Average up at Texas select sale

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Fasig-Tipton's Texas summer yearling sale got under way Monday with a 2 percent increase in its select session's average price and an early high price of $95,000 for a Holy Bull filly.

The select session, consisting of the first 121 lots offered Monday, sold 74 yearlings for a total of $1,841,600, down 3 percent from last year's select returns. In 2000, the select portion sold 78 lots for $1,901,100. Average price this year was $24,886, up from last year's average of $24,373.

But the buy-back rate rose sharply, from 26 percent last year to 36 percent in 2001.

The Holy Bull filly, bought by Gibralter Group, was the top price of the auction's select segment. She is a half-sister to stakes-winner Danzig Queen and to Grade 2-placed winner Eugene Eugene. Her dam, the Roberto mare Queen of Bronze, is a half-sister to Grade 2 winner Kingpost. NoName Ranch, agent, consigned the filly.

The highest-priced colt at the select session was an $85,000 Valid Expectations colt sold by Highclere Sales, agent. The colt is out of Andy's Bonus, a Conquistador Cielo mare.