Mary Ruyle

The Texas Thoroughbred Association (TTA) has named Tracy Sheffield as the new executive director effective Jan. 1, replacing Mary Ruyle, who will stay on through July to help with the transition, according to a TTA press release on Thursday. The holder of an Animal Science degree from Oregon State University, Sheffield is the founder and managing partner of T&L Veterinary Business Consulting. She has been a TTA member for more than 20 years and is active with the organization's Paddock Foundation, which helps find second careers for retired racehorses. Sheffield...

One of the five Texas Preview Stakes on Saturday, Feb. 17 has been renamed to honor executive David E. Hooper, who passed away May 29 following a battle with cancer, Sam Houston Race Park said in a release Wednesday. The 88-year-old had an extensive career in the horse racing industry, which included serving as executive director of the Texas Thoroughbred Association from 1997-2012. Hooper held several regulatory positions, including executive secretary of the Illinois Racing Board and he was a steward in eight states. In 2018, he was the recipient...

GRAND PRAIRIE, TX - A colt by Practical Joke brought $110,000 to top Monday's single-session Texas Thoroughbred Association (TTA) Summer Yearling Sale at Lone Star Park. By the numbers, a total of 175 yearlings sold for $3,240,000. The figures represented a decrease from 2022 when 161 sold for a record $3,416,000 in gross receipts. This term, the average was $18,542, while the median was $11,000 and 77 horses reported not sold. Foster Bridewell, Director of Horse Sales for the TTA, said of the auction, "Three of our top five offerings were...

At 271 head, one of the largest catalogs in its history, the Texas Thoroughbred Association's (TTA) single-session Yearling Sale will be held Monday, Aug. 28 at 10 a.m. (CT) at Lone Star Park Sales Pavilion. The 2022 edition, which reported a buy-back rate of 24%, saw 161 yearlings out of 211 sell for a total of $3,416,000--up almost 6% from the previous year when 177 out of 228 grossed $3,229,600. Growth was also seen in last year's average of $21,217, an increase from $18,246 in 2021, while the median was...

A record of nearly 250 yearlings have been cataloged for the 2021 Texas Summer Yearling and Horses of Racing Age sale to be held Monday, Aug. 30, at Lone Star Park outside of Dallas. The sale, held jointly by the Texas Thoroughbred Association and Lone Star, will begin at 10 a.m. in the sales pavilion at the track. "This will easily be our largest sale since taking the reins from Fasig-Tipton in 2016," said Tim Boyce, sales director. "We've seen some solid growth over the past few years, despite the...

The Texas Thoroughbred Association has announced that registration is now open for online bidding on the Aug. 24 Texas Summer Yearling and Horses of Racing Age Sale at Lone Star Park. Buyers must register in advance and submit a credit reference form in order to bid online. Registrations are now being accepted at www.ttasales.com. "We are very excited to offer the option to bid online, and we encourage all interested bidders to register well in advance of the sale," said Tim Boyce, sales director. "We are also taking all the...

With Lone Star Park officials having little to say about the abrupt shut down of racing after Sunday's first race, it was unclear when racing would resume at the Dallas area track or if the meet will be canceled. Citing a conversation with racing secretary Tim Williams, the Daily Racing Form reported Monday that the three days of racing scheduled for this week would not be held. Lone Star's decision to stop racing may be related to the news that jockey Gerard Melancon has tested positive for the coronavirus. A...

A record number of 175 juveniles have been entered for the Texas Thoroughbred Association's Texas 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale at Lone Star Park Apr. 3. The under tack show will be held Apr. 1, at 10 a.m. at the track. This year's head count is up nearly 35 percent from last year's 135 (including supplements) and more than double the number in the 2016 sale, which was the first held jointly by the TTA and Lone Star. "We expected to have more entries after the passage of beneficial legislation in...