Texas Sale Off to Slow Start, Stronger Second Day Expected

The Fasig-Tipton Summer Texas yearling sale got off to a slow start Monday with 129 horses selling for an average of $10,373 and a median of $5,000.

Because the sales company eliminated a select sale format used last year, no comparable sales figures with the first day in 2001 were available. The select portion, which was the first 120 hips sold a year ago, was eliminated because it seemed out of place in a two-day sale, according to Boyd Browning Jr., Fasig-Tipton's executive vice president and chief operating officer.

"If there is a good horse anywhere in the sales, buyers will find him and wait for him," Browning said.

Consignors and sales officials, however, were not surprised by the sale results. Horses with good conformation and pedigree sold well and the others were either let go for relatively little money or bought back with the intention of racing them.

"The sale was really what we expected," Browning said. "It wasn't weaker than we expected and we had some horses that sold well."

The top selling for the opening session of the two-day sale was a $60,000 colt by Wild Zone out of Green Reader (by Buckaroo) who was bought by Randy Gammill of Oklahoma. Larry T. Smith and Hidden Valley Thoroughbreds sold the colt as agent.

"He just looked like an athlete," said trainer Rick Engel, who handles all Gammill horses. "He'll go back to the farm at Oklahoma City and we'll get him ready to run."

Green Reader was a winner of $116,605 and has already produced a stakes winner by Wild Zone named Wild Hits. The colt won the Texas Thoroughbred Association Sales Futurity and set a track record in the Sugar Bowl Stakes at Fair Grounds.

Consignors and sales officials said they expect Tuesday's session to be a bit stronger. The sale, which is held near Lone Star Park, begins at 11 a.m.