Robert Norman hit the jackpot at the Texas summer yearling sale in 2023, when he came away with both Coal Battle, an eventual millionaire being pointed to the Oklahoma Derby, and Secret Faith, who brings an 8-for-10 record into Friday night’s Grade 2, $750,000 Charles Town Oaks.
“They came out of the exact same sale,” Norman said.
The auction will be renewed Tuesday at Lone Star Park, and Norman said Lonnie Briley, who trains Coal Battle, and Jayde Gelner, who trains Secret Faith, will both be on the lookout for yearlings for his operation. That was the case in 2023.
“I told Jayde and Lonnie I could get one horse that year at the Texas yearling sale, and Jayde’s pick was Secret Faith,” Norman said. “We purchased her for $75,000. That has been a very wise purchase. She’s paid back very well.”
Norman said Briley selected Coal Battle, who brought $70,000 and took Norman to this year’s Kentucky Derby. Coal Battle finished 11th after winning three points races for the classic – the Springboard Mile at Remington Park and the Smarty Jones and Grade 2 Rebel at Oaklawn Park.
“Last night I couldn’t go to sleep, so I flipped on my phone and watched the replay of the Rebel Stakes again,” Norman said Tuesday. “I hope that everyone can have a horse like that at one time in their lives because that is very special, to be able to compete and be recognized in those big races leading up to the Kentucky Derby.
“It’s a once in a lifetime experience. I’m glad Lonnie got to experience it, and I hope one day with Jayde we can find that kind of horse with a shot at the Kentucky Derby and he can get that experience. I want it for all horse owners and trainers.”
Coal Battle last raced July 5, finishing second by a half-length in the Grade 3 Indiana Derby. The horse is being freshened at Ellis Park.
“We decided to give him 60 days off, and I think Lonnie, if everything goes according to plan, he’s going to run him in the Oklahoma Derby at the end of September,” Norman said. Coal Battle “likes the surface and we like racing at Remington Park.”
The Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby is Sept. 28.
Secret Faith is returning to graded stakes competition in the Charles Town Oaks after finishing an uncharacteristic seventh in the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks in March. The earner of $476,022 returned to action Aug. 1 with a 14 3/4-length win in a division of the Louisiana Stallion Stakes at Evangeline Downs.
“She’s been wonderful,” Norman said. “We gave her a little time off after the Fair Grounds Oaks. Looking at that last race, she responded very good with the time off.”
Norman, a 54-year-old native of Alabama who co-owns a chain of grocery stores, got into racing 13 years ago. He said he has about 30 horses in training, between Kentucky, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. He also has three broodmares.
“And we do pinhook,” he said. “So, I’ve done that to help finance some of my racing. And I enjoy that.”
Norman said friends came to him about buying a quarter interest in a young Muth, who the group turned around and sold for $2 million at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. auction in March 2023.
“That was very exciting to be a part of that,” he said.
As for the Texas sale, Norman said he is hoping Briley and Gelner will “find some more good athletes.” The catalog offers 261 yearlings, plus a mixed session. Norman said the auction is appealing in part because horses going through the sales ring become eligible for races in Texas.
“It’s very high on our list because we really do appreciate the futurity and then the race that they run as a 3-year-old,” he said. “That really is a great incentive to want to buy at that sale because if you can do good in those races, it can pay for the horse.”
Norman has won two divisions of the Texas Thoroughbred Association Sales Futurity at Lone Star. The offerings for the 3-year-old division are the TTA Oaks and TTA Derby, both at Sam Houston Race Park.
During last year’s Texas summer yearling sale, Norman purchased Mor Force, who won a recent division of the D.S. “Shine” Young Memorial Futurity at Evangeline.
Another Evangeline stakes winner for Norman, Cool Cowboy, is entered in a Friday night stakes at Charles Town, but Norman said he could instead await the Super Derby on Sept. 6 at Louisiana Downs.
As for Secret Faith, Norman said he has been looking forward to seeing her run Friday.
“One reason I enjoy the racing as much as I do is grocery is so demanding, seven days a week,” he said. “So, I’m thankful for the racing that sort of gives me an outlet to enjoy things. You might have a lot of problems in the grocery world, but thinking about that Charles Town Oaks on Friday night will sort of override it.”
So will a different kind of shopping on Tuesday as the stable goes on the hunt for the next Coal Battle.
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