SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- With a $2.3 million colt by white-hot young sire Gun Runner leading a staggering 14 seven-figure yearlings, the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga selected yearling sale brought the curtain down on a record-smashing edition Tuesday night. "Blown away by the results," Fasig-Tipton president Boyd Browning Jr. said. "Gratifying to see the hard work that our people put in, the breeders put in, the consignors put in, and, honestly, the buyers put in, and to see it all come together ... the energy, the excitement, it just feels so good from an industry perspective. The statistics are phenomenal." Shortly after the close of business on Tuesday night, Fasig-Tipton reported that 143 horses had changed hands during the two-session sale for total gross receipts of $66,955,000. At last year's Saratoga selected sale -- the 100th edition of the historic auction, and its return following a pandemic cancellation in 2020 -- 135 horses were sold for a gross of $55,155,000. The 2021 figures do include private sale transactions following the activity in the auction ring. This year's gross established a record, surpassing $62,794,000 in 2018. This year's average price was $468,217, spiking 15 percent from $408,556 in 2021. It easily outdistanced the previous record of $411,459, established pre-pandemic in 2019. The strong average price was achieved despite economic turmoil and inflation in the "outside" world, but buyers at the highest end of the buying bench may be more immune to those factors, with more discretionary income. "Obviously, there's a lot of things going on in the world, but I think the people who are buying horses at this level aren't impacted as much," said Terry Finley of West Point Thoroughbreds. The record average was surely helped by the 14 yearlings to break the seven-figure threshold, compared to just four last year. Mark Taylor of perennial leading yearling consignor Taylor Made Sales did not appear surprised by this week's staggering figures, noting that this boutique catalog was assembled with success in mind. "I think the market is very, very strong, but as I say many times at Saratoga, when you get a relatively small group of horses that are hand-picked for conformation, and then they also have a certain level of pedigree, that's the most insulated part of the market," Taylor said. "This year in particular, I've been hearing over and over that they just had a banner crop, and I think that's what you're seeing in the marketplace." Meanwhile, the median price was a record $375,000, jumping 7 percent from $350,000. The latter figure, achieved in both 2019 and 2021, was the prior sale record. The median is considered a key figure for market health, because it is not influenced by outlying horses at the top of the marketplace as much as the average can be, giving a better impression of the strength of the sale across the board. The cumulative buyback rate was an outstanding 20 percent, improved from 25 percent last year. Buyback rates at elite-level sales, where horses are under intense physical and veterinary scrutiny, can be high. A discerning buying bench will not be willing to stretch to top dollar for horses who do not pass all their tests. On the other side of the coin, breeders will not be willing to part with quality stock for less than their perceived worth, with some in a position to race buybacks themselves. Illustrating the selectivity of the marketplace, one of the most anticipated lots of the sale, a colt by leading sire Into Mischief and out of Broodmare of the Year Indian Miss achieved a high bid of $1.6 million and was brought home by breeder Larry Best. "To have an RNA rate of 20 percent for one of the most selective sales in the world is remarkable," Browning said. "Some of them will go to 2-year-old sales and some will be retained to race, but that’s a really, really important figure, to be able to have a clearance rate that's that high." A largely domestic buying bench -- there was participation at the top level by several different Japanese buyers -- six of the seven-figure horses were purchased by entities teaming up in partnership, a trend that has proliferated in recent years to spread the risk on high-ticket horses. This group included the sale topper, with M.V. Magnier of the Coolmore group and Peter Brant's White Birch Farm joining forces. "The power of the partnership, which we see time and time again, and I think it's just gonna get bigger and stronger," said Finley, whose West Point partnered on two seven-figure horses. Even with major entities forming partnerships rather than bidding