$77K filly leads Texas sale

A filly by the unraced Storm Cat stallion Rainmaker brought a bid of $77,000 to lead the first session of the Fasig-Tipton Texas sale at Lone Star Park on Monday. Leprechaun Racing purchased the filly from first-time consignor Judy Curry. The auction, to which 417 yearlings were cataloged, was to run through Tuesday.

During the first session, 121 yearlings sold for an average price of $11,005. There were 77 horses who did not sell. Last year, 138 horses sold during the first session of the sale, for an average price of $12,059. There were 69 horses who did not sell.

The session-topper is out of Namora, a winning Tabasco Cat mare who has produced two winners from three foals to race. Curry and partners had bought the Rainmaker filly for $2,500 as a weanling at auction at Keeneland in November.

"I liked her whole conformation, her style, the way she moved," said Curry, who is from Oklahoma. "I kind of liked that Rainmaker was in Louisiana. Even though she's a Kentucky-bred, I just thought, 'You know, she might sell real good in Texas because of Rainmaker being in Louisiana.' "