Four of the five sessions of the 2022 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale are now through, and all of them have finished higher in gross and average than the corresponding session a year ago. On Thursday, the total was $4,946,000 for 164 horses sold, versus $4,771,000 for 165 yearlings offered in 2021, and the average hiked to $30,159 from $28,915 in 2021. Thursday's action was topped by HIP 635 Amsterdam, a Sweet Lou filly bred in partnership and consigned by Diamond Creek Farm. Amsterdam is the third foal out of $527,739 earner and 2016 Breeders Crown 2-Year-Old Filly Pace champion Someomensomewhere. Through the four days, the sale is already at a new record gross of $60,440,000, eclipsing 2021's standard of $56,687,500, and the average is $80,802 for 748 yearlings. "Believe me, if we would've been down 10 percent instead of up I would’ve been happy," said co-sale manager Randy Manges when asked about the record for gross sales. "I had no idea we would do this well. It is pretty amazing. "This year's book has probably been as good as any year. We really had some high-quality horses selling. This is my 30th year, and the opening night session was as good a group as we've ever put out." Four sires have topped the $6 million mark for their offerings, led by Walner at $6,949,000 for 60 horses. He's followed by Captaintreacherous ($6,486.000 / 42 yearlings), Chapter Seven ($6,465,000 / 50), Greenshoe ($6,278,000 / 48), and Muscle Hill ($4,718,000 / 38).   Captaintreacherous heads the sire average rankings at $154,429. He's being tracked by Greenshoe ($130,792), Chapter Seven ($129,300), Muscle Hill ($124,158), and Walner ($115,817). ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter Moving on to gait/sex rankings, trotting colts lead the gross at $19,631,000 for 250 horses, followed by their filly counterparts at $17,935,000 (203 yearlings). Pacing colts stand at $12,571,000 and pacing fillies at $10,303,000. There have been 162 pacing colts and 133 pacing fillies to go through the ring. Trotting fillies are at the top of the table for average ($88,350), followed by trotting colts ($78,524), pacing colts ($77,599) and pacing fillies ($77,466). Preferred Equine Inc. has the top spot for consignors by total, with their 134 yearlings fetching a sum of $10,862,000. Hunterton Sales Agency is second ($9,153,000 / 78 horses), and they are followed by Kentuckiana Farms ($8,010,000 / 88), Hanover Shoe Farms ($4,466,000 / 23) and Crawford Farms ($3,399,000 / 47). Hanover is the leading consignor by average at $194,174, with All American Harnessbreds ($127,909 for 11 offerings) in the runner-up spot. They are followed by Hunterton ($117,346), Concord Stud Farm ($108,714 / 14 yearlings) and Brittany Farms ($108,538 / 26 horses). The top buyer is agent Tony Alagna, who has shelled out $3,014,000 for 21 yearlings. Doug Overhiser has the second-place spot on that list at $2,233,000 for 18 horses, and rounding out the top five are agent Andy Miller Stable ($2,142,000 / 15), agent Marcus Melander ($1,910,000 / 8), and Ake Svanstedt Inc. ($1,867,000 / 14). Hopes are high for a robust conclusion to the yearling sale on Friday, as several offerings by Downbytheseaside headline the session that gets underway at 7 p.m. "With all of the regional sires on that day, it should be very strong," said Manges on the Friday session. "There were a lot of people from Ohio who did not get horses at our Ohio sale. We expect a good crowd and with Downbytheseaside, What The Hill and some Indiana-breds. I'm really looking forward to tomorrow." After the conclusion of the yearling sale on Friday, there is also a mixed sale catalog to look forward to Saturday night to bring down the curtain on the event for 2022. --quotes by Derick Giwner--