Unstoppable

Into Mischief dominates the US sires’ table for the fourth year in succession, writes Melissa Bauer-Herzog

THE BULK OF THE US racing season is behind us and it was full of twists and turns for stallions and racehorses alike.

The biggest consistent of the season was Into Mischief, who again dominated the North American general sires’ list for the fourth year running.

As of November 8, he not only had a $5.5 million by earnings lead, but also had produced the most stakes winners, stakes performers, graded stakes winners, and graded stakes horses – only coming up short in the Grade 1 categories.

He also had a final flourish on the regular season with a likely champion two-year-old filly when Wonder Wheel ran away with the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) to follow up her October Alcibiades (G1) victory.

The Keeneland meet was a strong one for the stallion, the track not only registering Wonder Wheel’s two Grade 1s but also saw his daughter Gina Romantica win the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1). Those fillies made up two-thirds of his Grade 1 winners, alongside multiple Grade 1 winner Life Is Good.

Gun Runner looked as though he’d take home the champion sires’ title by Grade 1 winners going into the first weekend of November, but Curlin quickly put those hopes to rest.

It was announced before the Breeders’ Cup that he would stand for $225,000, and Curlin showed why he deserves that fee when siring three Breeders’ Cup winners in the span of just a few races to take his 2022 count to six.

Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) winner Cody’s Wish and the Distaff winner Malathaat were securing their second and third Grade 1s of the year, while Elite Power registered a first Grade 1 victory in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.

Malathaat’s Distaff (G1) victory probably secured her a second straight championship, but also led home a Curlin first, third and fourth with Clairiere finishing third in the photo finish, and Nest a few lengths back in fourth.

Curlin’s affinity for the A.P. Indy line is quickly entering legendary status with all three Distaff runners bred on the cross.

It should be noted that Cody’s Wish is out of a Tapit mare – Tapit himself a grandson of A.P. Indy.

Elite Power doesn’t hail directly from the A.P. Indy line, but his dam is a granddaughter of A.P. Indy’s sire, Seattle Slew.

The second-crop sire Gun Runner continued the success he had as a freshman with his 10 Grade 1 horses this season, the best of any North American stallion of any age.

With just two crops of racing age, as of November 8, Gun Runner was in the top five in nearly every stakes category and easily earned the second crop sires’ championship.

While Gun Runner didn’t see a runner visit the Breeders’ Cup winner’s circle, he was well represented at the meet.

His champion two-year-old filly daughter Echo Zulu returned to the Breeders’ Cup after her Juvenile Fillies win last year for a second place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1), joined by Cyberknife

in the runner-up club after that he finished second in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) with Gunite two spots back in fourth.

Tight at the top for the freshmen

While Into Mischief and Gun Runner almost certainly have their respective championships locked up, the freshman title race is incredibly close with, at writing, just $67,139 separating the top three stallions.

Those three stallions represent some of the biggest farms in North America with Spendthrift Farm’s Bolt D’Oro leading the charge by earnings in addition to stakes horses.

The undefeated Triple Crown winner Justify is just over $11,000 behind, but leads nearly every stakes category with five stakes winners, four graded stakes winners, and seven graded stakes performers – the best of any freshman.

Curlin leads all sires by Grade 1 winners and his champion juvenile son Good Magic is the only freshman with a Grade 1 winner after Blazing Sevens’ Champagne Stakes (G1) win. Sitting in the third spot by earnings, Good Magic has three graded stakes winners overall and Hill ‘N’ Dale has upped his fee to $50,000 for 2023 off his first crop’s performance on the track.

Three Chimneys looks to have another promising young stallion on their hands alongside Gun Runner.

Sharp Azteca (Freud) stood his first season at $10,000 but that looks a value price now. He leads all freshmen by winners and is the sire of six stakes performers and three stakes winners.

The stallion’s introduction fee was at least $20,000 cheaper than any other stallion in the top four. Sharp Azteca stands for $15,000 in 2023, while stablemate Gun Runner is listed with a private fee next season.

If ever there was a missed young stallion, Arrogate would likely fit the bill with the late second-crop sire’s runners taking off this year.

Justify: his leading performer so far is Statuette, winner of the Group 2 Balanchine Stakes

His three Grade 1 winners is second to only Gun Runner and he sits second by earnings on the table as well. The stallion’s has had 10 stakes performers and six stakes winner in 2022s, led by the Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Secret Oath and two juvenile Grade 1 winners.

His son Cave Rock entered the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) as the race favourite but was upset by Forte (Violence) near the line.

As he is currently trained by Bob Baffert, he can’t accrue Road to the Kentucky Derby points due to Baffert’s Churchill suspension; it won’t be surprising to see the colt in a different barn come the final round of prep races next year.

New names for 2023

Cave Rock likely has at least another year before he can represent Arrogate in the breeding shed but there is no such wait for Gun Runner, who already has two stallion sons already announced.

The aforementioned Cyberknife is set to race at least once more this season before retiring to Spendthrift Farm for the 2023 breeding season, while Gun Runner’s Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Early Voting is already settled in at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud.

A stud fee has not yet been announced for Cyberknife but Early Voting is set to stand for $25,000.

It looks to be a competitive class of freshmen in the breeding shed next season with 28 new stallions currently advertised on the Bloodhorse’s Stallion Register, including some of the biggest names from this year.

Not surprisingly, the undefeated Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner Flightline leads the class at $200,000, while Life Is Good’s (Into Mischief), also a four-time Grade 1 winner, tucks in at $100,000 by WinStar Farm.

That is $50,000 higher than the $50,000 fee that the champion sprinter Jackie’s Warrior (Maclean’s Music) has been set at by Spendthrift Farm. The bulk of next year’s new stallions are standing for $25,000 or less.

A few years after losing Arrogate, Juddmonte Farms is back in the stallion business in Kentucky with Mandaloun (Into Mischief) taking up residence as one of three Into Mischief sons to retire to Kentucky breeding sheds next year.

Mandaloun is the official 2021 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner as well as the winner of last year’s Haskell Stakes (G1).

The four-year-old raced four times this year with a win in the Louisiana Stakes (G1).

Those who like watching the older Dirt male division can rejoice in what looks like it may be a deep one in 2023.

There is a chance that Epicenter (Not This Time) may join the stallion ranks for the 2023 breeding season. He recently underwent a successful surgery due to a career-ending injury sustained in this year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic yet a decision on if he’ll stand in 2023 has yet to be made.