Cover image courtesy of Spendthrift Farm
The king is Into Mischief again
With only a fortnight to go in the calendar year, Into Mischief (USA) has an unassailable lead in the USA Champion Sire title with progeny earnings over US$28.6 million (AU$43 million), more than US$6 million (AU$9 million) ahead of second placed Not This Time (USA).
When the world raises a toast to 2025 on December 31, Into Mischief will win his seventh straight title. Bold Ruler was the last stallion to achieve this, winning seven in a row from 1963 to 1969. The pair will jointly hold the modern-day record, with historians having to go back to 1861 when Lexington won this first of his 14 in succession up to 1874. He added two more in 1876 and 1878 to make it 16 USA Champion Sire titles in total.
Bull Lea won five titles, as did Nasrullah, but neither won theirs in succession. With breed shapers like Northern Dancer and Mr Prospector only achieving a Champion Sire title twice, it shows the immense scale of Into Mischief’s dominance. Since the 1990s, stallions to win more than two titles include Danzig who won three titles in succession, as did Tapit, while Giant’s Causeway is the only other to win the title three times in 2009, 2010 and 2012.
Into Mischief (USA) | Standing at Spendthrift Farm, USA
The rise of Into Mischief has been meteoric, beginning his career in 2009 at a fee of US$12,500 (AU$18,800) with only 45 live foals in that first crop. Seven of them won stakes races, and from there, Into Mischief has continued to scale greater and greater heights. As at the middle of December 2025, with two weeks left in the racing year in America, Into Mischief has 186 lifetime stakes winners. His Grade 1 tally sits at 27.
In 2025, he’s had 26 stakes winners with 12 of them being current 3-year-olds and a further three juveniles. He’s enjoyed five individual Grade 1 winners this year, led by Sovereignty who won two of the three Triple Crown races, being the G1 Kentucky Derby and G1 Belmont Stakes. He didn’t run in the G1 Preakness Stakes, but also added the G1 Travers Stakes. Juvenile colt Ted Noffey, named in honour of Spendthrift Farm’s general manager Ned Toffey, won three juvenile Grade 1 races, led by the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, as well as the G1 Kentucky Breeders’ Futurity and the G1 Hopeful Stakes.
Juvenile filly Tommy Jo won the G1 Alcibiades Stakes and G1 Spinaway Stakes. Patch Adams, a 3-year-old colt, won two Grade 1 races, while fellow Classic contender Tappan Street won the G1 Florida Derby. Unsurprisingly, Into Mischief is also going to be crowned USA Champion Sire of 3-Year-Olds at year’s end.
| 1 | Into Mischief (USA) | Harlan's Holiday | 399 | 192 | 314 | 26(42) | $28,671,600 | Sovereignty - 5,692,020 |
| 2 | Not This Time (USA) | Giant's Causeway | 270 | 145 | 233 | 27(40) | $22,594,456 | Troubleshooting - 1,706,532 |
| 3 | Gun Runner (USA) | Candy Ride | 266 | 142 | 213 | 22(26) | $19,616,756 | Sierra Leone - 2,188,200 |
| 4 | Twirling Candy (USA) | Candy Ride | 282 | 134 | 228 | 11(21) | $16,009,111 | Fionn - 1,968,970 |
| 5 | Constitution (USA) | Tapit | 305 | 154 | 240 | 10(16) | $14,586,017 | Mindframe - 1,407,220 |
| 6 | Practical Joke (USA) | Into Mischief | 330 | 173 | 277 | 15(17) | $14,265,508 | Captain Cook - 405,300 |
| 7 | Curlin (USA) | Smart Strike | 207 | 105 | 151 | 10(14) | $14,044,309 | Journalism - 4,190,000 |
| 8 | Nyquist (USA) | Uncle Mo | 247 | 125 | 211 | 12(18) | $12,565,593 | Gosger - 936,845 |
| 9 | Omaha Beach (USA) | War Front | 235 | 122 | 210 | 16(23) | $12,402,731 | Kopion - 890,100 |
| 10 | Munnings (USA) | Speightstown | 359 | 166 | 268 | 8(9) | $12,365,304 | Howard Wolowitz - 394,625 |
Table: Champion USA/Can Sire by earnings in 2025, to December 13 (monetary figures shown are US dollars)
If you believe the adage the good stallions make good broodmare sires, then there are 10 daughters of Into Mischief in Australia to keep an eye out for. Of the 10, two have yearlings catalogued for the 2026 sales series.
Miss Trouble Maker has a Harry Angel (Ire) filly catalogued as Lot 203 in the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
Listed winner Sound Machine (USA) has a Russian Revolution colt as Lot 721 at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
Rise of the young guns
Given the relatively lowly beginnings of Into Mischief, it is exciting to see that half of the top 10 for 2025 are young exciting new stallions. Omaha Beach (USA), who sits in 10th, retired to stud in 2020 and his oldest crop are only 4-year-olds. He also sits eighth on the Champion 3-Year-Old Sire table and seventh on the juvenile table. Omaha Beach shuttled to Australia in 2020 and 2021.
