Carrying the Standard: Tristan de Meric

BY CYNTHIA MCFARLAND

“The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” That familiar idiom can either be a compliment or an excuse.

When it comes to Tristan de Meric, it’s praise of the highest order.

In 2025, de Meric Sales was the leading consignor of 2-year-olds for North American sales, selling 84 head for a total of $17,827,000 and an average of $212,226. 

“Last year was a great year. The market was very good and we had a great group of horses that were well received,” Tristan de Meric said. “It’s exciting to be part of this business. I love what we do.” 

Including the consignment of a $1 million Corniche colt sold to Susan Montayne on behalf of Lee Ackerly during Tuesday’s session of the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May Sale, de Meric currently ranks third nationally among all North American consignors of 2-year-olds in 2026 according to Bloodhorse.com. Through May 20, de Meric Sales has sold 60 head grossing $14,615,000 for an average of $243,583 and a median price of $117,500.

As Tristan de Meric takes over the operation his parents started in the 1980s, one thing is certain: the de Meric name represents a business built on integrity that continues to turn out quality horses.

It’s only fitting that a mutual love of horses brought Nick and Jaqui de Meric together decades ago. That passion–combined with hard work, solid horsemanship and dedication–built their operation into one of the industry’s top 2-year-old consignors year after year.

“She was my transportation; I rode her bareback all around the farm,” he recalled. “I had her until I was 8 and outgrew her.”

Not every kid who grows up with horses makes a career out of them. Tristan admits it crossed his mind to pursue another avenue, but that didn’t last long.

After graduating from West Port High School in Ocala in 2005, he got busy helping on the farm.

“In my early teens, I thought I might do something different. But I came around really quickly and went right into the business after high school. I started helping with training, then became my dad’s assistant and began helping with yearling selection,” Tristan said.

“When I was about 20, we put the first package together with a couple friends and my dad. It was a small $50,000 investment with four horses,” he said. “We bought a group of babies; some went to the yearling sales and some to the 2-year-old sales. One of those was Macho Rocket who sold as a 2-year-old for $825,000. That was the first real crop of horses we bought. We were lucky and made some good investments in the next years; we grew and kept moving forward.”

For many years, Nick and Jaqui de Meric were breaking and training 150 to 200 horses every year. Most belonged to clients, but at least a quarter of them were horses in which the de Merics owned an interest. Those partnerships were beneficial to all involved and some continue to this day. 

“I’ve learned most everything I know about horses from my parents and some really great people we’ve partnered with,” Tristan said. “Hubert Guy is a long-time friend of the family. He was partners with my parents and was the first person to send me a horse when I was 21. We are still partners and he’s still a client today. 

“This is definitely a business that takes lots of time; you’re out there watching the sun rise every day. You have to be dedicated but I think that’s something that came from our parents. It intrigued Ali and me both. My sister and I were very competitive as kids. Neither of us like to lose!” Tristan said, adding that the two have a great relationship. “She has three kids now and is a very talented horsewoman.”

Enter the sales ground at Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company and you don’t have to walk far to find de Meric Sales. Just head to Barn 12.

For many years, starting with their original consignment in 1983, Nick and Jaqui de Meric sold under Nick de Meric, agent. In 2015, the name was changed to de Meric Sales.

“Changing the name was in anticipation of this time and the hopes it would come to pass,” Nick said. “I always hoped that it would be the case that Tris would take over. Ali has married into the Rice clan, so if either of our kids was going to take on the business, it would be Tristan.”

At the 2026 OBS March sale of 2-year-olds in training, de Meric Sales was the third leading consignor, selling 19 horses for $4,697,000. Among those was one of the sale’s highest-priced horses, a $1.1 million colt by Drain the Clock.

A month later at the OBS Spring sale, de Meric Sales was the fourth leading consignor, selling 28 head for $6,375,000.

“This last April sale was really an incredible market. It was an impressive moment to see that $10.5 million horse sell,” Tristan said of the record-breaking Flightline colt.

“Buying and selling horses is the bread and butter of what we do, but it’s always great to have a few horses at the track,” Tristan said. “Watching your horse cross the wire first is a feeling you keep chasing once you’ve done it.”

Take Charge Aubrey was the first horse Tristan bought a piece of to keep and race.

The Take Charge Indy filly was consigned by de Meric Sales to the 2017 Fasig-Tipon Midlantic Sale of 2-year-olds in training where she sold to Deuce Greathouse as agent, for $20,000. Take Charge Aubrey became a stakes-placed winner of $240,271.

Tristan also co-owned Florida-bred graded stakes-winner Simplification when that horse was running. 

