$200,000 Free Drop Billy filly tops Texas 2-year-old sale

A Louisiana-bred filly from the first crop of Grade 1 winner Free Drop Billy brought $200,000 to top the Texas 2-year-olds in training sale Wednesday at Lone Star Park near Dallas.

A total of 88 horses were sold for more than $3 million, according to statistics from the Texas Thoroughbred Association. The average was $34,667 and the median, $28,000, both up from a respective $32,671 and $20,000 during the corresponding sale in 2021.

Mansfield Racing purchased the sales topper from consignor Carl Deville. The unnamed filly is out of the Half Ours mare Solo Buena, who has produced a stakes-placed winner in Solo Buena. The sales topper is from the female family of Ide Like a Double, a stakes winner of more than $600,000.

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During the breeze show Monday, the filly went an eighth of a mile in 10.20 seconds at Lone Star.

Mansfield Racing also bought the second highest-priced 2-year-old at the auction, giving $125,000 for a colt from the first crop of Grade 2 winner McCraken. He is named Release McCraken and is a half-brother to stakes winner Magic Tale. The Kentucky-foaled colt worked in 10.20 seconds. Pike Racing consigned Release McCraken and overall led all consignors with sales of $664,000.

Both horses will be trained by Bret Calhoun, said Josh Stevens, agent for Mansfield Racing. Stevens said the Free Drop Billy filly would head to Calhoun’s barn at Churchill Downs, while Release McCraken is to move into the trainer’s barn at Lone Star. The meet opens April 28.

Stevens said Mansfield Racing is a new face to ownership, having started just a few horses at Fair Grounds and Sam Houston.

“He’s a client that wanted to get in the game,” Stevens said of the Dallas resident whose name he preferred not to release Wednesday. “He’s never been in racing before, was a fan of racing and wanted to get involved. He dipped his toes in last year, learning the ropes. He wants to play at the top, but also play in his hometown and his home track is Lone Star.”

Stevens said in the case of both 2-year-olds, he liked the pedigrees, works and physical attributes of the individuals. Both are eligible for the Texas Thoroughbred Futurity divisions later this summer at Lone Star.

“I think that we were looking for something that could run early,” Stevens said. “Obviously, the Texas Thoroughbred Futurity is a big draw for that sale. Everybody wants to participate. They fit the bill.”

The daughter of Free Drop Billy could first see action at Keeneland or Churchill, then return to this market for the Texas Thoroughbred Futurity, said Stevens.

Officials were pleased with the sale Wednesday.

“We’re obviously thrilled to see such strong trade in our 2-year-old market,” Foster Bridewell, sales director for the TTA, said in a press release. “We can’t thank the owners and consignors enough for sending us quality horses to sell and we’re fortunate that so many buyers showed up in a big way. I think it’s a sign of just how strong racing is in Texas, thanks to the increased purses and incentives for owners and breeders.”

The next auction at Lone Star features yearlings on Aug. 29.