Omaha Beach (USA) | Standing at Spendthrift Farm, USA
Gun Runner (USA) and Practical Joke (USA) retired in 2018, while Not This Time (USA) and Nyquist (USA) retired in 2017.
Practical Joke, who will finish sixth with 15 stakes winners and 2025 progeny earnings over US$14.2 million (AU$21.3 million) is a son of Into Mischief.
Champion 3YO Sire and second season sire
Into Mischief also claims the Champion 3-Year-Old Sire from Not This Time and Vekoma (USA).
| 1 | Into Mischief (USA) | Harlan's Holiday | 112 | 56 | 89 | 12(21) | $13,909,667 | Sovereignty - 5,692,020 |
| 2 | Not This Time (USA) | Giant's Causeway | 76 | 40 | 65 | 11(19) | $9,679,934 | Troubleshooting - 1,706,532 |
| 3 | Vekoma (USA) | Candy Ride | 112 | 76 | 136 | 11(18) | $8,708,546 | Bracket Buster - 725,633 |
| 4 | Curlin (USA) | Smart Strike | 63 | 27 | 37 | 3(6) | $6,864,435 | Journalism - 4,190,000 |
| 5 | McKinzie (USA) | Street Sense | 106 | 47 | 62 | 8(8) | $6,068,856 | Baeza - 1,643,000 |
| 6 | Twirling Candy (USA) | Candy Ride | 82 | 40 | 65 | 4(10) | $5,832,081 | Fionn - 1,968,970 |
| 7 | Medaglia d'Oro (USA) | El Prado | 41 | 21 | 34 | 4(11) | $5,588,623 | Nitrogen - 1,909,400 |
| 8 | Practical Joke (USA) | Into Mischief | 102 | 59 | 95 | 2(2) | $5,194,306 | Captain Cook - 405,300 |
| 9 | Omaha Beach (USA) | War Front | 98 | 54 | 92 | 6(10) | $5,161,094 | Nevada Beach - 426,500 |
| 10 | Munnings (USA) | Speightstown | 111 | 51 | 80 | 4(5) | $4,718,364 | G W's Girl - 221,500 |
Table: Champion USA/Can Sire Of 3-Year-Olds in 2025, to December 13 (monetary figures shown are US dollars)
Vekoma, a son of Candy Ride (Arg), will likely be crowned Champion Second Season Sire of 2025. His progeny earnings of US$10.5 million (AU$15.7 million) are more than US$3 million (AU$4.5 million) ahead of his nearest rival McKenzie (USA).
Vekoma’s 15 stakes winners this year include 13 3-year-olds and two juveniles. His highest earner is 3-year-old colt Bracket Buster who won the G3 Oklahoma Derby and placed in the G1 Travers Stakes behind Sovereignty.
Vekoma (USA) | Standing at Spendthrift Farm, USA
There is one Candy Ride mare in Australia, Andiamo (USA), and her Tassort filly is Lot 769 at the 2026 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
| 1 | Vekoma (USA) | Candy Ride | 162 | 99 | 163 | 13(20) | $10,557,130 | Bracket Buster - 725,633 |
| 2 | McKinzie (USA) | Street Sense | 147 | 62 | 79 | 9(9) | $7,325,004 | Baeza - 1,643,000 |
| 3 | Tiz the Law (USA) | Constitution | 124 | 60 | 87 | 8(10) | $6,749,978 | Tiztastic - 803,125 |
| 4 | Authentic (USA) | Into Mischief | 171 | 70 | 95 | 6(7) | $5,823,749 | Rodriguez - 612,000 |
| 5 | Caravaggio (USA) | Scat Daddy | 97 | 48 | 70 | 7(8) | $5,102,393 | Plensa - 1,234,019 |
| 6 | Volatile (USA) | Violence | 123 | 55 | 72 | 3(4) | $4,600,281 | Speed King - 622,590 |
| 7 | Instagrand (USA) | Into Mischief | 122 | 68 | 108 | 5(6) | $4,266,641 | Superwolf - 239,630 |
| 8 | Complexity (USA) | Maclean's Music | 105 | 50 | 75 | 9(13) | $4,243,465 | Mo Plex - 442,500 |
| 9 | Improbable (USA) | City Zip | 108 | 52 | 83 | 5(7) | $3,565,570 | Governor Sam - 386,300 |
| 10 | War of Will (USA) | War Front | 101 | 37 | 50 | 2(2) | $2,874,758 | Final Accord - 138,406 |
Table: Champion USA/Can Second Season Sire in 2025, to December 13 (monetary figures shown are US dollars)
Champion 2YO Sire goes to Not This Time
Not This Time, a son of former shuttle sire Giant’s Causeway (USA), will be crowned Champion Sire of 2-Year-Olds for 2025 with progeny earnings over US$5.2 million (AU$7.8 million), which is US$420,000 (AU$630,000) ahead of his nearest rival on this chart, Into Mischief.
The pair have dominated the charts in 2025 taking out the quinella on all three major tables: Champion, 3-Year-Old, and 2-Year-old.