against one another and thereby driving prices up, many buyers expressed surprise at how far they had to stretch for top lots, especially on the second night of the sale, with that competition another sign of a healthy marketplace. "To be honest, we were thinking about a million and a half," said noted bloodstock agent Mike Ryan, who ultimately had to stretch to $1.75 million for a Curlin colt out of Grade 1 winner Angela Renee whom he purchased on behalf of a partnership. "But when you get up to these kind of horses, it's very hard to split them. If they're good, they're good." Surpassing all the stellar lots in his turn in the ring was the $2.3 million Gun Runner colt, who sent the bid board soaring. Horse of the Year Gun Runner, who stands at Three Chimneys Farm, shattered the earnings record for a freshman sire in 2021, and his first crop includes Eclipse Award champion Echo Zulu, Preakness Stakes winner Early Voting, and additional Grade 1 winners Cyberknife, Gunite, and Taiba. "He's an exceptional sire," said Magnier, who went to $1.4 million for another Gun Runner colt on Tuesday evening. "He is going very, very well." Magnier said that all of this week's purchases for the international Coolmore group will go to the operation's Ashford Stud in Kentucky for downtown following the sales, during which period the principals will decide which horses will join which branch of the outfit. "He's a great mover, lovely quality," Magnier said of the sale topper. The colt, who was consigned by Gainesway, as agent for breeders John and Debby Oxley, is the second foal out of the homebred Malibu Moon mare Heavenly Love, winner of the Grade 1 Alcibiades Stakes. That mare, in turn, is out of Grade 1-placed stakes winner Darling My Darling, also the dam of Grade 2 winner Forever Darling. This colt's third dam is Grade 1 winner Roamin Rachel, dam of Japanese champion Zenno Rob Roy. "It's so amazing to think -- you have to pinch yourself," said Debby Oxley. "To think we could have a sale topper out of our mare is just incredible. ... I want to thank our farm manager, Laurie Gimmon, and all of our help at Fawn Leap Farm, and our wonderful broodmare vet Luke Fallon. None of this happens without those folks who are on the ground with them every day taking care of them." The second-highest-priced yearling of the sale was purchased by West Point, in partnership with the Lane's End-affiliated Woodford Racing and 3C Stable, as the group went to $2 million for a filly by Curlin and out of Grade 3-winning A.P. Indy mare America. That makes her a full sister to graded stakes winner First Captain, purchased by some of the same entities for $1.5 million at this sale three years ago. :: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match and FREE Formulator PPs! Join DRF Bets. "She reminds us a little bit of First Captain," Bill Farish of Lane's End said. "Very athletic, strongly made filly. A lot of Curlin in her for sure. ... We're hoping to have some luck with her on the racetrack. She's the kind of filly, though, who could be a great broodmare one day." This filly, who was consigned by Stone Farm as agent for breeder Bobby Flay, is bred on the successful Curlin-A.P. Indy line cross. Grade 3 winner and Grade 1-placed America is from the extended family of Kentucky Oaks winner and blue hen Blush With Pride, a half-sister to another prominent producer in Minnie Hauk. This is the family of Better Than Honour, dam of Belmont Stakes winners Rags to Riches and Jazil, among other accomplished runners. Rounding out the top three prices was a Quality Road filly who sold for $1.8 million to Donato Lanni, as agent, to cap an outstanding sale for Lane's End. Quality Road, who stands at Lane's End, is one of the nation's leading sires this season, with seven stakes winners including Emblem Road, winner of the rich Saudi Cup. Lane's End consigned this filly on behalf of breeders Mt. Brilliant Farm and its owner W.S. Farish. The filly is out of the stakes-placed Bluegrass Cat mare Ithinkisawapudycat, a half-sister to Canadian champion Spring in the Air. Ithinkisawapudycat is the dam of Grade 1 winner Sweet Loretta and stakes-placed Bridlewood Cat. Lane's End consigned four seven-figure horses. "It's a really strong sale, and obviously for quality individuals, there's plenty of depth in the market, which is so rewarding for these breeders and everyone that's worked so hard to get the horses to this point," Lane's End director of sales Allaire Ryan said. "We knew we had a nice group, but this is a thrill tonight. ... It takes a lot of hard work and luck for things to go right like this to get a horse to a select sale."