A pair of new two-year-old stakes races will be featured at Lone Star Park starting in 2027 for graduates of the two Texas Thoroughbred Association Sales held annually. The races were approved by the full Texas Thoroughbred Association Board of Directors on Wednesday evening.

The races will be for two-year-olds who have passed through the sales ring at the Mary Ruyle Sales Pavilion at Lone Star Park, beginning with the 2026 Texas Yearling Sale and the 2027 Texas Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale. Both races will feature $100,000 purses; one race for two-year-old fillies TTA Sales graduates and one race for two-year-old colts and gelding TTA Sales graduates.

“These races are a great way to continue growing Texas racing and a great incentive for our sellers and buyers at the Texas Thoroughbred Association Sales,” TTA Board President Phil Leckinger said. “We are committed to ensuring our graduates have opportunities that cannot be found anywhere else and we believe supporting our sales through these sales-restricted races is a great way to continue to boost the energy around our sales.”

These stakes races will be held at Lone Star Park during their Summer racing meet beginning in 2027. These two races will be the third set of stakes races for TTA Sales graduates in addition to the two $150,000 Texas Thoroughbred Association Futurity races held at Sam Houston Race Park in December and the $100,000 Texas Thoroughbred Association Derby and $100,000 Texas Thoroughbred Association Oaks at Lone Star Park in May. In total, the six stakes events for TTA Sales graduates will have $700,000 in purse money.

“This announcement comes at the perfect time as we are gearing up for our 2026 Texas Yearling Sale in August,” TTA Sales Director Foster Bridewell said. “These races provide another great opportunity for our sellers and buyers and I appreciate the TTA Board of Directors for their commitment to racing and our sales.”

These races will be presented to the Texas Racing Commission soon and are pending TRC approval.

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

To All Owners/Trainers/Breeders/Consignors:

As of July 1st, HISA plans to implement their rules and regulations in this country, about which we’ve received several calls and e-mails related to potential impact to racing and sales in Texas. 

Beginning July 1, Lone Star Park will cease exporting their simulcast signal through the end of the current Thoroughbred meet, so HISA authority will not apply. This is per action this week by the Texas Racing Commission’s Executive Director. On July 1, you CAN STILL wager on Texas horse racing in Texas -AND- you will still be able to wager on horse racing from other parts of the country at a Texas racing facility. 

For our August 2022 Yearling Sale, there is no HISA impact whatsoever on our sale or for our consignors.  Neither sales horses nor persons working or attending the sales need to be registered with HISA.

We’ve also had contact from some of our Two-Year-Old Sales Consignors. We’ve been told by HISA officials that two-year-old sales horses and those working or attending those sales are NOT considered “covered” under HISA rules. Therefore, we’ve been told there is no need to register. 

As of today, this is what we’ve been told relating to sales. The racing at Lone Star Park’s 2022 Thoroughbred meet will continue through the scheduled end of the meet and on track/in-state wagering will continue.