Magnier Wins Bidding War for $2.6M Into Mischief Colt

Offspring of Into Mischief   continue to be in high demand, and one colt in particular by North America's two-time leading general sire created a protracted bidding war during the Aug. 10 second session of The Saratoga Sale that saw his price soar to $2.6 million to top the auction.

The price is a new record for Into Mischief, according to Spendthrift Farm where the standout sire stands.

Coolmore's M.V. Magnier was able to secure the colt that was consigned by Gainesway as Hip 168 to Fasig-Tipton's selected yearling sale in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Fabricio Buffolo, buying on behalf of Besilu Stables, was the underbidder.

"He's a very nice horse and he's one we've been talking about for the last couple days," Magnier said of the colt out of 2016 Test Stakes (G1) winner Paola Queen .

Coolmore's Ashford Stud in Versailles, Ky., has had success with another son of Into Mischief this year in freshman stallion Practical Joke  , sire of the eight-length Sanford Stakes (G3) winner Wit  and currently the second-leading first-crop sire by progeny earnings. 

"He's by a very good sire. He's out of a very good race mare … Let's hope he's as good as Practical Joke," Magnier said of Hip 168.

"He has a lot of credentials, he's by the right sire. We'll bring him back to the farm … He'll stay in America," Magnier added.

The bay colt is the second foal out of Paola Queen, a daughter of Flatter   who produced an Into Mischief filly this year. He was bred in Kentucky by Don Alberto Corporation, which purchased Paola Queen for $1.7 million from ELiTE's consignment to the 2017 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

The colt's second dam Kadira (Kafwain) is another stakes winner in the family and his third dam Raw Gold (Rahy) is a grade 2 winner and a half sister to grade 1 winner Point Ashley.

Hip 168 was the first horse Gainesway has consigned for Don Alberto, Gainesway general manager Brian Graves said. 

"We're just very grateful to Don Alberto to send us such a nice horse. He was a physical standout when we saw him at the farm," Graves said. "He was the kind of horse that you got down on your hands and knees and said 'please let it be me.' We were just lucky that they let us lead him around here."

Graves said the final price tag exceeded expectations. 

"You see 2% of horses that you sell in a year walk like that," he said. "And they continue to walk like that … cool and calm the whole sale. When horses do that and you're out of a grade 1 winner, and you're by the world's best stallion, you're supposed to have a chance to top the sale."

Hip 168 was in a league of his own. The second-highest price of the sale was $1.6 million, spent during the opening session by Jacob West, agent for Robert and Lawana Low, for Hip 73, an Uncle Mo   colt out of grade 1 winner Dame Dorothy  consigned by Stone Farm.

"It was a little spotty here on the first night … You do get to wondering as a consignor if things are going to be fair or if you're going to be in a buyers' market," Graves said. "When the quality came in tonight, they seemed to open up. I think there were better horses today."

And Hip 168 proved to be the standout of the sale.

"He jumped through all the hoops," Graves said, "the diagnostics, the heart scans, the genetic testing. He's probably going to be a good one." 

Besilu Stables, which helped to drive up the sale topper's price, ended the sale without any purchases. 

"The idea is just to buy a few yearlings, just a handful, five or six yearlings, to race," Buffolo said. "(The market) was strong, but it's great results for the breeders … We'll try again in September."

Magnier purchased two additional yearlings Tuesday night. On the first, he partnered with Wesley Ward, Andrew Farm, and Dr. Ramon Tallaj for the Practical Joke colt consigned as Hip 152 by Gainesway. The $425,000 colt was bred by Forging Oaks in Kentucky out of the Rahy mare Miss Utada, also the dam of multiple grade 2 winner Secret Gypsy . Fish Stables previously bought the colt for $185,000 from Eaton Sales at the Keeneland November sale. 

Magnier then signed for himself on Hip 166, a Curlin   colt out of a half sister to the late Ashford stallion and European Horse of the Year Giant's Causeway that cost $500,000. The colt was bred in Kentucky by St. Elias Stables out of the Galileo mare Often and consigned by Lane's End. 

During Monday's opener, Magnier went to $300,000 for an American Pharoah   colt that is a half brother to multiple grade 3 winner Daddy Is a Legend . The colt was consigned as Hip 47 by Ballysax Bloodstock, agent for HnR Nothhaft Horse Racing. He was bred in Kentucky out of the Benchmark mare Randie's Legend.