Spendthrift announces 2024 stallion roster & fees
September 28, 2023
Spendthrift Farm has announced stud fees for its roster of 26 stallions set to stand at the Lexington-based farm for the upcoming 2024 breeding season, led again by North America’s reigning four-time champion General Sire, Into Mischief who will stand for $250,000 S&N.
“Into Mischief just continues to wade further and further into unchartered waters when it comes to the long and storied history of stallions in this industry,” said Ned Toffey, Spendthrift general manager. “Not only is he well on his way to capturing his fifth straight champion General Sire title, he is also backing up that success on the racetrack by breaking more records at the sales, and, perhaps most excitingly, as an emerging sire of sires. Into Mischief had 15 yearlings sell for a million dollars or more this year, breaking Storm Cat’s record of 13 from 2005. And he has a great chance of having a champion freshman sire, as Maximus Mischief currently sits atop this year’s list and Authentic looks poised to make a run next year. It truly is remarkable.”
As he approaches $20 million in progeny earnings again in 2023, Into Mischief currently holds more than a $6 million lead on the No. 2 stallion on the North American General Sires List. He also leads North America with 21 black type winners and 9 graded stakes winners to date, which include 4 Grade One winners featuring Kentucky Oaks winner Pretty Mischievous, frontrunner for Champion 3-Year-Old Filly honors.
In the sales ring, Into Mischief broke an 18-year-old record by siring 15 yearlings to date that have sold for seven figures, including a $3,200,000 colt at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga and $3,000,000 colt at Keeneland September which marked his two highest-priced yearlings ever sold at public auction. Into Mischief’s yearling average of $746,854 from 62 yearlings sold in 2023 is currently $176,267 higher than the No. 2 stallion’s yearling average, and there has never been a stallion with a higher average that had at least 30 yearlings sold. The previous record for million-dollar yearlings sired in a single crop was held by Storm Cat – the great grandsire of Into Mischief – who had 13 in 2005. Before that, Northern Dancer was the first with double-digit yearlings to sell for seven figures when he had 11 in 1984. Into Mischief hails from Northern Dancer’s sire line five generations forward.
Also notable is the early success of Into Mischief’s son and fellow Spendthrift stallion, Maximus Mischief who currently sits atop the First-Crop Sires List in North America as the first freshman to cross a million dollars in progeny earnings this year. Maximus Mischief also has a crop-high 19 juvenile winners to date and holds roughly a $130,000 lead in his quest to become champion freshman sire.
Spendthrift recently announced it will be standing Grade One winners Taiba, Zandon and Arabian Lion as new additions to its 2024 roster. Taiba, who retired as Gun Runner’s most accomplished son to date, is now available for inspection at Spendthrift. The talented chestnut colt was an Eclipse finalist a year ago after dominant wins in the Santa Anita Derby (G1), Pennsylvania Derby (G1) and Malibu Stakes (G1) as a 3-year-old. His introductory fee has been set at $35,000 S&N.
Millionaire Zandon, winner of last year’s Blue Grass Stakes (G1) at Keeneland, is set to make his next start in Saturday’s Woodward Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct, while Arabian Lion, winner of this year’s Woody Stephens Stakes (G1) at Belmont, will start in Saturday’s Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G2). Both colts are being pointed to the Breeders’ Cup and will retire to Spendthrift at the end of the year. Their respective stud fees will be announced at that time.
Bolt d’Oro, the reigning Champion First-Crop Sire of 2022, will see his fee increase to $60,000 S&N off another strong year with his progeny on racetrack and in the sales ring. He currently sits No. 6 among all North American sires by 3-year-old earnings from his first crop of runners, and his 13 second-crop juvenile winners to date are led by the undefeated Grade One winner and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) contender, Tamara.
Authentic, Into Mischief’s 2020 Horse of the Year, burst onto the commercial scene in a big way this summer, with his first-crop yearlings averaging $302,548 from 82 sold to date, far and away tops among freshmen at the yearling sales. Currently, his average is $134,891 higher than the No. 2 freshman sire. The Kentucky Derby winner will stand for $50,000 S&N in 2024.
Champion Jackie’s Warrior, fresh off covering a quality full book of mares in 2023 that included champions Beholder and Groupie Doll, will stand the upcoming season for $45,000 S&N. Popular young stallions Cyberknife and Yaupon are also coming off breeding full books and will both stand for $25,000 S&N in 2024.
Classic winner Mo Donegal and multiple Grade One winner Vekoma will stand for a fee of $15,000 S&N. The latter exits the Keeneland September Sale with his first crop of yearlings averaging $111,501 from 75 sold to date.
Proven Spendthrift stallions Cross Traffic, Goldencents and Jimmy Creed will all stand the upcoming season for a fee of $10,000 S&N. Cross Traffic’s graded stakes performers in 2023 are led by Grade One winner Defining Purpose, and Jimmy Creed’s graded stakes performers are again led by 4-time Grade One winner and multi-millionaire Casa Creed, who is a top contender for this year’s Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) at Santa Anita. Goldencents is a top 10 juvenile sire again in 2023 with 13 2-year-old winners to date, including stakes winners at Saratoga and Del Mar.
Maximus Mischief, Mitole, Omaha Beach and Vino Rosso all currently sit in the top 5 on the First-Crop Sires List with their first 2-year-olds, and all are expected to have significant graded stakes performers in the last quarter of the year. Stud fees have yet to be determined for these 4 freshman sires and will be announced later in the year.
“We are excited to announce our 2024 stallion roster and fees fresh off the strongest major yearling sales I can remember,” Toffey said. “The market for a racehorse is as competitive as ever, and that is a wonderful thing for breeders and the overall health of the breeding industry. It should give everyone confidence and optimism heading into 2024. At Spendthrift, we are constantly striving to provide the best opportunities for breeders when it comes to quality, value, and diversity of pedigree at all levels,” Toffey added.
For more information about any of Spendthrift’s stallions or to set up an appointment for inspection, please contact Des, Mark, Brian or Daniel at 859-294-0030, or visit SpendthriftFarm.com. The below chart includes Spendthrift’s current stallion roster and 2024 stud fees:
Stallions | Stands and Nurses Fee |
Into Mischief | $250,000 |
Bolt d’Oro | $60,000 |
Authentic | $50,000 |
Jackie’s Warrior | $45,000 |
Taiba – NEW | $35,000 |
Cyberknife | $25,000 |
Yaupon | $25,000 |
Mo Donegal | $15,000 |
Vekoma | $15,000 |
Cross Traffic | $10,000 |
Goldencents | $10,000 |
Jimmy Creed | $10,000 |
Greatest Honour | $7,500 |
Known Agenda | $7,500 |
Rock Your World | $7,500 |
Basin | $5,000 |
By My Standards | $5,000 |
Coal Front | $5,000 |
Temple City | $5,000 |
Thousand Words | $5,000 |
Arabian Lion – NEW | TBD |
Maximus Mischief | TBD |
Mitole | TBD |
Omaha Beach | TBD |
Vino Rosso | TBD |
Zandon – NEW | TBD |
*Fees are subject to change pending future race results. Breeders can lock in pricing by booking early.