The late B. Wayne Hughes had a feeling about the flashy bay colt. He purchased the son of first-crop sire Harlan’s Holiday for a relatively modest $180,000 as a 2-year-old, and later that year, campaigned him to a Grade 1 win in the colors of Spendthrift Farm, which he had purchased in 2004. Hughes was eager to get the colt into the stallion barn at Spendthrift. He worked to get Into Mischief some support early in his career with Spendthrift’s innovative programs like “Share the Upside,” and despite a modest stud fee and modest numbers of mares in his early years, he continued to believe in the horse. “I can remember a time long ago, Mr. Hughes saying to me that he was very optimistic,” Spendthrift general manager Ned Toffey recalled. “And he said, ‘This horse is really turning into a good sire – we might have a Bold Ruler on our hands.’ And I sort of chuckled to myself. But now, I think the comparison is very valid.” Into Mischief claimed his fifth consecutive North American general sire earnings title in 2023. That is the most consecutive titles for any stallion since the great Bold Ruler led the list seven straight years, from 1963-69. Bold Ruler claimed an eighth title posthumously in 1973, the year his son Secretariat dominated the Triple Crown. Bold Ruler is tied with the pre-Civil War stallion Glencoe for the second-most North American sire titles all-time, trailing only the great Lexington, whose career spanned the Civil War while he rolled to an incredible 16 titles. Into Mischief now moves into league with five other legendary stallions with five titles each, beginning with Sir Charles and Leviathan in the 1800s; Star Shoot, sire of the first Triple Crown winner, Sir Barton, in the first quarter of the 1900s; Bull Lea (1947-49, 1952, and 1953) best known as the sire of 1948 Triple Crown winner Citation; and Bold Ruler’s sire, Nasrullah (1955-56, 1959-60, and 1962). However, none of those sires claimed their titles consecutively. What would Hughes, who died in 2021, say about seeing Into Mischief’s ascent to be mentioned alongside those names? “He might say, ‘I told you so!’ ” Toffey said, laughing. “It was remarkable how he was way ahead of us on this horse. Really, he was an optimistic guy, and he always believed in this horse. He believed in this horse from the very beginning.” 2023 statistics About the only thing Into Mischief didn’t do in 2023 was break his own single-season earnings record, which sits at $28,568,753 from the 2022 season after he topped his own mark. Still, his 2023 progeny earnings of $26,137,372 were enough to easily outdistance runner-up Curlin (Hill ‘n’ Dale) at $18,770,794. In addition to claiming the earnings title for the fifth straight year, Into Mischief led the continent by a number of other measures: ◗ Into Mischief sired 210 individual winners to 170 for Munnings (Coolmore’s Ashford Stud) to lead that list. Into Mischief, who entered stud in 2009, had 460 starters, while Munnings, who entered stud in 2011, had 356 starters. Those were the most for any stallion. ◗ Into Mischief sired 27 individual stakes winners to lead the way on the season. Next on the list were Quality Road (Lane’s End Farm) with 18 and young phenom Gun Runner (Three Chimneys Farm) with 16. ◗ Not only did Into Mischief sire 14 graded stakes winners to lead the continent, going a step higher in class, he sired six individual Grade 1 winners. He ties in that regard with the breakout season for Justify (Ashford Stud). All of Into Mischief’s top-level winners came in North America, while Justify sired Group 1 winners in Europe to achieve his tally. ◗ Into Mischief’s name appears atop the Beyer Sire Performance Standings, Daily Racing Form’s exclusive stallion metrics. He sired 47 individual horses to achieve a benchmark Beyer Speed Figure of 90 or higher; those 47 horses turned in 97 Beyers in that category. Both of those numbers lead the way. Going a step further, Into Mischief also sired the most individual runners to break the triple-digit ceiling, with nine individual horses turning in 11 Beyers of 100 or higher. Leading runners Into Mischief’s top earner on the season was Godolphin’s homebred millionaire Pretty Mischievous, winner of the Kentucky Oaks. In addition to that filly classic, at 1 1/8 miles, Pretty Mischievous, who has never missed the board, was a Grade 1 performer around one turn, winning the Acorn Stakes and credited with the victory in the Test Stakes. She was honored with the Eclipse Award as outstanding 3-year-old filly at the awards ceremony on Jan. 25. Pretty Mischievous was a microcosm of Into Mischief’s versatility as a sire. He was the sire of juvenile Timberlake and the older Doppelganger, both Grade 1 winners around one turn on dirt; and Played Hard, a Grade 1 winner around two turns on dirt. The stallion also was represented by Atone and Gina Romantica, both Grade 1 winners on turf. “I think it is pretty rare,” Toffey said. “He has been extremely versatile.” Into Mischief is the sire of 2020 Horse of the Year Authentic, winner of the Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup Classic; and of Mandaloun, awarded the 2021 Kentucky Derby victory. He also is the sire of Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint winners and divisional Eclipse Award champions Covfefe and Gamine; Juvenile Fillies winner and divisional champion Wonder Wheel; Dirt Mile winners Goldencents and Life Is Good, both of whom also were Grade 1 winners at longer distances; classic-placed Grade 1 winner Audible; Practical Joke, a three-time Grade 1 winner around one turn; Dayoutoftheoffice, Mia Mischief, and Mischevious Alex, all Grade 1 winners around one turn; Canadian champion grass horse Conquest Enforcer; and Canadian champion sprinter Miss Mischief, a standout on synthetic. “I think what you’ve seen is, for a time early on, he probably was getting a little bit different type of mare,” Toffey said of Into Mischief, who will again stand for an advertised fee of $250,000 in 2024, the highest in North America. “Into Mischief, he started at a very low end of the market, and as his stud fee has increased, he’s never missed a beat – he’s just continued to do well. He’s really been remarkable in that sense. Sort of through the evolution of his book, I think that’s probably contributed a little bit to the versatility. “He’s shown he can get a classic horse, and at the same time, he’s clearly a wonderful source of speed and precocity,” Toffey continued. “It’s a rare combination – and it certainly is one of the reasons he’s been so good.”