Into Mischief: Leading sire by earnings, juvenile average earnings, freshman average earnings

What he lacked in quantity, Spendthrift Farm stallion Into Mischief made up for in quality.

From just 21 starters in North America in 2012, Into Mischief sired eight winners, including three stakes winners, for total earnings of $1,171,578. Among stallions who will return to stand in Kentucky in 2013, the 8-year-old son of Harlan’s Holiday finished second on the freshman earnings list, trailing by less than $10,000 Spring At Last, who had 11 more juvenile starters.

Into Mischief led the nation — all sires of runners of all ages — in average earnings per runner. His mark of $55,789 bettered by more than $4,000 the average earnings per runner of Flower Alley, who was represented by dual classic winner I’ll Have Another, though it should be pointed out that Into Mischief had far fewer runners than any other sire on the overall list of leading sires by average earnings per runner.

Into Mischief also topped the average earnings per runner list among freshman sires and led all juvenile sires by average earnings, edging First Samurai and his own sire, Harlan’s Holiday, who set a single-season earnings record in 2012.

Into Mischief won two of three starts as a juvenile, following his runner-up effort in the Grade 3 Hollywood Prevue Stakes with a victory in the Grade 1 CashCall Futurity. He returned the following season to win the Damascus Stakes and finish second in both the Grade 1 Malibu and Grade 2 San Vicente. Never worse than second in six career starts, he retired with earnings of $597,080.

“He was a very precocious horse himself, a Grade 1 winner at two, and he was a very, very talented racehorse,” Spendthrift general manager Ned Toffey said. “And so, if he was going to be a success, you felt like he was a horse who could do it quickly.”

Into Mischief’s chief earner in 2012 was Goldencents, a multiple graded stakes winner who has bankrolled $782,000. The colt finished second to Shanghai Bobby in the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes before winning the Grade 3 Delta Downs Jackpot Stakes. This year, he won the Grade 3 Sham Stakes at Santa Anita. Into Mischief has another Kentucky Derby prospect in unbeaten Vyjack, who won the Grade 2 Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct.

“They seem to be stretching out well, too, as the distances have gotten longer,” Toffey said. “It doesn’t look like they’re just early speed. They’re precocious, but they certainly look like they can handle [two turns].”

Into Mischief is also the sire of standout Louisiana-bred filly Sittin At the Bar, who won two stakes last year.
Toffey noted that, in addition to producing precocious offspring, Into Mischief’s physical constitution and mental attributes help make him an attractive stallion.

“He’s a good, solid individual,” Toffey said. “He has good bone; he’s well-muscled; he’s correct. He’s a very stout horse, just stoutly made. Some of it is the intangibles, too. We’ve noticed that he’s a very intelligent horse, and he’s a great horse to be around.”

Following his success with his first crop, Into Mischief will stand for $20,000 this year. The stallion is already booked full for this season.

“For us, he’s exciting because he was one of the first horses we offered in our ‘Share the Upside’ program, where breeders who support a stallion early can earn a lifetime breeding right,” Toffey said. “The people that took the chance on this horse through that program have really been rewarded.”

Leading Kentucky general sires by 2012 average earnings per starter

RANK	NAME (BORN, SIRE, FARM)	2013 STUD FEE	RNRS	WNRS	2012 AVG. EARNINGS
1	Into Mischief (2005, Harlan's Holiday) Spendthrift Farm	$10,000	21	8	$55,789
2	Flower Alley (2002, Distorted Humor) Three Chimneys Farm	$20,000	111	65	$51,502
3	Scat Daddy (2004, Johannesburg) Ashford Stud	$30,000	113	61	$50,635
4	Bowman's Band (1998, Dixieland Band)	Died 2008	73	42	$42,832
5	A.P. Indy (1989, Seattle Slew)	Pens. 2011	140	61	$41,181
6	Ghostzapper (2000, Awesome Again) Adena Springs	$40,000	157	94	$40,531
7	First Samurai (2003, Giant's Causeway) Claiborne Farm	$10,000	127	73	$39,269
8	Speightstown (1998, Gone West) Winstar Farm	$60,000	258	148	$38,720
9	Mineshaft (1999, A.P. Indy) Lane's End	$30,000	138	78	$38,561
10	English Channel (2002, Smart Strike) Lane's End	$25,000	106	54	$37,933

* Minimum 10 starts

Leading Kentucky juvenile sires by 2012 average earnings per starter

RANK	NAME (BORN, SIRE, FARM)	2013 STUD FEE	RNRS	WNRS	2012 AVG. EARNINGS
1	Into Mischief (2005, Harlan's Holiday) Spendthrift Farm	$10,000	21	8	$55,789
2	First Samurai (2003, Giant's Causeway) Claiborne Farm	$10,000	28	10	$52,110
3	Harlan's Holiday (1999, Harlan) WinStar Farm	$35,000	63	26	$46,898
4	Henny Hughes (2003, Hennessy) Walmac Farm	$7,500	52	22	$44,852
5	Mineshaft (1999, A.P. Indy) Lane's End	$30,000	13	4	$39,373
6	Spring At Last (2003, Silver Deputy) WinStar Farm	$15,000	32	13	$36,913
7	Malibu Moon (1997, A.P. Indy) Spendthrift Farm	$70,000	39	16	$36,220
8	A.P. Indy (1989, Seattle Slew) Lanes End	Pens. 2011	24	5	$35,511
9	Johar (1999, Gone West) Mill Ridge Farm	$2,500	16	4	$32,916
10	Exchange Rate (1997, Danzig) Three Chimneys Farm	$30,000	40	17	$31,911

*Minimum 10 starts

Leading Kentucky freshman sires by 2012 average earnings per starter

RANK	NAME (BORN, SIRE, FARM)	2013 STUD FEE	RNRS	WNRS	2012 AVG. EARNINGS
1	Into Mischief (2005, Harlan's Holiday) Spendthrift Farm	$10,000	21	8	$55,789
2	Spring At Last (2003, Silver Deputy) WinStar Farm	$15,000	32	13	$36,913
3	War Pass (2005, Cherokee Run)	Died 2010	20	9	$27,743
4	Run Away and Hide (2006, City Zip) Darby Dan Farm	$5,000	27	9	$22,120
5	Sightseeing (2004, Pulpit) Richland Hills	$7,500	27	10	$21,689
6	Lewis Michael (2003, Rahy) Three Chimneys Farm	$5,000	13	7	$19,664
7	Street Hero (2006, Street Cry IRE) Vinery Kentucky	$5,000	20	8	$18,396
8	Big Brown (2005, Boundary) Three Chimneys Farm	$35,000	33	16	$17,829
9	Ready's Image (2005, More Than Ready) Walmac Farm	$5,000	21	7	$17,664
10	Divine Park (2004, Chester House) Airdrie Stud	$10,000	20	7	$16,989

*Minimum 10 starts