Two highly regarded organizations in the Thoroughbred racing and training field have announced that they will partner: Pike Racing will relocate its operations to the Highlander Training Center in Sulfur Springs, Texas, effective July 1, 2023.
Owned by Al and Salley Pike; Pike Racing has become the nation’s most prominent sales fixture for two-year-olds in training, and their graduates have enjoyed remarkable success in the sales round. and at the racecourse. In 2016, they sold their first multimillion-dollar 2-year-old, chubby Uncle Mo, later named Modest Maven. She is the dam of the winning Arctic Arrogance and Overstep bets. In 2020, Pike Racing sold Shaaz for $1.1 million. At the most recent OBS sale in March, the Pikes family sold a Constitution pony for $625,000, and at a recent Texas 2-year-olds auction they were top sellers. , a Tapwrit dark horse brought in $300,000. In the last four years, Pike Racing has sold more than $10.6 million in two-year-olds, with a focus on auctions like the OBS March, Fasig-Tipton Midlantic and the two-year-old auction. age in Texas.
Among Pike Racing’s graduates are three Kentucky Derby starters — Vyjack, who beat Gotham, Jerome and Kelso to $1.4 million in his career; Vicar’s In Trouble, who won Louisiana and the Super Derbies for over $1.2 million; and Frammento, who made more than $420,000. Mimi Kakushi, the most recent UAE Oaks winner, also trained early with Pike Racing before selling for $250,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale.
“I’m very excited about this,” Al Pike said, referring to the agreement to move its operations to the Highlander facilities. A native Texan from Palestine, literally just down the road (Hwy. 19) from Highlander. Pike said he has been looking forward to “getting back to Texas” for years. “Salley and I are both Texans, and it’s great to be able to come back home. I think this will work out perfectly, both for Highlander and for us.”
Just as Pike Racing has risen to prominence in recent years, so has the Highlander Training Center. Founded in 2017 by owner Larry Hirsch, Highlander offers state-of-the-art facilities and a top-notch cavalry team, including resident trainers Shannon Ritter and Jon Newbold. Ritter led horse training back to Highlander’s track after being fired as well as HTC’s Fitness & Therapy Center. Newbold heads the groundbreaking division for ponies at Highlander.
Last year also saw Highlander bring a large shipment to the Texas Yearling Sale at Lone Star Park, having the highest average sales of any shipper and top selling. This year Highlander is returning to the Texas Yearling Sale (August 28) at Lone Star Park with a big shipment.
“We saw Al & Salley base their two-year-old training operation in Highlander as a unique opportunity for the participants,” said Jeff Hooper, President and CEO of Highlander. “We have received numerous requests from clients to add horse preparation for two-year training sales to our operations. There is a market demand for premium service in this area. and the opportunity to partner with Al and Salley for them to base their operations here in Highlander was a perfect fit.
Hooper continued: “This really makes Highlander a full-service operation for horse owners and trainers looking for the highest level of customer care and riding technique. .
“Shannon (Ritter) is respected nationally by fellow trainers for her riding skills and attention to detail. She used to be a professional equestrian, working with top horses. as race track trainer and head of the Therapy Center at WinStar Ranch prior to his upcoming move to HTC Jon Newbold has over 30 years of experience training and pre-training ponies to prepare them for a successful career on the track.Now, with our relationship with Pike Racing, we can provide our customers with the same premium service when they join Hooper said.
Describing Highlander as a first-rate establishment, Pike said: “We look forward to continuing our relationships with existing customers, as well as getting to know new customers who want to attend the two-year old sales training course. with us. This is a great opportunity for everyone.”
The Highlander Training Center is located on 190 acres near Sulfur Springs, Texas, 80 miles east of Dallas. Newly remodeled 5/8 mile training track facility; a 1 & 3/8 mile grass gallop, a full fitness & therapy center, three state-of-the-art barns, 11 pastures and 16 grazing yards & barns.
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