Into Mischief: Seventh Straight Sire Title Puts Him Level with Bold Ruler

Spendthrift Icon Matches Historic Record of Claiborne Legend

Into Mischief Defining an Era in U.S. Breeding / SPENDTHRIFT FARM

By Horacio Alvarez

The close of every racing season is usually an exercise in reflection, but what occurred as the curtain fell on 2025transcends cold statistics. For Into Mischief, the absolute leader of Spendthrift Farm, December 31st was not just a date on the calendar, but a passport to sporting immortality. By being crowned the leading sire in the United States for the seventh consecutive time, the son of Harlan’s Holiday (who stood in Argentina with singular success) achieved what seemed impossible: matching the record of the mythical Bold Ruler (Nasrullah), the Claiborne Farm monarch who governed racing in the sixties.

To speak of seven straight titles is to speak of a hegemony that defines an era. Bold Ruler achieved it between 1963 and 1969. And while the sire of Secretariat would later add an eighth title, the feeling in the industry is that Into Mischief has the fuel necessary to keep the count going in 2026. But, is one reign comparable to the other?

Man Against the Machine

Comparison forces us to keep our feet on the ground. Into Mischief’s success is the triumph of the industrial era. His 451 starters in a single season are an abyss compared to the crops of Bold Ruler, which rarely exceeded 30 foals per year. However, a romanticism unites them: both reached the top by breaking molds. While mares had to "earn the right" to enter Bold Ruler’s breeding shed, Into Mischief had to climb from the mud. His first crops were modest, and it was his own genetic fury that forced B. Wayne Hughes to invent new commercial models to give the horse the place he demanded.

Today, at 20 years old and with a $250,000 stud fee, the bay remains a clock. In 2025, his progeny generated more than $32,500,000. To give perspective: he held an advantage of more than $8.5 million over his runner-up, Not This Time (Giant's Causeway). Even if the $5.7 million contributed by his star Sovereignty were removed, the result would have been the same. He is, quite simply, a stallion with no ceiling.

The Siege of the New Guard

But it's not all about looking up. For the first time, second place on the podium was a fierce battle between two names already calling for a changing of the guard: Not This Time (Giant’s Causeway) and Gun Runner (Candy Ride).

The rise of Not This Time is starting to become a concern for his rivals. Not only because of his effectiveness (leading in earnings per runner) but also for his versatility. The fact that 53% of his production has been on the turf opens a door that few American stallions successfully cross: that of global influence. Meanwhile, Gun Runner remains the chosen one; with shorter crops and a stud fee that won't stop rising, the Three Chimneys Farm star is the one who closest approaches the classic concept of quality over quantity.

Heritage and Renovations

In the juvenile category, Spendthrift seems to have found the heir to its management model in Yaupon (Uncle Mo). The bay swept the Freshman Sires statistics, confirming that speed remains the legal tender in the United States.

And while young blood pushes forward, respect remains with the veterans. Tapit (Pulpit), now approaching 25 years of age, reclaimed the crown as Leading Broodmare Sire. He is the "last of the Mohicans" on a list dominated by deceased legends such as Street Cry (Machiavellian), Bernardini (A.P. Indy), or Distorted Humor (Forty Niner). Seeing Tapit’s daughters produce 13 graded stakes winners in a year is a reminder that class, unlike fashion, has no expiration date.

Into Mischief is no longer just competing against the horses of his time. Now his rival is history. Tied with Bold Ruler, 2026 looms as the year the "blue-collar worker" who became king could claim the absolute throne of modern racing.

If he manages to win the title—and it is likely he will—he will surpass a unique threshold that many saw as unreachable... Until Into Mischief, of course...