Average price up at Texas sale

A weanling filly by Valid Expectations topped the Fasig-Tipton Texas winter mixed sale on Monday when she brought a bid of $19,000 from Hugh Fitzsimons. The auction, which featured breeding stock and racing prospects, was held at Lone Star Park.

A total of 74 horses sold for $245,300, for an average of $3,315 and a median of $2,500. There were 25 horses who did not sell. The median price was up 12.6 percent from the corresponding auction last year, when 104 horses sold for $306,300, or an average of $2,945 and a median of $1,800. There were 91 horses that did not sell.

Tim Boyce, director of sales for the Texas division of Fasig-Tipton, was pleased with the average and median being up over 2008.

"Given the market that's a positive sign," he said. "I think we ran out of horses before we ran out of money."

The sales-topper was consigned by Lane's End Texas as agent for Ed Few. She is a full sister to Valid Message, who was a two-time stakes winner at 2. Both horses are from the winning Wolf Power mare Templemartin. The weanling was bred in Texas.