The 24th Virginia Breeders Fund Yearling Futurity will be held this Sunday August 24 at the Warrenton Horse Show Grounds in Warrenton, Virginia with $40,000 in prize money at stake from four divisional classes. Renowned thoroughbred trainer and pinhooker Cary Frommer, who recently relocated back to Virginia from Aiken, South Carolina, will serve as Futurity Judge.

Frommer will select top yearlings from classes that include Virginia-Bred/Sired Fillies, Virginia-Bred/Sired Colts & Geldings, Virginia-Certified Fillies and Virginia-Certified Colts & Geldings. Each class has a prize pool of $7,500 and the top two finishers from each class will advance to a final round where a Grand Champion and Reserve Champion will be crowned. Groom awards totaling $600 will be given out to the best turned out horse in each class. Spectators can also participate by entering a judging contest with a $100 prize on the line per class.  

All yearlings in the Futurity are automatically eligible to share in a percent of a $5,000 bonus which is awarded to top performers at the completion of their three-year-old years, based on total earnings. Two bonuses are distributed — one for Virginia-Bred/Sired entrants and another for Virginia-Certified ones.    

Futurity judging is based on conformation, quality, substance and suitability of entries to become racehorses. Frommer also bases her judgment on overall appearance. “I like a nice topline on a horse and sometimes horses grow into their toplines, so babies may not be there quite yet. I like to think I can see beyond that a little. I like them to be correct too but they don’t have to be flawless. As long as they can run through any conformation flaws and they have fluidity, that’s okay with me too.”

Frommer lived in Virginia for ten years after high school graduation working at various horse farms in the state before relocating to Aiken, South Carolina where she spent several decades. She recently came full circle and returned to Virginia in May.

“I left to go to Aiken for one winter, to get away from the Northern Virginia winter, and never came back,” she joked. “It just took me 45 years to return. I always planned on coming back. I’ve never been happier since I’ve returned. I live in a lovely place in Bluemont and I keep my horses at the Middleburg training track. I’m very, very happy. I love it here.” 

Sunday’s Futurity begins at 9 AM and is free for spectators to attend. Festivities normally wrap up around 12 Noon. Frommer has judged the Maryland Futurity but this will be her first judging Virginia yearlings.

“I’m looking forward to it,” she said. I enjoyed judging Maryland’s before and I’m sure I will like Virginia’s. It’s what I do for a living — judging yearlings in order to buy them. I’m very comfortable doing it.”