Texas summer yearling sale features diverse catalog

Yearlings representing breeding programs across the Southwest – as well as Kentucky, Indiana, and Pennsylvania – are among the more than 260 prospects that will be on offer during the Texas summer yearling sale Monday at Lone Star Park.

The auction begins at 10 a.m. Central. It is a joint production of the Texas Thoroughbred Association and Lone Star, which is located near Dallas.

A total of 97 horses bred in Texas were consigned to the auction. Last year, Too Much Kiki, a Texas-bred by Too Much Bling, topped the Texas summer yearling sale at $100,000 and went on to win the $75,000 Pan Zareta division of the Texas Stallion Stakes this year at Lone Star. Too Much Bling has five yearlings on offer Monday.

The Texas Thoroughbred Association has sweetened incentives for Texas-breds in advance of the sale, by announcing both maiden special weights and allowances restricted to Texas-breds will have a minimum purse of $40,000 at both Sam Houston Race Park and Lone Star Park in 2024. It’s an increase of 21 percent over this year, courtesy of a state law that sets aside taxes on select equine goods and services for purses in Texas.

The catalog Monday also includes 76 yearlings bred in Louisiana. The Pelican State's program has been on display this summer at Lone Star, where the undefeated Strong Promise won a division of the Texas Thoroughbred Association Futurity. Earlier this month, he added a win in the Louisiana Cup Juvenile at Louisiana Downs. Strong Promise’s half-sister sells Monday at Lone Star. She is from the first crop of the Grade 2-placed Aurelius Maximus and out of the Macho Uno mare St. Jean.

The neighboring Oklahoma-bred program has 33 yearlings cataloged to the auction Monday, while the number of Arkansas-breds in the book has reached 30. It’s a growing group, with the Arkansas breeding program thriving alongside the record purses set to be distributed during the upcoming meet at Oaklawn Park.

There are 23 yearlings in the catalog that were bred in Kentucky, two from Arizona, and one each from Indiana and Pennsylvania.

A year ago, the Texas summer yearling sale reported 161 horses sold for $3.41 million in receipts, for an average of $21,000. The median was $14,000.

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