$1M Into Mischief Colt Headed to Japan

Japanese trainer Hideyuki Mori, a familiar face on the U.S. sales scene, was at the ready Aug. 8 during The Saratoga Sale, Fasig-Tipton's selected yearlings sale, where he signed the ticket for a $1 million son of Into Mischief  .

Consigned as Hip 74 by Blake-Albina Thoroughbred Services, the colt is a homebred for Newtown Anner Stud's Ron Blake and Hanzly Albina.

"We're excited. We always loved the horse," Ron Blake said. "He's been push button since Day One. He was born a beautiful horse and just got better and better."

The Kentucky-bred colt out of Shopit, a winning mare by Yes It's True, is a full sibling to the precocious Shoplifted  , a grade 1-placed stakes-winning runner who was second in the 2019 Runhappy Hopeful Stakes (G1) in his second start at 2 just across the way at Saratoga Race Course. He followed that effort up with a fifth in the American Pharoah Stakes (G1) and ran to a seventh-place finish in the TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), then returned to the winner's circle at the end of the year in the Remington Springboard Mile Stakes. 

Speaking through his translator, Mori said: "He was the first horse (I) looked at when (I) arrived on the sales grounds."

The April-born colt comes from the family of Shop Here, dam of grade 2-placed stakes winner Fifth Avenue  and of Shoppers Return, dam of Imprimis , a winner on the turf in the Shakertown Stakes (G2T) at Keeneland and the Runhappy Turf Sprint Stakes (G3T).

The price was a surprise for Blake, who was thrilled with the result. He commented, "We weren't sure about reaching a million, but it's exciting when you do." 

The strong market seen Monday evening was ushered in by a packed sales pavilion.

Blake added: "We had two horses to bring up tonight, and we've sold them both. For us, we're pretty excited, and it (the market) looks strong from what I could tell."

After he is joined by the additional purchases Mori plans to make at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, the colt will be headed overseas to start as a juvenile.

Mori hopes to pick up some more runners during the second day of selling Aug. 9 at Fasig-Tipton. Earlier in the evening he purchased Hip 45, a $240,000 son of Classic Empire   from Machmer Hall Sales. The colt out of Pink Nightie was bred in Kentucky by Jeff Ganje and consigned to the 2021 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, where Machmer Hall picked the pinhook up for $50,000.

"The Japanese have been doing very well. They've been coming over and buying a lot of really good horses here," Blake said. "I'm sure he has a really good chance to do very well over there. Who knows, they've been bringing more horses back this way for the good races, and maybe he'll do that."