Stakes winner Honest Mischief (outside) heads to Sequel Stallions New York to start stud career in 2021. Coady Photography.
Stakes winner Honest Mischief, a son of record-setting sire Into Mischief from one of the most significant families in the Stud Book, has been retired to stand his first season in 2021 at Sequel Stallions New York in Hudson. The 4-year-old out of the Grade 1-winning Seattle Slew mare Honest Lady will stand for $6,500 LFSN.
Bred and campaigned by Juddmonte Farms, Honest Mischief won four of nine starts with three seconds and a third for $287,464.
“Into Mischief is the most dominant sire of our times, rocketing to stardom from the very ordinary mares originating from his first books,” said Sequel’s Becky Thomas. “To stand at stud the son of such an incredible sire as well as the magnificent female family Honest Mischief exhibits is beyond exciting. I am a super fan of Into Mischief and am honored to bring Honest Mischief to New York with the support and participation of Juddmonte Farm.”
Honest Mischief broke his maiden in his second start by 8 lengths to become a TDN Rising Star and earn a 2 Ragozin speed figure. That victory also earned him a spots in graded stakes for his next two starts, where he finished third in the Grade 3 Amsterdam at Saratoga Race Course.
Honest Mischief returned from more than two months to win a Keeneland allowance before a victory in the Force the Pass City of Laurel Stakes at Laurel Park to close his 3-year-old campaign. He placed in his first wo starts at 4, including a runner-up effort in the Aristides Stakes at Churchill Downs, before a victory in his final start in early September at Churchill.
“Honest Mischief identified himself very early as one of the best dirt prospects of his crop in our barn,” said trainer Chad Brown. “He proved to be very fast, durable and consistent in both the mornings and afternoons. He has all the qualities my really good Into Mischief’s have. I have never had a horse run a Rag #2 so early in his 3-year-old year. He was very, very fast.”
Honest Mischief’s dam, Honest Lady, is a half-sister to Belmont Stakes and multiple Grade 1 winner and top sire Empire Maker, along with influential sires Chester House and Decharchy.
Honest Lady established herself as one of the most important racehorses of her generation winning the Grade 1 Santa Monica Handicap and running second against colts in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Honest Mischief is also the grandson of Broodmares of the Year Leslie’s Lady and Toussaud.
“Honest Mischief’s pedigree epitomizes the simplistic Juddmonte approach of matching the world’s best dirt stallion with Prince Khalid’s best dirt family,” said Juddmonte Farms’ Garrett O’Rourke. “Honest Lady was a nose away from being a Breeders’ Cup Sprint champion in the fastest ever Breeder’s Cup Sprint. She also placed in a Met Mile against colts, and was the most beautiful little mare with a regal personality. Then to be by Seattle Slew out of broodmare of the year Toussaud and dam of Grade 1 winner First Defence, illustrates the peerless quality of this pedigree.
“Honest Mischief was pegged as a real talent by our exercise riders from the very beginning. He had raw speed, he was sound and he had desire. He placed behind stars like Shancelot and Volatile at the top of their games and when he won, he won like a Grade 1 horse. Honest Mischief has such a genetic concentration of classic talent, on top and bottom of his pedigree, that expectation of his success at stud is just a given.”
