History: A ‘Spendthrift Superfecta’ in 2023 Freshman Sire race
January 2, 2024
Spendthrift Farm made history in 2023 when four of its freshmen sires – Mitole, Maximus Mischief, Vino Rosso and Omaha Beach – took the top four spots on the First-Crop Sires List, making Spendthrift the first known farm to accomplish the feat.
“To have four stallions finish 1-2-3-4 on the freshman sire list in a single year is pretty amazing and we’re very appreciative, particularly to our breeders for that accomplishment,” said Ned Toffey, Spendthrift general manager.
Remarkably, each of the four topped the list in different categories in addition to holding down the top four spots by progeny earnings, and Mitole, Maximus Mischief and Vino Rosso all respectively made their way atop the list at some point in 2023. The quartet was also the only four on the list to surpass the $2 million progeny earnings mark.
Mitole, the champion sprinter of 2019, led by earnings with $2,626,827. He also topped the group with 35 individual winners, 3 TDN “Rising Stars”, and was one of only three First-Crop Sires to produce a graded stakes winner last year.
Maximus Mischief’s $2,273,236 progeny earnings were second-best, while he accounted for the winners of most races with 44. The son of Into Mischief was also co-leading sire in all of North America by juvenile Maiden Special Weight winners with 25, tied with Constitution. From those, 21 came on dirt which was easily tops in North America over that surface.
Champion older male of 2019 Vino Rosso’s earnings were $2,193,544, while he led all First-Crop Sires by both graded stakes horses and Grade 1 horses, with four a piece. All four Grade 1 horses were colts going a route of ground on the dirt, a good indication of things to come in 2024.
Omaha Beach rounded out the quartet with $2,129,783 in earnings, but led his competition with 11 stakes horses, and, like Vino Rosso, had four graded horses.
All four of the Spendthrift stallions were successful in the 2023 sales as well, with each of them finishing in the top five of the sire class by yearling average.
After a stellar 2023, the four stallions will once again be standing at Spendthrift in 2024, with the following S&N fees: Mitole $15,000, Maximus Mischief $25,000, Vino Rosso $20,000, and Omaha Beach $40,000.