by Denis Blake

While the racing and breeding industry in Texas continues to stagnate and even regress, other Southwest states have become a hotbed of activity thanks to slot-machine revenue.

Tuesday’s Fasig-Tipton Texas two-year-olds in training sale will seek to capitalize on that trend with a catalog featuring a broad representation of horses bred in the region.

The two-year-olds breezed on the Lone Star Park surface on Sunday and will enter the sales ring at the Grand Prairie, Texas track on Tuesday beginning at 10 a.m. CDT. Fillies by Aggie Southpaw and Cuvee both turned in the co-fastest one-furlong breeze in :10.20 to highlight the under-tack show.

Although this year’s catalog features about 50 fewer two-year-olds compared with last year, it is approximately the same size as the 2006 sale, which recorded strong numbers with an average of $23,192 and gross sales of $4,476,100. The 2007 sale slipped 23.1% to an average of $17,832 and 27.1% to total receipts of $3,263,200.

“Opportunities for racing in the Southwest have increased dramatically in the last couple of years,” said Tim Boyce, director of sales for Fasig-Tipton Texas. “With purse increases in four of the states [Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Oklahoma], the region gives horsemen reasons to be bullish on the market.”

That has proven to be especially true with Louisiana-breds, which have brought the highest price in each of the previous two years. Tensas Yucatan, a filly by Ide who sold for $270,000 to top the 2006 sale, has won two stakes and banked $315,177, much of which has been earned against state-bred competition. The 2007 sale topper, Righteous Brother, sold for $180,000 and broke his maiden impressively on January 12 at Fair Grounds.

“I see a lot more participation from national players—outfits that usually flew over the Southwest in their coast-to-coast racing ventures,” Boyce said. “I believe many will now contemplate either having entire strings placed here or at the least having some horses with trainers who are already established here.”

Denis Blake is a Texas-based Thoroughbred Times correspondent