Owner/breeder/consignor Torie Gladwell knew what she had when offering Sun Kissed Bliss through her Top Line Sales consignment as a 2-year-old in training and refused to let the Mind Control filly sell for less than she believed the filly was worth.
Sun Kissed Bliss delivered vindication for Gladwell's conviction Sept. 21 when she won the Lady Finger Stakes at Finger Lakes, making her the first black-type winner for New York freshman sire Mind Control.
Top Line Sales, which Gladwell owns and operates with her husband Jimbo, offered Sun Kissed Bliss during the Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, where she worked a furlong in :10 and was bought back on a final bid of $90,000. The filly was then offered through the OBS Online April Sale and again, was an RNA at $85,000.
Gladwell sent the New York-bred to trainer Joe Sharp. The filly then won her debut by 5 1/2 lengths Aug. 30 at Saratoga Race Course. She made her next start in the 5 1/2-furlong Lady Finger and won gate-to-wire by 1 1/2 lengths. Sun Kissed Bliss has now earned $123,630.
Sun Kissed Bliss is out of the Into Mischief daughter Kiska, who made only one start for JSM Equine. Kiska was sold for $6,000 to agent Scott Mallory during the 2019 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale out of the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment. With Gladwell, the mare has produced two stakes winners and a third winner to date. Kiska's first stakes winner is Bam's Bliss Kiss (Solomini ), who Top Line Sales sold for $95,000 to Clear Stars Stable during the 2024 OBS Spring 2-Year-Olds Sale. Bam's Bliss Kiss won this year's Biogio's Rose Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack and to date has earned $409,390.
Irish Hill & Dutchess Views Stallions stands Mind Control, who is a three-time grade 1-winning son of Stay Thirsty . Mind Control won the 2018 Hopeful Stakes (G1) at 2 and went on to win the H. Allen Jerkens Stakes (G1) at 3 and 2022 Cigar Mile Handicap (G1) at 6, among his eight career graded stakes wins. He retired with 11 wins from 29 starts and earned $2,071,834.
Mind Control is the 13th leading North American freshman sire by progeny earnings as of Sept. 21 and is the 15th member of his sire class to be represented by a stakes winner. He stood this year for $6,000.
