Hip 416, a colt by perennial leading sire Into Mischief consigned by King's Equine to the Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, has Raul Reyes brimming with confidence. Selling on Day 2 of the four-day sale, the full brother to the late undefeated multiple stakes winner Taraz breezed a swift eighth in :09 4/5 during last week's under tack preview. The impressive showing on the track, combined with his pedigree, suggests the bay colt will be one of this week's sought-after prospects in the auction ring.
The colt's full sister, Taraz, was a star on the rise. A Juddmonte homebred, Taraz recorded three facile victories—two of them in stakes—to begin her career before suffering an injury in 2020 that required her to be euthanized. She won the 2019 Letellier Memorial Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots by 11 1/4 lengths in just her second career outing at 2. She returned the following season at 3 and took the Martha Washington Stakes at Oaklawn Park in front-running fashion, winning that one-mile fixture by 3 3/4 lengths for trainer Brad Cox.
Produced from the winning Empire Maker mare Silk Route, the Into Mischief colt was bred in Kentucky by Scott Dilworth, Evan Dilworth, and Randy Andrews. The colt was a $375,000 RNA at Fasig-Tipton's 2024 The Saratoga Sale where he was consigned by Denali Stud. The colt hails from the family of Commander in Chief, winner of the 1993 Epsom Derby (G1), and champion 3-year-old colt in Europe for Juddmonte.
"He's been a very nice horse all year," said Reyes of the Into Mischief colt. "They were going to race him, but I saw that the horse had a lot of talent and showed a lot of speed. I thought he could be a very nice 2-year-old.
"We're very excited about him," Reyes added. "He showed himself well during his breeze. It didn't surprise me at all, but some horses just don't work as you expect them to. He's been a great horse. He does everything easy, and he was fast at the farm. He is fast without pushing him through the gears. That's the kind of horse I like. They can run fast but you still have something left. I think he's going to be a sensational horse. He is a very intelligent horse, a calm horse but he loves to train. And he has been healthy, too. Everything has gone his way. He has been forward all along."
In addition to Taraz, Silk Route has also produced South Sea and Silk Trade, full brothers to the colt selling Wednesday. South Sea, an 11-time winner, banked $403,467, while Silk Trade, a five-time winner, earned $266,685.
"Whether the market is good or bad this week, the market should be good for the Into Mischief colt," Reyes said. "He went super in the breeze show, and good horses like him give you confidence."
Reyes is also high on Hip 383, an Authentic colt, and Hip 578, a filly by Tiz the Law .
The Authentic colt, who was bred in Kentucky by Spendthrift Farm, breezed a furlong in :10 at the under tack preview. Out of the Rock Hard Ten mare Scent of Summer, a winner at 3 in England, the dark bay or brown colt was a $95,000 RNA in the Four Star Sales consignment at last year's Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He hails from the family of multiple grade 1 winner Paradise Woods and stakes winner Forest Chatter.
"He galloped out very strong," Reyes said of the colt's breeze. "I always thought that the Authentics would come around a little bit later. And he is proving us right. They have really started running. They are all big, nice, strong horses."
The filly by Tiz the Law breezed an eighth in :09 4/5 at the under tack preview. Bred in Kentucky by Spotted Pony Stables, the bay filly out of the stakes-winning and graded stakes-placed Cactus Ridge mare Tulsa Queen was a $70,000 acquisition by Laureles Racing out of the Vinery Sales consignment at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearling Sale.
"I'm selling her for a new client," Reyes shared. "She breezed fantastic. She's a very nice horse."
As for what Reyes expects from the market this week, he said, "We've been busy with traffic in the barn. Most of my horses have been popular. And there seems to be a lot of enthusiasm for good horses. The stock market is green. I haven't seen much red the last couple of days, so that is always a positive sign."
