. Entries for the sale will close January 16.

The TTA, in partnership with Lone Star Park, held its first 2-year-old sale in April, taking over the auction from Fasig-Tipton. This year’s sale posted an average of $18,515 and a buyback rate of 19.7 percent, both significant improvements over the last Fasig-Tipton juvenile sale in 2015. As was the case this year, graduates of the 2017 sale will be eligible for the Texas Thoroughbred Futurity to be run in two divisions at $100,000-estimated apiece at Lone Star. The sale will again be managed by Tim Boyce.

The 2016 2-year-old sale has already produced three stakes winners from 53 head sold, highlighted by Bling on the Music, a Texas-bred daughter of Too Much Bling who topped the sale at $95,000 and has recorded two stakes wins and a placing in the Grade 2 Pocahontas Stakes at Keeneland with earnings of $153,082.

“The results of our first 2-year-old sale, and our first yearling and mixed sale in August, have shown that Texas and the surrounding region can support a strong auction market for both buyers and sellers,” said Mary Ruyle, executive director of the TTA. “With the experience of those auctions and more time to market the 2-year-old sale, we expect to grow both TTA sales in 2017.”

Bling on the Music is a Texas-bred daughter of Lane’s End Texas stallion Too Much Bling (Photo by Mary Cage)

The $95,000 sale-topper from the Texas 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, Bling on the Music by Too Much Bling, easily broke her maiden last week at Lone Star Park with a very quick 4 1/2-furlong time of :51.52.

Congrats to breeder W.S. Farish, owner Danny Keene, trainer J.R. Caldwell and consignor Asmussen Training Center.

Country Candy, who sold for $65,000 as hip #47 at the Texas 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, broke her maiden at first asking by nearly 10 lengths. (Photo by Denis Blake)

Texas-bred Country Candy was one of the top sellers at the Texas 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale when the filly by Texas stallion Intimidator went for $65,000 from Asmussen Horse Center to Danny Keene, and the filly is starting to look like a bargain as she broke her maiden by an easy 9 1/2 lengths for trainer J.R. Caldwell on Friday at Lone Star Park. Here’s a shot of her as hip #47 in the under tack show.

The sale topper at the Texas 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale was a Texas-bred filly by Too Much Bling who sold for $95,000. (Photo by Mary Cage)

The Texas 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale on April 4, the first conducted by the Texas Thoroughbred Association and Lone Star Park without Fasig-Tipton as a partner, posted similar results to last year’s auction with an increase in average. Buybacks improved significantly from 33.3% last year to 19.7% this year.

Total sales for this auction came in at $981,300 with 53 of 66 head sold for an average of $18,515 and median of $12,000.

Last year’s sale, run by Fasig-Tipton, saw 66 head sell for $1,161,900 from 99 offered. The average for that sale was $17,605 with a median of $13,000.

Two horses at this year’s sale eclipsed the $75,000 top price from last year. The high seller was hip #40, a Texas-bred filly by Too Much Bling who worked the fastest time of :10 1/5 in Saturday’s under tack show. Consigned by Asmussen Horse Center, agent, the filly sold for $95,000 to Danny Keene. She is out of the Action this Day mare Soft Music, whose first two starters are both multiple winners.

The second-highest price was also a filly, as hip #24, a Kentucky-bred by Henny Hughes, went for $80,000 to Hebert Bloodstock, agent, from the consignment of Oak Haven Farm, agent. She is out of the stakes-winning Saratoga Six mare Playcaller, who has produced Grade 1 winner Diplomat Lady and Grade 2 winner Dream Play.

“Especially considering we got a bit of a late start in putting this sale together, we could not be more pleased with the results and the increase in average over last year,” said Mary Ruyle, executive director of the Texas Thoroughbred Association. “With a Texas-bred topping the sale and a very low buyback rate, I think that proves there is still strength in the industry here.”

A Texas-bred filly by Too Much Bling worked an eighth-mile in :10.1 for the fastest time at the distance. (Photo by Denis Blake)

A Texas-bred filly by Too Much Bling worked an eighth-mile in :10 1/5 on April 2 to post the fastest time at the distance during the under tack show for the Texas 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale at Lone Star Park. The sale, which was previously managed by Fasig-Tipton in partnership with the Texas Thoroughbred Association and Lone Star Park, is now being conducted jointly by the TTA and the track. The sale is set for April 4 at 12 noon Central at the Texas Thoroughbred Sale Pavilion on the grounds of Lone Star.

Asmussen Horse Center, agent, consigned the above mentioned fastest horse at an eighth-mile. The gray or roan filly is out of the Action This Day mare Soft Music, who has produced two multiple winners from as many starters.

From two horses working a quarter-mile, a Kentucky-bred filly from the first crop of Gemologist posted the fastest clocking of :22 3/5. She is consigned by Brody Veal, agent, and is a half sister to stakes winner Uncle Brennie.

“We were very pleased with the turnout at Lone Star Park and anticipate a good turnout for the sale on Tuesday,” said Mary Ruyle, executive director of the Texas Thoroughbred Association. “We appreciate all the support from the consignors and the interest we have seen already from buyers.”