By Lucas Marquardt
From the remarkable rise of Into Mischief (Harlan's Holiday) to the top of the stallion ranks to the presence of his four-time champion half-sister Beholder (Henny Hughes) in her new career as a broodmare, 2018 is an exciting time to be at Spendthrift Farm. Fresh off the graded stakes success of Into Mischief's scintillating 'TDN Rising Star' Instagrand, and as the Keeneland September Sale approaches–where the super-sire's best-bred crop yet will make their way into the sales ring–the TDN's Lucas Marquardt sat down with Spendthrift general manager Ned Toffey, who discusses his outlook for Into Mischief going forward and provides an update on Beholder, currently in foal to Curlin.
TDN: When Into Mischief first came to Spendthrift, he stood inexpensively and he made an impressive rise through the stallion ranks. Talk about how his success has corresponded with the rebirth of the Spendthrift stallion operation.
NT: Quite frankly, when Into Mischief first got to Spendthrift, he wasn't especially well-received by breeders. He got here in the winter. He physically didn't look the way he looks now, and Harlan's Holiday wasn't what he became at that time. So he was a tough one for breeders to accept. He's obviously changed things around considerably since then.
TDN: One of Into Mischief's most notable runners this year has been Audible, who won the GI Florida Derby and ran third in the GI Kentucky Derby. Is Into Mischief starting to stamp himself as a true Classic sire? Are breeders responding by sending him Classic-type mares?
NT: I think that as the stud fee has gone up, we've seen the caliber of mare and maybe the type of mare change a little bit over the years. I think you are seeing a little bit more Classic-type mares come in, and I think the results will follow. Into Mischief has been a tremendously consistent sprint sire, a sire of sprinter-milers. He certainly has had his share of Classic horses, but I think you'll continue to see him get runners at all distances of all types as his career unfolds.
TDN: Glancing through the Keeneland September catalog, there isn't a wealth of Spendthrift-bred horses by Into Mischief. Is this because you have been breeding fewer of your own mares to him to allow outside breeders more access to him?
NT: We are a stud farm, first and foremost, and Mr. [B. Wayne] Hughes has always been adamant that he wants to make room for the breeders. So it's quite routine for us to start off the year with a number of mares booked to a given stallion–whether it's Into Mischief or anybody else. And as the demand rises for that stallion, we may back our own mares off of his book. Into Mischief's stud fee has gone up almost every year. He was $100,000 last year. We've already announced him at $125,000 this year going into 2019, and he's never missed a beat. His books filled up quickly every year.
TDN: What is your outlook for the September Sale?
NT: We're really looking forward to the Keeneland September sale this year. Into Mischief is represented by his best-bred crop again of yearlings, and we expect the results to follow.
TDN: You both race and stand stallions. Shifting our focus to Beholder, what do you think it meant to Mr. Hughes and the farm to have such a special racemare carry the orange and purple colors?
NT: I think we always felt like Beholder was a wonderful filly. I think that the far turn at Del Mar in 2015 during the GI Pacific Classic was a seminal moment for Mr. Hughes. I think he went from thinking of Beholder as a really nice filly to being something really, really special. He talked about the pride of ownership that he felt with her after the race that day, and I think that has been something that he can carry with him for years.
TDN: And how is Beholder doing in her new career as a broodmare at the farm?
NT: Beholder is in year two of her career as a broodmare. She's got a very nice Uncle Mo colt who's been weaned and is doing well, and she's back in foal to Curlin on one cover–so she continues to do things the right way. She is carrying a filly, so we're very excited about that. It's a pleasure to have Beholder here on the farm. She's settled in beautifully to her routine as a broodmare, and we treat her very much the same way we would treat any broodmare here at Spendthrift. While she had her foal by her side, the routine was that they would be outside overnight, come in first thing in the morning and get fed and checked over, and spend a couple of hours inside before going back out.
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