Spendthrift Out Front with Top Sires' Fees
Description:
B. Wayne Hughes' Spendthrift Farm has gotten out in front of the breeding season in reporting 2016 stud fees for their top two stallions.
Into Mischief , by Harlan's Holiday—Leslie's Lady, by Tricky Creek, the sire of 12 stakes winners and the fourth leading third-crop sire of 2014, will stand next year for $45,000, an increase of $10,000 from last year.
Malibu Moon , the sire of 92 stakes winners and a top-10 sire of 2015, will stand for the same $95,000 he brought last year.
"We felt like it was pretty easy to assess his value right now," general manger Ned Toffey said of Into Mischief. "We think $45,000 is a great value for him and we thought we would just get it out there."
In the last Report of Mares bred (for 2014) issued by The Jockey Club, Into Mischief covered 203 mares. Toffey noted they received "every bit" of 350 applications for Into Mischief.
Into Mischief is a half brother to Beholder, Spendthrift's two-time champion and winner of the $1 Million TVG Pacific Classic Stakes (gr. I) against males last month at Del Mar. The Spendthrift team and trainer Richard Mandella are considering a run at the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) Oct. 31 at Keeneland.
"There is a lot that could happen between now and when the breeding season starts... There may be some adjustments to (his fee)," Toffey said. "Mr. Hughes has always been a guy who wants us to be selling year 'round. We're not too worried about conventional wisdom. Sometimes people like getting on board earlier in the year. We've found breeders are very receptive to getting signed up earlier and earlier. It also lets us know where we stand."