Midlantic sale average rises

Topped by a $100,000 Citidancer weanling filly, Fasig-Tipton Midlantic's December mixed sale ended Monday with slight overall gains in the average and median price from solid gross revenue.

The average price was helped somewhat by a smaller catalog this year. The Timonium, Md., auction sold 448 lots this year, compared with 566 last year, a factor that aided the average price's rise from $7,625 to $7,881. The median price also increased, by just $100, from $3,100 to $3,200. With 118 fewer horses, gross revenue was down but remained solid, with $3,530,500 in total revenue from the 448 lots. Buy-backs increased from 20 percent last year to 23 percent this year.

The second and final session sold 256 lots for $2,191,500 for a final-session average price of $8,561 and a median of $3,650.

Buzz Chace, agent, signed for the sale-topping Citidancer filly. A chestnut filly, she is out of the stakes-winner Majestic Dream, who is by Majestic Light. Litz Bloodstock Services, agent, consigned the filly