“Werth it”: $500,000 Price Tag for Jayson Werth’s latest Horse Investment for Icon Racing
Ocala, Florida - The first Thoroughbred Two-Year-old-In-Training sale of 2026 took place this week. In the week leading up to the sale, horses breeze a quarter-mile to showcase their potential to agents and buyers. The auction ended on Thursday evening with the highest-ever gross.
Over three days, 439 horses sold for a gross of $71,815,500, eclipsing the mark of $71,473,500 set when 464 horses sold in 2023. The average of $163,589 was up 7.4% from a year ago, while the median was up 7.1% to $85,000, signaling strength at the top of the market.
Partnering with Legion Bloodstock, Werth has been scouting major Thoroughbred Sales over the past year while building the roster for Icon Racing Stable.
The partnership currently has two drafts. Affirmed, the inaugural group, has 9 horses in training. The second draft, Big Brown, has ten recruits currently in spring training at Travis Durr Training Center, getting ready for their 2 year-old campaigns.
The scouting department went into the OBS March Sale with the intention of adding a final colt to the current draft. Not unlike recruiting for the Major Leagues, a lot of preparation goes into reducing a catalog of 816 horses to a shortlist of eligible candidates.
Underbidding the horses on your list at auction makes the process even more difficult but staying disciplined in a strong market is one of the core values of the group. In a hot market that saw record turnover, the team secured the winning bid of $500,000 for Hip 559, a colt by Vekoma. Much like securing a top prospect in baseball, the price tag reflects the team’s belief in this colt.
“Throughout the recruitment process for Big Brown, our team has gauged the market and taken advantage of opportunities when they presented themselves”.
Like any athlete, a combination of physical, mental & genetic attributes are desirable to agents trying to identify young talent. To maximize play, Icon Racing curates a well-rounded roster.
“We’ve got speed and sprint potential. Horses that can go two-turns. Dirt and Turf horses. And a whole lot of horsepower’, Werth.
Icon Racing has already begun assembling its next draft. The selection process begins in Lexington, KY, at the first yearling sale of the year. Limited investment opportunities remain.
Caitriona Clancy is a native of Dublin, Ireland, who moved to Lexington, Kentucky in 2013 to work for international breeding powerhouse Coolmore. With a career rooted inside the Thoroughbred horse-racing industry she blends insider knowledge with a focus on making the sport accessible to new audiences.