Compared to 2001, this year's Fasig-Tipton Summer Texas Yearling Sale held Monday and Tuesday at Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie showed declines in several categories. Gross sales fell 7% to $2,702,500, the average dropped 8.1% to $10,354, and the median slipped 10.7% to $5,000 for the two-day sale.

The buyback rate dropped slightly from 32.1% in 2001 to 31.5%. Out of 381 offered, 261 sold (three more than in 2001), with 120 failing to meet their reserves.

The sales topper came on Tuesday as Hip No. 349. The dark bay filly by Tale of the Cat out of the stakes winning Val de l'Orne (Fr) mare Winthrop Arms brought a final bid of $85,000. The filly was consigned by Highclere Sales, agent, and purchased on a bid by John Adger for Robert and Janice McNair's Stonerside Stables LLC. She is a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Valarone (Navarone) and the stakes-placed Armed and Ready.

The second highest price on the final day of the sale was $60,000 brought by a son of Tactical Cat out of the Seattle Slew mare Actinella, matching the two highest prices from the previous day's session. The colt was consigned by Kathryn Earley Thoroughbred and purchased by pinhooker Mike Mulligan, who plans to aim him for the Fasig-Tipton Select Two-Year-Old in Training sale at Calder Race Course in early 2003.

Representatives of Fasig-Tipton were not surprised by what they termed a "modest decline" in the sale's numbers based on the trends at other major sales around the country this year.