Into Mischief at $250K in 2026, Vekoma Takes a Big Leap to $100K
- Turf Diario
- Oct 8
- 3 min read
The Candy Ride son has quadrupled his fee for the upcoming season, solidifying his status as one of the rising stars of U.S. breeding
LEXINGTON, Kentucky (Special for Turf Diario).- Spendthrift Farm, one of the world’s most influential breeding operations and a symbol of power in U.S. bloodstock, has announced the stud fees for its 29 stallions for the 2026 season. As expected, Into Mischief once again tops the roster at $250,000 live foal, while the biggest headline belongs to Vekoma, the son of Argentine superstar Candy Ride, whose fee jumps dramatically to $100,000, reflecting his meteoric rise among the younger stallions.
“What Into Mischief is doing to extend his legacy—having produced his third Kentucky Derby winner and accumulating ten G1 victories so far this year, in addition to siring stallion sons with their own G1 winners—is simply extraordinary. We are witnessing one of the all-time great stallions,” said Ned Toffey, Spendthrift’s General Manager. “At the same time, we see young sires like Vekoma, Omaha Beach, and Yaupon emerging at the top of their respective generations. It’s a very special moment for the farm.”
The Endless Reign of Into Mischief
The Harlan’s Holiday son continues to break records. In 2025, he surpassed Tapit (Pulpit) as the all-time leading sire by earnings in the U.S. He is on track for his seventh consecutive general sire title, dominating nearly every leaderboard this season, with roughly $7 million separating him from his closest rival.
In 2025, Into Mischief has produced 21 stakes winners, including 14 graded winners and five new G1 winners, highlighted by double Classic winner Sovereignty, his third Kentucky Derby winner, as well as the notable Ted Noffeyand Tommy Jo. His dominance in the sales ring remains unmatched: his yearlings average over $800,000, with 12 seven-figure sales so far this year.
Vekoma: Another Candy Ride Heir
Among the young sires, Vekoma’s rise is the most striking. With only two crops on the track, he already ranks 11th overall among U.S. stallions. His new fee of $100,000—four times his 2025 fee—reflects an undeniable reality: the Candy Ride son is emerging as one of the strongest rising forces in breeding.
Champion freshman sire in 2024 and leading second-crop sire in 2025, the chestnut boasts elite statistics: 16.4% stakes runners and 8.2% stakes winners from foals, the highest percentages among active sires in North America. He also leads the three-year-old crop with 12 stakes winners, more than any other stallion, including Into Mischief, and six graded winners.
With over $10 million in progeny earnings so far in 2025, the Gone West grandson is establishing himself as another major heir to Candy Ride, whose genetic influence continues to multiply at the top level worldwide, alongside sires like Gun Runner.
Omaha Beach and Yaupon on the Rise
Multiple G1 winner Omaha Beach (War Front) continues his ascent, with his fee rising from $35,000 to $75,000, having established himself as the leading third-generation sire and ranking 13th overall. Meanwhile, promising Yaupon, son of the late Uncle Mo and top first-crop sire of 2025, will also see his fee double to $60,000, confirming the strength of a young cohort that reinforces Spendthrift’s present and future.
The roster is completed by other notable names, including Forte (Violence, $35,000), National Treasure (Quality Road, $35,000), Dornoch (Good Magic, $30,000), Bolt d’Oro (Medaglia d’Oro, $25,000), Jackie’s Warrior(Maclean's Music, $25,000), and Taiba (Gun Runner, $25,000), blending proven stars with rising prospects.
With Into Mischief maintaining unprecedented dominance and Vekoma emerging as another formidable Candy Rideson, Spendthrift Farm once again demonstrates why its influence remains a key benchmark in global breeding.
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