Stallion Analysis: Maximus Mischief

A deep dive into the current leading freshman sire

Maximus Mischief retired to stud after a brief but brilliant four-start career. He won his first three races at age two, including the G2 Remsen Stakes, by a combined 17 lengths, stamping himself as one of the most exciting two-year-olds of his crop. In his sophomore debut, he finished third in the Holy Bull Stakes as the odds-on favorite, but he never had a chance to redeem that effort, retiring with a soft tissue injury prior to the Fountain of Youth. He was introduced at Spendthrift Farm for the 2020 season an advertised fee of $7,500, and got the kind of support that can be expected from stallions at that operation, breeding 198 mares for 131 live foals reported in 2021.

This is one of the stallions from this crop that always figured to outperform his price point, and he’s certainly fulfilling those expectations, with 13 winners from 37 starters to date. He got his first black type winner on August 13th when Let Them Watch cruised to victory in the Sharp Susan Stakes at Gulfstream Park, and got his first graded black type the same day, as Raging Torrent picked up third in the G3 Best Pal Stakes at Del Mar.

Maximus Mischief

His first foals were very well-received as yearlings, with 95 individuals selling for an average of $54,479 and median of $40,000, and there has been plenty of hype around them from the start. He threw big, attractive foals that were similar to those of his sire, Into Mischief, but with more leg and scope, and breeders and buyers alike were excited about their prospects. His foals continued to impress as they hit the two-year-olds sales, growing into their athleticism and selling for an average of $65,172 and median of $50,000. He had nine six-figure two-year-olds this year, including debut winner Cheeky Gal, who trainer Peter Miller has hinted at having stakes competition in her future.

Today, I’ll be taking a closer look at Maximus Mischief’s pedigree, as well as discussing what pedigree influences might be expected to cross well with him.