Spendthrift Farm releases fees for 2023 with notable newcomers aplenty

Spendthrift Farm has announced its stud fees for the roster of 27 stallions set to stand at the Lexington-based farm for the upcoming 2023 breeding season, led again by North America's reigning three-time leading sire Into Mischief who holds steady at $250,000.

Spendthrift has added four new stallions including 2022 multiple Grade 1 winners Jackie's Warrior and Cyberknife - both pointing for next month's Breeders' Cup - as well as 2022 Classic winner Mo Donegal and the regally bred Grade 2 winner Greatest Honour.

Champion Jackie's Warrior and Cyberknife are set to retire at season's end, while Mo Donegal and Greatest Honour are available for inspection at the farm.

"We are extremely excited about the new stallions we are bringing in for 2023. They represent exactly what we hope to do each year, in terms of offering quality and value at all levels of the market," said Ned Toffey, Spendthrift general manager.

Champion Jackie's Warrior will stand at an opening fee of $50,000Credit: Jessie Holmes/EquiSport

"Jackie's Warrior is a brilliantly fast champion and one of the most decorated racehorses to come around in recent years. Mo Donegal is a Graded winner at two and Classic winner at three. Cyberknife won two of the most high-profile Grade 1s for three-year-olds, and Greatest Honour has a rare combination of talent, looks and pedigree that you don't find often at his level of the market.

"From $50,000 on down to $7,500, all four of these horses were precocious, displayed immense talent, are tremendous physicals, and possess the sire power breeders are looking for."

Jackie's Warrior, the reigning champion sprinter in North America, is favourite with British and Irish bookmakers for the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint at Keeneland at around 13-8. The five-time Grade 1 winner became the first horse in the long history of Saratoga to win a Grade 1 in each of the last three years.

Trained by Steve Asmussen for owners Kirk and Judy Robison, Jackie's Warrior has earned $2,779,164 and will retire as the most accomplished racehorse to date by Maclean's Music. Jackie's Warrior's will stand his first season for a fee of $50,000.

Cyberknife became the first multiple Grade 1-winning colt for his sire Gun Runner when he captured a couple of million-dollar Grade 1 races in 2022.

Trained by Brad Cox, the three-year-old scored a dominant victory in the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park this spring over subsequent Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Oath and came back to defeat a star-studded field this summer in Monmouth Park's Haskell Stakes, besting multiple Grade 1 winners Taiba and Jack Christopher.

The chestnut colt has earned $1,917,520 for owner Al Gold's Gold Square, and he'll make his next start in either the $6m Breeders' Cup Classic or $1m Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland. His introductory fee will be determined and announced upon his retirement from racing.

Mo Donegal recently retired to Spendthrift after defeating probable champion Nest and Kentucky Derby hero Rich Strike in the $1.5m Belmont Stakes, joining Nyquist as Uncle Mo's only Classic-winning sons at stud.

Campaigned by trainer Todd Pletcher, owner Repole Stable - the same connections that raced Uncle Mo - and owner Donegal Racing, Mo Donegal also won the Remsen Stakes at two over Grade 1 winner Zandon, and Wood Memorial Stakes at three over Classic winner Early Voting. Another millionaire earner of $1,511,800, Mo Donegal will stand for a fee of $20,000.

Greatest Honour, winner of the 2021 Fountain of Youth Stakes and Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park, was a front-runner for last year's Triple Crown before sustaining an injury as the odds-on favourite in the Florida Derby. Trained by Shug McGaughey for owner Courtlandt Farms, the regally bred son of Tapit recently retired to Spendthrift with earnings of $446,440.

His second dam is 2007 Broodmare of the Year Better Than Honour, making his dam a half-sister to Classic winners Rags To Riches and Jazil, as well as to Breeders' Cup Marathon winner Man Of Iron. Greatest Honour will stand his first season at stud for $7,500.

"It is a very encouraging time for our industry and the breeding community," said Toffey.

"The trend of rising purses we are seeing at racetracks across the country has helped contribute to a yearling market that is breaking records. The demand for a racehorse has not been this strong in a long time, and people have to feel good heading into the breeding season.

"At Spendthrift, we have continued to grow our quality and quantity of stallions, and that has now put us in a position to be able to offer the most diverse roster we've had. We have always strived to provide the best opportunities for breeders, and we believe more than ever that every breeder in the market can have confidence in being rewarded by the quality and value we can offer across the board."

Into Mischief again leads all North American sires in almost every vital category in 2022, and, with roughly two and a half months to go, his $21,408,986 in progeny earnings through October puts him on pace to again break the all-time record of $24,411,267, which he set a year ago.

Among his industry-high 13 Graded stakes winners in 2022 is multiple Grade 1 winner Life Is Good and recent Grade 1-winning two-year-old filly Wonder Wheel, who captured the Alcibiades Stakes at Keeneland to also move Into Mischief to the top as North America's leading juvenile sire again in 2022. Into Mischief's stud fee will remain at $250,000.

Popular third-season sire Authentic, Into Mischief's Horse of the Year son, will stand for $60,000, down slightly from his 2022 fee. The 2020 Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup Classic hero will be represented by his highly anticipated first crop of weanlings at the upcoming November sales.

Leading freshman sire Bolt D'Oro will see an increase in his fee to $35,000. Bolt D'Oro currently leads all North American sires with ten black type-performing two-year-olds - at least three more than any other stallion - and co-leads all North American sires with four black-type winners from his debut crop to race.

He will likely be represented by multiple two-year-olds in next month's Breeders' Cup, including recent Pilgrim Stakes winner Major Dude.

Bolt D'Oro: leading freshman sire has ten black-type performers to dateCredit: Spendthrift Farm

Omaha Beach and Yaupon will remain at $30,000, following overwhelming popularity in their own regard in 2022. Three-time Grade 1 winner Omaha Beach's first crop of yearlings have averaged $220,797, making him far and away the leading first-crop yearling sire at auction. Yaupon, the fast Grade 1-winning son of Uncle Mo, was in high demand during his first season at stud in 2022, quickly booking full.

Spendthrift's stallions under $20,000 are led by champion Vino Rosso, who was one of four freshmen - along with Omaha Beach and Mitole - with a six-figure average from first-crop yearlings to sell in 2022. Vino Rosso will stand for a reduced fee of $15,000.

Multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire Vekoma, whose first crop of weanlings will sell next month, and the aforementioned champion Mitole will also stand for $15,000.

Established leading sires Goldencents and Jimmy Creed will represent value at the $10,000 level. Standing for $10,000 are Grade 1 winners and second-year stallions Known Agenda and Rock Your World.

Spendthrift Farm fees

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