“Simplification was out of a mare we boarded for a client. We weaned and raised him on the farm and bought into him as a yearling,” Tristan said. “Due to some vetting issues, it turned out to be more valuable to run him than sell him as a 2-year-old.”

Simplification won the Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2) and the Mucho Macho Man (Listed), earned $873,110 and was Florida-bred Horse of the Year. He entered stud in 2024 and stands at Pleasant Acres Stallions.

“Once Simplification retired from his race career, Tami bought us out,” Tristan said of the stallion’s owner, Tami Bobo. “That was the journey of a lifetime for him to take us to the Derby. To be an owner at the Kentucky Derby was an unbelievable experience.”  

Among the horses Tristan currently has running is Florida-bred My Miss Mo, winner of the Grade 2 George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan at Laurel Park on May 15.

The Uncle Mo filly is owned by Tristan de Meric in partnership with Richard Averill of Brandenton, Florida in the name of his Averill Racing and Billy Mathis’ Mathis Stable based in Oklahoma City. Tristan also bred the filly with Valerie Mastromonaco and Uncle Mo Syndicate.

An earner of $328,030, My Miss Mo was second in both the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks presented by City National Bank on March 28 and in the Grade 2 Davona Dale presented by Inglis Digital USA in February, both at Gulfstream Park.

The filly was purchased out of the de Meric Sales consignment at the 2025 OBS March sale by Averill Racing and Mathis Stable for $320,000.

The de Merics have attributed much of their success to the amount of time they invest in starting horses in the round pen using their pony horses and resistance-free methods. Tristan continues using the same techniques.

His pony horse, Penguin, a black and white Paint gelding, has been a reliable partner in that process. “I bought him as a foal and he’s 13 now. We break all our yearlings off him,” Tristan said.

As much as he loves the 2-year-olds, de Meric appreciates having a hand in the breeding game.

“We have two broodmares now,” he said. “Our crew and I love it when the mares and foals come in. It’s a change of pace; it’s great to have the mares and babies and to be involved in any aspect of this business.”

Tristan took over the vast majority of the family’s training operation last season, including clients, staff and his dad’s assistant trainer, Sandy Scott. 

Both father and son felt the transition was seamless.

“We’ve taken a big step back. Jaqui and I have always traveled in the summer and intend to do more of that,” Nick de Meric said. “I still have a small herd of black Angus at the farm and one small training barn where I keep eight to 10 horses in training for a few long-time owner/breeder clients. Tris and I still partner on a lot of horses.”

Nick and Jaqui are both relieved and grateful that their son wanted to continue the business they’ve poured heart and soul into for decades.

“I’m very proud of what Tris has achieved independently of Jaqui and me. I’m also happy as a dad that I had a son who was so interested and capable to take on the business Jaqui and I founded, rather than just wrap it up. I’ve watched the respect he’s earned in the industry and that makes a parent enormously proud,” Nick said. “He’s carried on our commitment to integrity and professionalism. It’s a very gratifying thing to pass the baton like that. To have wound it up would have been a very sad thing.” 

Tristan and his wife Valerie Mastromonaco separated in April 2025 after 15 years of marriage. They have two children, Elizabeth, 15, and Nathaniel, 14.

“Our daughter is quite the equestrian and is leading her division. She was a recent champion at WEC and has won a couple hunter derbies against older girls across the country,” Tristan said. “She has worked her way up and been showing hunters and jumpers the last four to five years. She’s showing at WEC a lot and up in the Northeast.” 

Elizabeth was riding ponies from an early age and broke her left arm twice as a child, but those horse-related incidents never deterred her.

“We couldn’t get her away from the horses. It just made her stronger and want to do more,” Tristan said. “It’s been fun to watch her grow and develop.”

Nathaniel is very into sports and although he’s also interested in the horses, he’s not as enthusiastic about them as Elizabeth.

Horses consume most of de Meric’s time, but he does enjoy doing some saltwater fishing in the Gulf. “I don’t get out there enough, but I love it when I can get out there,” he said. “I also like to play golf, but there’s not much time to do those activities.”

That’s not a complaint. He’s happy to carry on the legacy of his family’s business.

“It’s something I’ve always taken a lot of pride in, having that standard to start with. I’ve always wanted to build off that foundation and what they’ve done in this business,” he said. “The way we were raised by our parents, we couldn’t have asked for better role models.”

The extensive knowledge and horsemanship skills are priceless, but integrity has been the root of it all. 

Tristan de Meric says the most important thing his parents taught him was to always be straight up and honest and that “it’s better to have a good name than just to sell a horse for a good price.”

Return to the May 19 issue of Wire to Wire