Aside from offering Kentucky Derby (G1) qualifying points, the listed Remington Springboard Mile Stakes could go a long way toward Taylor Made Stallions' hot sire Not This Time locking down this year's title as leading sire of 2-year-olds.
The son of Giant's Causeway has been engaged in a deep stretch battle with Spendthrift Farm's multiple leading North American sire Into Mischief , who is trailing by nearly $97,500 in progeny earnings as of Dec. 16. As of Nov. 28, Not This Time had a lead of more than $405,000 but victories by Into Mischief runners Consequent in the Starlet Stakes (G2) and Sneaky Good in the Sandpiper Stakes closed the gap.
Both sires will be represented by a half dozen runners on Dec. 20-21 racecards at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Gulfstream Park, Remington Park, and Turfway Park.
The $300,000 Springboard Mile offers the richest prize among the races that will include 2-year-old starters by either of these sires. Not This Time will be represented in the Springboard by Time for Music, a gray or roan colt raced by Mike McCarty and trained by Steve Asmussen. The colt is 9-2 in the morning line off a runner-up finish in a $100,000 allowance-level, 1-mile race Nov. 29 at Churchill Downs. Time for Music is the fourth winner from as many foals produced by Bling On the Music, a graded-placed stakes winner by leading Texas sire Too Much Bling.
A Springboard Mile victory would add $180,000 to Not This Time's progeny earnings. The sire will be represented by five other runners over the weekend, with Thailand and Petronella entered in a pair of $100,000 maiden special weights at Turfway Park and Believe in Magic entered in a $102,000 allowance-level race at Turfway. If Not This Time's runners were able to all win, the sire could net up to $440,464 in additional earnings and make his advantage a longshot for Into Mischief to overcome.
Meanwhile, Into Mischief will be represented by two starters in the $100,000 Gun Runner Stakes at Fair Grounds and two runners in the $75,000 Toby Keith Stakes at Remington Park. Mister Punch (6-1) and Quality Mischief (10-1) are entered in the Gun Runner Stakes. They are both trained by Brad Cox and both are coming into the 1 1/16-mile race off maiden wins. Last out Mister Punch won by 4 3/4 lengths going 1 1/16 miles Nov. 5 at Churchill Downs.
Asmussen will saddle the starters Not a Lady (2-1) and Mojo Promise (9-2) in the 1-mile Toby Keith Stakes. Not a Lady is stakes-placed, having most recently finished second in the My Trusty Cat Stakes at Delta Downs and before that race won an allowance race by 6 3/4 lengths at Remington Park. Mojo Promise in her last race got her first win by 6 lengths at Zia Park.
Into Mischief also will be represented by maidens Roguishness and Bint Mischief at Fair Grounds and Gulfstream Park, respectively.
At most, Into Mischief could add $190,110 in earnings from 2-year-olds over the weekend. He would essentially need Not This Time's runners to finish out of the money in all their races to gain an advantage on the leading sires of juveniles list.
After this weekend, only five other stakes for juveniles worth $100,000 or more are scheduled through the end of the year. The richest race among them is the $200,000 Blue Norther Stakes, a 1-mile stakes on the grass Dec. 27 at Santa Anita Park.
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However the weekend's races shake out, neither Not This Time nor Into Mischief will exit 2025 without accolades. Not This Time is already assured the title of leading turf sire for North America with nearly $12.7 million in progeny earnings compared with Lane's End's second-ranked sire Twirling Candy at more than $10.1 million. Not This Time also leads the turf sire standings by number of winners (62), black-type stakes winners (17), black-type performers (31), graded stakes winners (nine), and grade 1 winners (three).
Into Mischief is as dominant on the general leading sires list, where he is assured his seventh consecutive title as North America's leading sire, a feat not accomplished since Bold Ruler in 1963-73. For a second year, the son of Harlan's Holiday will amass Northern Hemisphere progeny earnings exceeding $30 million. He was the first North American sire to cross the $30 million earnings threshold last year. Second-ranked Not This Time has more than $23.2 million in progeny earnings as of Dec. 18.
Earnings aside, Into Mischief also leads the standings by number of winners (219), number of stakes performers (66), number of graded stakes winners (17), and number of grade 1 winners (five).
