Lone Star Park

Capping a productive day for the team of Pegram, Watson and Weitman and trainer Bob Baffert, Desert Gate (Omaha Beach) powered away from his rivals with ease to score in the Texas Derby at Lone Star on Monday. The group was also represented by Usha (Tiz the Law), winner of the GIII Winning Colors Stakes at Churchill Downs on Monday. Pounded down to 1-5 favoritism while getting Lasix for the first time, Desert Gate broke sharply and put the screws to Vintage Cowboy (Essential Quality), who carved out an opening...

A Kentucky-bred filly by Yaupon (hip 59) brought a sale-record $350,000 when topping the Texas Thoroughbred Association's 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale Wednesday at Lone Star Park. From a catalogue of 74 juveniles, 66 went through the ring and 43 were reported sold for a gross of $1,604,500. The average was $37,314 and the median was $21,000. At last year's auction, 60 head sold for $1,689,100, for an average of $28,152, and a median of $18,000. "It's great to see a big price like that at our sale, and she appears...

Jockey Ramon Vazquez reached an Oaklawn Park milestone on last Friday's card when he captured the sixth race, becoming the 11th rider in the track's history to reach 500 local victories. Riding regularly at the venue since 2012, Vazquez steered Cur Non (Coal Front) in a $16,000 claiming sprint in what was his second win on the card and ninth in the last three racing days. He had first call on five winners the previous Monday to equal a local career high. "I had never been here before [having been...

The dual Louisiana-bred Horse of the Year from 2022 and 2024, Free Like a Girl (El Deal--Flashy Prize, by Flashy Bull), was euthanized after a recent trailer accident. The story was first reported on Tuesday, Jan. 13 by the Daily Racing Form. The all-time highest earner in the Pelican state's history with over $2.5-million, Free Like a Girl made 55 starts and got her picture taken on 21 occasions. The $5,500 Equine Sales of Louisiana Yearling Sale grad was owned by Gerald Bruno, Carl Deville, Jerry Caroom and Chasey Deville...

The Texas Thoroughbred Association (TTA) will implement a number of changes to racing in Texas for 2026 and beyond, according to a release sent by the organization Wednesday. Dates and locations for the TTA Futurity, Derby, and Oaks will be adjusted, with the Futurity moved from July at Lone Star Park to December at Sam Houston Race Park in order to give 2-year-olds more time to develop. The Derby and Oaks, run at Sam Houston in March in 2025, will again be run in the spring at Sam Houston for...

After Tracy Sheffield, the executive director of the Texas Thoroughbred Association, posted on Facebook late Wednesday that a buyer at this week's annual TTA yearling sale named David O'Dwyer, who is a suspected kill pen purchaser, bought 11 horses at the Lone Star Park auction, in a Thursday message on X Highlander Training Center in Sulphur Springs, Texas reported that all of the yearlings were safe and bought by responsible parties. This story was first reported by The Paulick Report. Highlander's post said, "From communication we have had this morning...

GRAND PRAIRIE, TX - The annual single session Texas Yearling Sale put on by the Texas Thoroughbred Association (TTA) and hosted by Dallas-area Lone Star Park is set for 10 a.m. CT on Tuesday, Aug. 26. The TTA catalogue has blossomed from 207 head in 2024 to 261 this year. The offerings include 63 from Texas, 115 from Louisiana, 30 from Arkansas and 11 from Oklahoma. An additional 22 horses have been entered for the mixed session for a total of 283. By the numbers, the 2024 edition, which showcased...

Lone Star Park wrapped up its 29th Spring Thoroughbred Racing season Sunday, July 13, handling a daily average of $247,453 in Live On-Track handle and a daily average of $162,976 in export handle over the 41-day meet, which were both increases over 2024 figures by 2% and 5% respectively. Attendance for the meet increased 7% over 2024. Jockey Ramon Vazquez ended the meet with 55 wins, taking the leading jockey title for the second time after having won the 2020 title with 58 races. Among his biggest wins, the veteran...

Down on the Lone Star Park turf, Ritzaphena (Lexitonian--Ritz and Glitz, by Desert Party) held on late to graduate at first asking and also hand her first-crop sire his first win. The 2-year-old exited from the extreme outside and worked her way over nicely to rate in third around the far turn. Gearing up through the backstretch, the filly started to make her move on the leader and she took control around the far turn. Ritzaphena was pursued by Shidoni (Gormley) down the lane, and she found the wire in...

A total of four horses sold for more than $100,000 at Wednesday's Texas 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale at Lone Star Park, with Hip 15 topping the sale at $150,000, the Texas Thoroughbred Association (TTA) said in Wednesday release. All told, 58 of 85 juveniles offered sold for a total of $1,666,100. The average was $28,726 and the median was $18,000. The 2024 edition of the auction saw 66 head go for a total of $2,294,500, with an average of $34,765 and a median of $24,500. A total of 47 went...

Four horses shared the fastest furlong time of :10 flat during Monday's under-tack preview of the Texas Thoroughbred Association's Texas 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, which will be held Wednesday at Lone Star Park. A Louisiana-bred filly by Lone Sailor (hip 1), the first horse to work over the track Monday morning, set that bullet mark for the Pike Racing at Highlander consignment. Out of Isn't She Gorgeous (Yes It's True), the filly is a half-sister to stakes winners Yes Gorgeous (Mass Media) and Southern Beauty (Calibrachoa). Pike Racing at Highlander...

The sales pavilion at Lone Star Park has been renamed in honor of retiring Texas Thoroughbred Association (TTA) executive director Mary Ruyle, the group announced Friday afternoon. Ruyle has a long history with the association since she began as a bookkeeper in 1988 and moved her way up the ranks until she ultimately became the executive director. Her 36-year tenure with the TTA made her the longest-employed member in the history of the association. "There is not enough we can do to show Mary how much the Texas thoroughbred industry...