Into Mischief powers big year for Spendthrift stallions

Maximus Mischief notched the top Beyer Speed Figure for a 2-year-old of 2018, recording a 98 for an allowance win at Parx, which preceded his score in the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes to cap an unbeaten campaign.

But the classic hopeful’s sire, Into Mischief, was not a one-hit wonder on the season – and neither was Spendthrift Farm, which stands Into Mischief in Lexington, Ky. Not only did Into Mischief finish as the leading juvenile sire by several measures – including the traditional measure of earnings and by Beyer Speed Figures – but young Spendthrift sires Cross Traffic and Goldencents led the freshman sire list. Goldencents is a son of Into Mischief.

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Into Mischief was represented by eight juveniles to record Beyer Speed Figures of 80 or higher, a benchmark number in the category, and three recorded a 90 or higher. That gave Into Mischief the top spot by both those measures in Daily Racing Form’s Beyer Sire Performance Standings, powered by Darley.

Along with Maximus Mischief, who won his three starts by a combined 17 lengths, Into Mischief was also propelled to the juvenile earnings title by the likes of Instagrand, who won his two outings, including the Grade 2 Best Pal Stakes, by a combined 20 1/4 lengths, and Sombeyay, who won the Grade 3 Sanford Stakes and finished second in the Tremont Stakes. Instagrand, who earned a Beyer of 92 in the Best Pal, and Maximus Mischief were both individual interests in the first Kentucky Derby Future Wager pool in November, closing at 10-1 and 26-1, respectively. Into Mischief, who recorded his best classics finish yet in 2018 as Florida Derby winner Audible finished third in the Kentucky Derby, closed at 7-1 in the Derby Sire Future Wager.

As Into Mischief has found continued success on the racetrack, his commercial popularity has skyrocketed. Into Mischief, whose fee has climbed to $150,000 for 2019, was the most active stallion in North American in 2018, covering 245 mares according to The Jockey Club’s Report of Mares Bred. Into Mischief was represented by his first seven-figure yearling at last fall’s Keeneland September yearling sale, as Larry Best, who campaigns Instagrand, paid $1.2 million for a colt by the stallion.

“Into Mischief has been very good to me,” said Best, who purchased Instagrand for $1.2 million at the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream 2-year-olds in training sale. “I love the power of them.”

Best also purchased a $750,000 colt by Into Mischief at Keeneland September.

“Everything he has runs, it’s unbelievable,” breeder Lynn Alexander said. “You’ve got to have the sire power in these sales that can bring the right buyers.”

The popularity of Into Mischief – who is by the late Harlan’s Holiday – was further borne out by the Report of Mares Bred, as son Practical Joke, standing his first season at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud, finished fourth in the nation with 220 mares covered, and Goldencents was seventh with 190. The number of mares covered by Goldencents was outstanding considering it came in the year his first runners hit the track – a year when the market may cool slightly until a stallion proves himself. Indeed, he was the only member of his fresman class to rank in the top 10 on the report.

Cross Traffic and Goldencents, both of whom retired to Spendthrift for 2015, finished atop the freshman earnings list, with bankrolls of $2,115,603 and $1,396,758, respectively.

Two-time Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Goldencents, the heir apparent to Into Mischief for Spendthrift, recorded far more individual winners than any freshman, with 29, compared to 18 for Grade 1 winner Cross Traffic. But one of those winners for Cross Traffic was Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies heroine and Eclipse Award finalist Jaywalk, who won two Grade 1 stakes and rang up more than $1.3 million in earnings. Still, Cross Traffic was far from a one-hit wonder, with five black-type stakes winners compared to two for Goldencents.

Cross Traffic is by the late Unbridled’s Song, whose champion son Will Take Charge finished fifth on the freshman earnings list for Three Chimneys Farm. Unbridled’s Song is also represented by young stallions such as Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Liam’s Map, who is a freshman of 2019, and champion and leading money winner Arrogate, whose first foals arrive this year. Bloodstock pundits have opined that Unbridled’s Song’s branch of the Unbridled line could be poised to take off.

“We’re really seeing the best sons of Unbridled’s Song to go to stud yet,” said Lief Aaron of Juddmonte Farms, which stands Arrogate.

Meanwhile, the branch of the Unbridled line that boasts standouts such as Empire Maker, Pioneerof the Nile, American Pharoah, and Bodemeister continues on strongly, as following Cross Traffic and Goldencents on the freshman earnings list was Airdrie’s Cairo Prince. The son of Pioneerof the Nile banked $1,301,544 from runners, including Grade 3 winner Cairo Cat.