Australian breeders had access to the Not This Time sireline through Widden Stud’s shuttle sire Cogburn (USA), who unfortunately went home early with some sub-fertility issues. His covering numbers are yet to be added to the Stud Book website as 2025 coverings are uploaded on March 1, 2026. Not This Time has no broodmare daughters in Australia at this stage.
Cogburn (USA) | Standing at Winstar Farm, USA
Not This Time’s highest earning juvenile is the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint winner Cy Fair (USA). He sired nine 2-year-old stakes winners in 2025, and they won 11 stakes races collectively.
| 1 | Not This Time (USA) | Giant's Causeway | 77 | 36 | 48 | 9(11) | $5,263,013 | Cy Fair - 680,205 |
| 2 | Into Mischief (USA) | Harlan's Holiday | 71 | 28 | 37 | 5(8) | $4,840,859 | Ted Noffey - 1,657,963 |
| 3 | Gun Runner (USA) | Candy Ride | 64 | 23 | 34 | 8(8) | $4,153,492 | Super Corredora - 1,093,600 |
| 4 | Yaupon (USA) | Uncle Mo | 68 | 27 | 38 | 7(10) | $2,575,991 | Arctic Beast - 205,503 |
| 5 | Twirling Candy (USA) | Candy Ride | 59 | 16 | 19 | 2(2) | $2,297,983 | Johnny's Red Storm - 630,750 |
| 6 | Omaha Beach (USA) | War Front | 64 | 24 | 32 | 3(3) | $2,112,680 | Desert Gate - 246,000 |
| 7 | Tiz the Law (USA) | Constitution | 64 | 19 | 25 | 3(4) | $2,090,035 | Dixie Law - 237,388 |
| 8 | Practical Joke (USA) | Into Mischief | 67 | 20 | 22 | 2(3) | $1,896,232 | Corsia Veloce - 378,117 |
| 9 | Vekoma (USA) | Candy Ride | 50 | 23 | 27 | 2(2) | $1,848,584 | Bottas - 175,000 |
| 10 | Upstart (USA) | Flatter | 37 | 18 | 23 | 5(6) | $1,748,896 | Percy's Bar - 555,933 |
Table: Champion USA/Can Sire Of 2-Year-Olds in 2025, to December 13 (monetary figures shown are US dollars)
Yaupon is Champion First Season Sire
No shuttle stallions made the top 10 of the USA Champion First Season Sire list, and of note, all 10 are by different sires. Yaupon (USA), a son of Uncle Mo (USA), will win the title with progeny earnings over US$2.5 million (AU$3.8 million), more than $1 million ahead of his nearest rival Essential Quality (USA).
What is interesting, and exciting, about Yaupon is that he didn’t race at two. He was a Grade 2 winner at three and won his Grade 1 – the 1400-metre G1 Forego Stakes – at four. His win in the G1 Forego Stakes made the global news when runner-up Firenze Fire (USA) tried to savage him in the running.
Yaupon (USA) | Standing at Spendthrift Farm, USA
Since Yaupon’s own progeny are more precocious than he was, and if they continue to improve like he did, then his name should be one the world will hear more about. In 2025, his first crop 2-year-olds averaged US$216,000 (AU$324,000) at the breeze up sales, more than seven times his fee that season, and his fee has been lifted to US$60,000 (AU$90,200) for 2026 by Spendthrift Farm.
His sire Uncle Mo shuttled to Australia for four seasons from 2012 to 2015, and he has 43 broodmare daughters here.
| 1 | Yaupon (USA) | Uncle Mo | 68 | 27 | 38 | 7(10) | $2,575,991 | Arctic Beast - 205,503 |
| 2 | Essential Quality (USA) | Tapit | 52 | 18 | 21 | 3(3) | $1,491,568 | Chopsticks - 193,680 |
| 3 | Maxfield (USA) | Street Sense | 55 | 19 | 21 | 1(1) | $1,449,923 | Max Ciao - 117,000 |
| 4 | Knicks Go (USA) | Paynter | 60 | 23 | 25 | 1(1) | $1,328,821 | Ewing - 165,000 |
| 5 | Independence Hall (USA) | Constitution | 47 | 16 | 20 | 1(1) | $1,254,864 | Victory Hall - 161,700 |
| 6 | Rock Your World (USA) | Candy Ride | 49 | 15 | 19 | 1(1) | $1,220,366 | Taken by the Wind - 180,710 |
| 7 | Beau Liam (USA) | Liam's Map | 42 | 15 | 17 | 2(3) | $1,116,227 | Lanaluah - 151,660 |
| 8 | Charlatan (USA) | Speightstown | 44 | 13 | 15 | 2(2) | $931,464 | Little Miss Curlin - 85,800 |
| 9 | Leinster (USA) | Majestic Warrior | 19 | 7 | 11 | 1(3) | $729,011 | Lennilu - 194,815 |
| 10 | Silver State (USA) | Hard Spun | 39 | 9 | 10 | 0(0) | $609,328 | Swamp King - 122,090 |
Table: Champion USA/Can First Season Sire in 2025, to December 13 (monetary figures shown are US dollars)
