The Texas Thoroughbred Association has announced the establishment of a 2-year-olds in training sale to be held next April at Lone Star Park. The auction will be similar to the one held by Fasig-Tipton Texas in previous years.

“We are excited to be continuing the tradition of Thoroughbred sales in Texas,” said Mary Ruyle, executive director of the TTA. “We were unsuccessful in bringing back the summer yearling sale after Fasig-Tipton decided to leave the state, but the 2-year-old sale has always been the strongest in the region and we expect that to continue.”

The sale will be operated by the TTA and managed by Tim Boyce, who formerly ran the sale for Fasig-Tipton Texas.

“The sale facility and racetrack at Lone Star are among the best you will find anywhere for a 2-year-old sale, so we expect a strong response to the continuation of this auction,” Boyce said. “We also think the changes to the TTA Sales Futurity will benefit both buyers and consignors.”

The TTA announced changes to the former TTA Sales Futurity, which in past years had been restricted to graduates of the Texas yearling and 2-year-olds in training sales or accredited Texas-breds made eligible through a berth entry.

Starting in 2016, the race with divisions for fillies and colts/geldings to be held during the summer at Lone Star Park will be open to all accredited Texas-breds with a free nomination for horses that went through any yearling sale or a $250 nomination for a horse that did not go through a yearling sale. In addition, every horse consigned to the 2016 Texas 2-year-olds in training sale, regardless of where they were bred, will receive a free nomination. Purse information, a complete payment schedule and information about late nominations will be released shortly. The race will also have a name change to be announced.