Full To LA-Bred Champion Tops Texas Yearling Sale

GRAND PRAIRIE, TX–With a winning bid of $150,000 an El Deal colt, who is a full-brother to 2022 Louisiana Horse of the Year Free Like a Girl, topped the Texas Thoroughbred Association's (TTA) single-session Summer Yearling Sale at the Lone Star Park Pavilion on Monday, Aug. 26.

During the sale, which included Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana-bred yearlings, 142 grossed $2,685,200 for an average of $18,910, a median of $13,000 and 45 were listed as not sold.

With a smaller catalogue this year, the gross decreased from a year ago when 175 yearlings sold for $3,240,000. Those figures also represented a decrease from 2022 when 161 head sold for a record $3,416,000.

“All in all, I thought this was a buyers and sellers market,” said Foster Bridewell, director of horse sales for the TTA. “The topper showed well all week, so I was not surprised he led the way. We always appreciate our buyers and thank you to the consignors for all their efforts, which made this yearling sale happen.”

Mansfield Racing, Calhoun Find the Real Deal

After a back-and-forth, the top ticket (hip 7) was signed by Josh Stevens, agent, on behalf of Landon Jordan's Mansfield Racing. The new owner is planning to send his latest acquisition to trainer Bret Calhoun.

Local to the Dallas-Ft. Worth area, Jordan has had prior success at the TTA's sales when haltering Too Much Kiki (Too Much Bling) as a yearling and Free Drop Maddy (Free Drop Billy) as a 2-year-old. Both have won multiple black-type races under Calhoun's care.

According to Stevens, the operation set its sights on the Louisiana-bred son of El Deal ever since his dam Flashy Prize (Flashy Bull) foaled the bay Feb. 21, 2023. The colt was consigned by Oakridge Farm, Paul Pruett at Lone Star Park.

“So, we've known this colt has existed since the day he was born and Landon is always looking through who is bred to what,” Stevens said. “We were excited to see if he was going to show up in a sale or they were going to retain it.”

The colt's connection to the Pelican State champion was an obvious reason Mansfield entered the bidding. After winning the Misty Bennett Pink Ribbon Stakes at Charles Town last Friday, Free Like a Girl is now the highest earning Louisiana-bred in the history of the state with nearly $2 million in her account.

Stevens continued, “We've faced Free Like a Girl before and she's as good a race mare as any. The family is capable and this colt stood on his own four legs. He has the size and scope, and we think the ability, like his full-sister, to stretch out to two turns.”

Stevens admitted the sale topping price was not a surprise, and he thought it could have been higher.

“I had put this horse in the $125,000 to $150,000 range as far as his on paper value,” he said. “The funny thing about the Texas sale is anyone here can afford any horse, so it comes down to ego and how bad they want it. I've seen it get out of hand here.”

Josh Stevens and Landon Jordan | JN Campbell

A former drag racer, who has also competitively shown dogs, Jordan is passionate about the sport of horse racing. Even though he got into the business only about four years ago, the Texan understood before he bought his first horse that you have to do your research.

“I am one of those people who follows things and this colt by El Deal was one we wanted to have,” said Jordan. “His sister is about as good as it gets and is even better than a regional horse. I got Too Much Kiki out of the sale and Free Drop Maddy has done well in Louisiana.”

The Mansfield program has focused on buying young regional horses and focused on getting them to the track. Jordan's competitive spirit which was honed partly on a drag strip has fueled the stable's success.

“So, there are pluses and minuses to having a drag racing background,” he said. “The pluses are you are used to things not going your way, so you are a little more accustomed to it. The other side of it is that this is very competitive. You know I also came from the show dog world…This [Thoroughbreds] isn't as political, necessarily. I love it. What you have to do is get people around you that know their stuff. Having a great team like I do makes all the difference.”

Jordan approached Calhoun to be his conditioner at the beginning and their relationship has blossomed. The Texas and Louisiana-based trainer said he was pleased to see Mansfield win out and was confident the colt was worth the money.

“A very, very good prospect who was high-rated on all our charts, said Calhoun. “It's more than he is a full to Free Like a Girl, which is a lot. But he's also a great individual. The pinkhookers couldn't reach that far and so it was going to be an end user. I thought we could get in the range that we went for. He will get broken somewhere else, then come to my barn at the end of the year or in January.”

The second highest price at the auction was a colt by Collected (hip 176), consigned by Scott Mallory, agent, who was purchased for $100,000 by SBM, agent, for Ken Reimer. After the yearling sale a separate special dispersal of 10 horses—featuring broodmares and weanlings consigned by CS Sales, agent, for Three Feathers Farm–rounded out the afternoon.

Click here for complete sales results.

Hip 7
El Deal colt
Consigned by Oakridge

Sells to @_JoshStevens, agent for @TXRaceHorses pic.twitter.com/WdG8QySuX4

— Texas Thoroughbred (@TTAtexas) August 26, 2024