Million-Dollar Matings

The fireworks at the annual Keeneland and Fasig-Tipton November sales are always a highlight of the year as seven-figure bids abound on some of racing's top broodmares and broodmare prospects. But after the dust settles, it can be years before words get out on the breeding careers of the sales' top offerings. We caught up with the connections of a few of these most recent million-dollar broodmares and learned of their mating plans for 2021 in the first edition of our 'Million-Dollar Matings' series.

LADY AURELIA (Scat Daddy-D'Wildcat Speed, by Forest Wildcat)

Sale: 2018 Fasig-Tipton November Sale

Purchaser/Owner: Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings

Produce Record: None, currently in foal to Curlin

2021 Booking: Into Mischief

European champion and 'TDN Rising Star' Lady Aurelia returned to the farm where she was bred after Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings went to $7.5 million at the record-breaking 2018 Fasig-Tipton November Sale to buy out racing partner Peter Leidel.

While the daughter of Scat Daddy was barren to Curlin in 2020, she was bred back to the Hill 'n' Dale flagbearer in late March last year and is now expecting her first foal any day. She will then visit champion sire Into Mischief.

“Into Mischief gets horses of all dimensions,” said Stonestreet bloodstock agent John Moynihan. “With any of our mares such as her that are at the elite level of what we have, we just want to give them the absolute best chance we can. With Into Mischief, he gets great colts and great fillies. More importantly, he gets a lot of precociousness and you kind of double down on that with her because she was so early and precocious herself. We're very excited with what this mating can produce.”

The cross has already produced Shadwell's Mutasaabeq (Into Mischief-Downside Scenario, by Scat Daddy), winner of the 2020 GII Bourbon S. and this year's Mucho Macho Man S.

Lady Aurelia captured both the G2 Queen Mary S. at Royal Ascot and the G1 Prix Morny as a juvenile for trainer Wesley Ward in 2016. Those accomplishments earned her the title of the first American-based horse to receive a Cartier Award when she was named Europe's champion 2-year-old filly. At three, she won the listed Giant's Causeway S. at Keeneland before returning to Royal Ascot to take the G1 King's Stand S.

SHAMROCK ROSE (First Dude-Slew's Quality, by Elusive Quality)

Sale: 2019 Fasig-Tipton November Sale

Purchaser/Owner: Mike Shannon, agent

Produce Record: 2021 War Front colt

2021 Booking: Nyquist

Eclipse and Breeders' Cup Champion Shamrock Rose was purchased for $2.5 million at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton November Sale for agent Mike Shannon.

She was bred to War Front as a maiden mare and produced a colt by the Claiborne sire on February 4 this year at Lane's End Farm.

“The colt is an outstanding individual,” Shannon said. “He has great conformation, is muscled up and came out just a good-feeling, good-doing kind of horse.”

The Grade I-winning mare will be bred back to hot young sire Nyquist this year.

“She ended up being 16'3,” Shannon reported. “War Front is a smaller-type stallion so we thought that would fit well on conformation. Then on Nyquist, we thought the pedigree match would work really well for us.”

The leading freshman sire of 2020, Nyquist still leads his class in progeny earnings this year. Both of his Grade I winners, Breeders' Cup Champion Vequist and Gretky The Great, are out of mares with A.P. Indy as their grandsire. He also has two Grade I-placed winners with dams hailing from the A.P. Indy line. Shamrock Rose's sire First Dude is a grandson of A.P. Indy.

Campaigned by Mark Casse and Conrad Farms, Shamrock Rose broke her maiden on debut in the Ontario Debutante S. in 2017 before placing second in the GIII Mazarine S. to eventual champion Wonder Gadot (Medaglia d'Oro) as a juvenile. At three, she reeled off four consecutive stakes wins including the GII Raven Run S., wrapping up the season with a victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.

