Alan Porter Breeding Analysis for INTO MISCHIEF

Into Mischief is a Grade 1-winning 2-year-old from an exciting branch of the Storm Cat line. Winner of the CashCall Futurity (G1), defeating six Grade 1 winners, including Colonel John and Monba, Into Mischief is a son of Harlan’s Holiday. The only horse to complete the Donn Handicap/Florida Derby double at Gulfstream Park, Harlan’s Holiday earned more than $3.6 million. From his first crop, he is already the sire of six stakes winners, including Into Mischief, Classic-placed graded stakes winner Denis of Cork, and graded stakes winner Tasha’s Miracle. 

Harlan’s Holiday has already developed a strong affinity with Mr. Prospector line mares, getting stakes winners out of mares by Unbridled (by Fappiano), Carson City and Native Prospector. Other branches of the Mr. Prospector line that have done particularly well with Storm Cat in general are Gone West, Seeking the Gold, Forty Niner, Miswaki and Afleet. Another particularly good branches of Raise a Native – sire of Mr. Prospector – to try here is Alydar (through Saratoga Six, Alysheba, Easy Goer, Strike the Gold, Criminal Type and Red Attack, broodmare sire of a stakes winner by Into Mischief’s grandsire, Harlan). Into Mischief should also work well with Raise a Native through Majestic Prince (broodmare sire of a stakes winner by Harlan), Majestic Light, Wavering Monarch and Maria’s Mon (broodmare sire of a stakes winner by Harlan). 

Harlan’s Holiday already has a graded stakes winner out of a mare by Relaunch, and Storm Cat in general crosses well over this line. He could be brought in through Skywalker (sire of Bertrando, grandsire of Officer), Bright Launch, Cee’s Tizzy (sire of Tiznow), Honour and Glory (sire of Put it Back) and Waquoit. Relaunch is a son of In Reality, and it would also be worth introducing that strain through Valid Appeal (sire of Valid Wager, Valid Expectations and Successful Appeal). 

Like many other Storm Cat-line stallions, Into Mischief should be well suited by mares descending from Ribot through the brothers His Majesty and Graustark. Particularly good should be Pleasant Colony (sire of such as Cherokee Colony, Colonial Affair, Lac Ouimet, Pleasant Tap, Roanoke and St. Jovite). Graustark can be brought in through Key to the Mint (sire of Java Gold and Sauce Boat). 

Into Mischief’s pedigree features the genetic relatives Halo and Stop the Music. Inbreeding to either of these might work well, with sources of Halo including Devil’s Bag, Saint Ballado, Jolie’s Halo, Southern Halo and his son More Than Ready. The most notable sources of Stop the Music include Cure the Blues and Temperence Hill. Two other similarly-bred horses, Sir Ivor and Drone, are also worth introducing.  

There are two Harlan-line stakes winners out of Damascus-line mares, and this strain is good with Storm Cat in general. Eastern Echo and Highland Blade are Damascus-line stallions who are broodmare sires of Harlan-line stakes winners, and other sources include Private Account (sire of Private Terms, Corporate Report, Personal Flag, Unaccounted For, Secret Hello and Valley Crossing), Cutlass (sire of Cutlass Reality), Ogygian, and Bailjumper (Skip Trial; grandsire of Skip Away), Time For A Change and Timeless Moment (sire of Gilded Time).