On the morning of March 28, Not This Time rocketed to the top of the leading sires list when his son Magnitude captured the Dubai World Cup (G1). Later that same day, however, Into Mischief gave prompt notice that his quest for a historic eighth successive sire crown won't easily be derailed, with the Florida Derby (G1) falling to one son, Commandment, and the Arkansas Derby (G1) to another, Renegade.
READ: Tough Race Already Brewing For Leading Sire Title
It's somewhat ironic that Into Mischief's title defense might be led by a pair of classic candidates—not to overlook returning Horse of the Year and dual classic winner Sovereignty—given that early in his career he seemed stamped as a sire of 2-year-olds, sprinters, and milers, such as Goldencents , Covfefe, Gamine, and Practical Joke . In 2020, however, came his first Kentucky Derby (G1) victor, Authentic , who was followed the next year by Mandaloun , and then last year by Sovereignty. That trio gave Into Mischief the honor of joining Virgil, Falsetto, Sir Gallahad III, and Bull Lea as the only stallions to sire three Kentucky Derby (G1) winners. This also means that Commandment and Renegade—possibly joined by Potente, who is entered in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) April 4—could be bidding to credit Into Mischief with a record-breaking fourth winner of the Run for the Roses.
It's likely that the early perception of Into Mischief's influence was shaped by the type of mares he received in the formative stages of his career when he stood for a very modest fee. He was a fast horse, but he did take the 1 1/16-mile CashCall Futurity (G1) in 2007 over subsequent Travers Stakes (G1) victor Colonel John, and his sire, Harlan's Holiday, was a three-time grade 1 winner at 1 1/8 miles. Into Mischief may tend to pass on speed-favoring mechanics but, clearly, with staying mares that have some scope, he can also get offspring that don't have stamina limitations, at least as far as North American classic distances are concerned.
Commandment's Florida Derby success was achieved very much in the manner of a stayer, coming from last with a steady run that found him a nose in front of The Puma as the pair hit the wire. He has now won four of his five starts and has been undefeated since taking a 7-furlong maiden special weight at Churchill Downs in November by 5 1/4 lengths. His three other outings have all come this year, and prior to the Florida Derby, he captured the Mucho Macho Man Stakes and Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2).
Commandment's dam, Sippican Harbor, started only four times, all at 2. A runaway 17-length winner of a 7-furlong maiden special weight at Saratoga Race Course in her second outing was followed by a last-to-first, 2-length tally in the 2018 Spinaway Stakes (G1). Her only other outing saw her finish a well-beaten sixth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1). Commandment is Sippican Harbor's fourth foal, second starter, and first winner.
Although she never had the opportunity to prove her stamina, Sippican Harbor's pedigree is strongly suggestive of distance ability. The sole grade 1 winner to represent the 2013 Kentucky Derby (G1) victor Orb, she is a half sister to Saayedd (by Orb's sire, Malibu Moon), a black-type winner in the United Arab Emirates who scored at 1 3/16 miles. She's also a half sister to the Justify duo Awesome Result, also a three-time black-type winner in Japan and successful at as far as 1 5/16 miles, and Crudo, winner of the 2025 Sir Barton Stakes.
Another half sister to Sippican Harbor, the Mineshaft daughter Bodacious Babe, was graded stakes-placed sprinting when second in the 2017 Sugar Swirl Stakes (G3), but her Violence daughter Royal Spa captured the 2025 Locust Grove Stakes (G2) and Shawnee Stakes (G3), both at 1 1/6 miles.
Sippican Harbor and her half siblings are all out of the unraced Deputy Minister mare Blossomed. She is a half sister to Flick (by Dehere), a black-type winner who produced Greengrassofyoming, who recorded his most notable victory in the 1 1/2-mile Stars and Stripes Handicap (G3T) in 2016, and a half sister to Cinemine, an eight-time stakes winner whose successes included the 1999 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes (G3). Sippican Harbor's second dam, Texas Cinema, is a half sister to Peter Davies, winner of England's 1990 Racing Post Trophy (G1) at 2. Her third and fourth dams, French Flick and Tres Jolie, are also both stakes winners, and Tres Jolie is out of Leallah, the champion 2-year-old filly of 1956. In addition to being a champion on the track, Leallah has also been an outstanding taproot mare, appearing as ancestress of more than 50 stakes winners, including 2021 champion 2-year-old filly Echo Zulu, 2004 Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) winner Singletary, and other grade 1 winners Echo Town , Voodoo Dancer, Engine One, Pool Play, and Next Question.
Commandment is one of 20 stakes winners from 172 starters (12%) by Into Mischief out of mares by sons and grandsons of A.P. Indy, among them last year's Kentucky Derby hero, Horse of the Year, and champion 3-year-old Sovereignty, and other grade 1 winners Newgate and Pretty Mischievous. With regard to Commandment's classic prospects, it's pertinent to note that both he and Sovereignty have a marked similarity in their pedigrees, their dams both being by stallions—Orb and Bernardini—bred on A.P. Indy/Fappiano crosses.
Like Commandment, Renegade came well off the pace to claim his victory, but he didn't cut things anywhere near as fine; his powerful burst off the home turn carried him to the front a furlong out. From there, he continued to draw away, crossing the line 4 lengths clear. Renegade has now won two of his five starts, and both victories have come in stakes events, as he came into the Arkansas Derby off a 3 3/4-length triumph in the Sam F. Davis Stakes. Renegade's three previous outings all came at 2. He was a distant third to runaway winner It's Our Time in a Saratoga maiden special weight in his debut. Next time out, he crossed the line a head in front of Paladin in a mile maiden at Aqueduct Racetrack, but was disqualified for bumping that rival. Paladin and Renegade renewed their rivalry in the Remsen Stakes (G2), and this time Paladin prevailed by 2 lengths over a staying-on Renegade.
Renegade is the first foal of his dam, Spice Is Nice, who gained graded stakes success in the 1 1/8-mile Allaire du Pont Distaff Match Series Stakes (G3). Spice Is Nice is by Curlin , which means she has the honor of becoming the first daughter of that horse to be represented by a grade 1 winner.
The second dam, Dame Dorothy, captured five stakes, including the 2015 Humana Distaff Stakes (G1), 2014 Turnback the Alarm Handicap (G3), and 2015 Bed o' Roses Handicap (G3). Dame Dorothy is a half sister to a top-class turf horse in Mrs. Lindsay, winner of the 2007 Prix Vermeille (G1) and Prix Penelope (G3) in France, and the 2007 E. P. Taylor Stakes (G1T) in Canada. The fourth dam, A Votre Sante, was a listed winner in France. Her dam, Mrs. Jenney, won a pair of black-type races in the United States. but owned a European classic pedigree, as she is by The Minstrel, winner of the 1977 English Derby (G1) and Irish Derby (G1), out of Mrs. Penny, successful in the 1980 Prix de Diane (French Oaks, G1).
Renegade is the fourth stakes winner and third graded scorer from 22 starters by Into Mischief out of mares by Curlin, the others including Plutarch, who appeared to be another 2026 classic candidate after winning the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3), but has since been sidelined by injury. Given that Curlin is out of a Deputy Minister mare, and that Renegade's second dam is by Bernardini, it can also be seen that Renegade has a similar background to Commandment, whose dam is by a stallion bred on the A.P. Indy/Fappiano cross out of a Deputy Minister mare.
