Lone Star opens yearling sales

Yearlings will hit sales rings in Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana over the next two weeks, with the first auction at Lone Star Park near Dallas on Monday.

The Texas Thoroughbred Association has cataloged 90 yearlings for its auction and will also offer broodmares and weanlings as part of the book of 129 horses. The one-day sale will be in a stable-area pavilion at noon Central.

The diverse catalog features yearlings by Archarcharch, Bodemeister, Central Banker, Colonel John, Congaree, Jersey Town, Oxbow, Point Given, Street Boss, To Honor and Serve, and Wicked Strong.

“I think the quality of the catalog has ticked up a notch this year,” Tim Boyce, sales director, said in a press release from the Texas Thoroughbred Association. “We had two Texas-breds sell at this auction for $100,000 apiece last year, and that really proved that the market is still vibrant here for horses in Texas and around the region.”

The catalog also has offerings from the Estate of Ed Few, a prominent Texas breeder and owner who died this year. Few’s estate is selling yearlings, broodmares, and weanlings.

The yearling auction shifts to Oklahoma on Sept. 2. Carter Sales Company will put on its annual one-day sale at the Oklahoma State Fair Park in Oklahoma City. It begins at 2 p.m. Central.

The catalog has been expanded to include a mixed session for broodmares, weanlings, and horses of racing age.

There are 81 yearlings cataloged and they represent such stallions as Midshipman, Girolamo, I Want Revenge, Secret Circle, Maclean’s Music, Jersey Town, Flat Out, Tapizar, and The Factor.

The region’s largest catalog of yearlings will sell in Louisiana. The Equine Sales Company has 219 yearlings on tap for its Sept. 6 auction in Opelousas, La. The one-day sale begins at 10 a.m. Central.

There are a number of firstcrop stallions represented by yearlings, according to a press release, and they include: Palace, Medal Count, Race Day, Tapiture, Wicked Strong, Lea, Secret Circle, and Jack Milton. Other stallions with offspring in the sale include Goldencents, Shackleford, Temple City, English Channel, Star Guitar, Astrology, Half Ours, and Custom for Carlos.

“This year’s catalog is about the same size as the 214 head we had last year, but we’ve seen the quality continue to grow each year, and we have nearly 30 different consignors for this sale so I think we are going to have a strong selection of yearlings,” Foster Bridewell, sales director, said in a press release.

Other auctions coming up in the region this fall include an Oct. 7 mixed sale of Thoroughbreds at Heritage Place in Oklahoma City. The deadline to consign horses is Sept. 4.

New date for 2-year-olds sale

The Equine Sales Co. will put on its annual 2-year-olds in training sale a month earlier next year, on April 2 in Opelousas, La., with the breeze show set for March 31.

The change was made after hearing input from both buyers and consignors, sales director Foster Bridewell said.

“Many 2-year-olds in this region have traditionally been prepared to race opening weekends at Evangeline Downs, Louisiana Downs, and Lone Star Park,” he said in a press release. “This shift in date will allow buyers and their trainers to purchase horses that will hopefully be ready to run in the early summer races.”

Evangeline and Lone Star open in April, and Louisiana Downs starts its season in May.

Filly tops sale in New Mexico

A filly by Attila’s Storm brought $62,000 to top the New Mexico-bred yearling sale of Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses last weekend at Ruidoso Downs. The unnamed filly helped drive a 56 percent increase in average for the Thoroughbred side of the sale, according to a press release from Ruidoso. The average was $12,677.

The sale-topper is out of Ritzy Dam, a stakes-placed daughter of Distorted Humor. She was purchased by the partnership of Norman Allen, Joe Dee Brooks, Scott Bryant, and Suzanne Kirby and was consigned by A & A Ranch.

Super Derby, All American draw

Entries for some of the most notable races in the region will be drawn Monday.

Louisiana Downs will take entries for the Grade 3, $300,000 Super Derby, a 1 1/16-mile race to be run Sept. 2.

Ruidoso Downs will draw post positions for the Grade 1, $3 million All American Futurity for Quarter Horses during a 2 p.m. ceremony at its sales pavilion. The race is Sept. 3. At the same ceremonial draw, the field will be set for the Grade 1, $1.2 million All American Derby for Quarter Horses. It runs Sept. 2.

◗ The Louisiana Racing Commission meets Monday.