Texas Red Relocated to Ohio's Buckeye Stallion Station

Eric Hurst's fledgling Ohio breeding operation got a significant boost two weeks ago when he landed Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) winner and fourth-crop sire Texas Red  for his stallion roster.

The 11-year-old son of Afleet Alex  is now covering mares at Buckeye Stallion Station, a 130-acre subsidiary of Hurst Racing Stables near Hubbard, Ohio. The stallion stands for $3,000, with special consideration given to approved mares.

"I have a 10-year plan, and I am fortunate Texas Red came to me in year seven," Hurst said of the breeding operation he runs along with a well-established rehabilitation and lay-up program. "He is an amazing horse; a stunningly wonderful horse to look at and, I think, a terrific opportunity for Ohio breeders."

Texas Red had been standing at Crestwood Farm near Lexington since 2017 but he gradually got lost in the relentless waves of first-year sires.

"He got good support his first couple of years and then everyone is focusing on the new stallions," said Erich Brehm, who raced and co-owns Texas Red with Wayne Detmar, Lee Michaels, Gene Voss, and trainer Keith Desormeaux. "We needed a new home because he just wasn't getting the mares. In hindsight, I would have started him out in a regional market because there is a lot of support available with state-bred money."

Brehm started shopping the stallion at the beginning of February and got inquiries from farms in Arizona, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Texas. The ownership group went with Buckeye Stallion Station because they liked the Ohio-accredited program and Texas Red already had several good runners in Ohio.

"He has several foals running here, and he has a following," said Hurst, noting the successes of Red Hot Lass , who has two wins and a second at Mahoning Valley Race Course this year, and Somuchsugar , who was second in the Best of Ohio Miss Ohio Stakes at 2 and also has two wins this year at Mahoning Valley.

"If these horses had been Ohio-accredited, then they could have had $18,000 to $20,000 added to their purses," he said. "I feel Texas Red will represent himself very well here."

Bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, Texas Red is out of the Chilean group 3-placed stakes winner Ramatuelle, who is from the family of several Chilean champions. Afleet Alex became champion 3-year-old colt for 2005 after winning the Preakness Stakes (G1) and Belmont Stakes (G1) after finishing third in the Kentucky Derby (G1).

Brehm bought Texas Red for $17,000 from Three Chimneys Sales' consignment at the 2013 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He became a winner in his third start at 2 and became grade 1-placed next time out with a third in the FrontRunner Stakes (G1). He went on to win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile by 6 1/2 lengths over Carpe Diem   and Upstart  . The final time of 1:41.91 was the third-fastest in Juvenile history. At 3, he was runner-up in the San Vicente Stakes (G2) and Dwyer Stakes (G3) before winning the Jim Dandy (G2).

Texas Red would be retired with a 3-3-1 record from nine starts and earnings of $1,767,300. He has sired 36 winners, led by Sorrento Stakes (G2) winner My Girl Red and Dogwood Stakes (G3) runner-up Someone Said So. His progeny have earned more than $2.3 million.