MIA MISCHIEF (Into Mischief-Greer Lynn, by Speightstown)

Sale: 2019 Fasig-Tipton November Sale

Purchaser/Owner: Stonestreet Stables

Produce Record: None

2021 Booking: Curlin

Stonestreet Stables went to $2.4 million at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton November Sale to purchase Grade I winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Mia Mischief.

The daughter of Into Mischief will make her first trip to the breeding shed this year to visit Hill 'n' Dale's leading sire Curlin.

“Curlin works so well with fast mares underneath him,” Stonestreet's John Moynihan said. “Barbara [Banke] bought the mare thinking she would be a great mare for Curlin and so we're going to give the mating several chances.”

Mia Mischief was stakes placed as a juvenile and captured the GII Eight Belles S. at three. She was also runner-up in the GI Test S. as a sophomore. At four, she took the GI Humana Distaff S. along with two other stakes victories before going through the sales ring at Fasig-Tipton.

She returned to the Steve Asmussen barn for a 5-year-old campaign after Stonestreet signed the winning ticket, and the speedy bay won the Carousel S. last year for her new owners. She also ran second in the GI Madison S. at Keeneland's July meet before retiring with earnings of over $1.2 million.

SEPARATIONOFPOWERS (Candy Ride {Arg}-Shehadmefromhello, by Empire Maker)

Sale: 2019 Fasig-Tipton November Sale

Purchaser/Owner: Hunter Valley Farm

Produce Record: 2021 Curlin filly

2021 Booking: Into Mischief

'TDN Rising Star' Separationofpowers was picked up for $2.1 million by Hunter Valley Farm at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton November Sale.

Hunter Valley's Adrian Regan reported that the dual Grade I winner recently foaled a filly by Curlin.

“She had a filly on the third of February,” he said. “She's a lovely bay filly with lots of quality. We're very, very happy with her.”

Regan said that Separationofpowers will be bred back to the red hot Into Mischief.

“Into Mischief is a no-brainer at the moment for a mare like her,” he said. “All the partners thought she would be a perfect physical match as well.”

Into Mischief has been represented by several stakes winner with Candy Ride serving as broodmare sire. Last year's GIII Chillingworth S. winner Into Chocolate was bred on the same cross.

Raced by Klaravich Stables and trained by Chad Brown, Separationofpowers earning Rising Star status as a debut winner at Saratoga before running third in the GI Spinaway S. and then taking the GI Frizette S. As a sophomore, she added a second Grade I victory in the Test S. and later won the GIII Bed o'Roses Invitational S. at four.

Champion Covfefe's first foal, a filly by Constitution, thriving at Gainesway Farm. | Jaime Roth

Bonus:

COVFEFE (Into Mischief-Antics, by Unbridled)

Purchaser/Owner: LNJ Foxwoods

Produce Record: 2021 Constitution filly

2021 Booking: Tapit

Although dual champion Covfefe hasn't seen an auction ring since she was a yearling, the $250,000 2017 Keeneland September purchase is now off to a bright start as a broodmare.

LNJ Foxwood's Jaime Roth reported on the million-dollar earner's first foal, a filly by Constitution. The youngster arrived on Feb. 18 at Gainesway Farm.

Roth visited the filly and her dam earlier this week and wrote in a Tweet, “A fulfilling/proud day for us [tagging Alex Solis, Jason Litt and Madison Scott] watching Covfefe smoothly transition from champ on the track to a loving mother. A breeder's dream! What a duo! Thanks Gainesway for a successful foaling.”

As for mating plans this year, Roth said, “The plan right now is to go to Tapit.”

Brad Cox trainee Covfefe broke her maiden with a 9 1/4 length debut as a juvenile. At three, she reeled off victories in the GIII Miss Preakness S., GI Test S., and Dogwood S. After defeating three-time Grade I winner Bellafina (Quality Road) in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, Covfefe took home Eclipse honors for Champion Female Sprinter and Champion 3-year-old Filly in 2019.