Hard Spun (foaled May 10, 2004 near
Malvern, Pennsylvania) is an American
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...
racehorse
Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its bas ...
that finished second in the 2007
Kentucky Derby.
Background
Hard Spun is a bay horse with a white
star
A star is a luminous spheroid of plasma (physics), plasma held together by Self-gravitation, self-gravity. The List of nearest stars and brown dwarfs, nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked eye at night sk ...
standing 16.2
hands high. He is from one of the last crops of three-time
leading sire in North America Danzig. Hard Spun was owned during his racing career by
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the List of municipalities in Delaware, most populous city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish colonization of the Americas, Swedish settlement in North America. It lie ...
automobile dealer Richard C. Porter, who races under the Fox Hill Farms banner.
At maturity, he reached high.
Racing career
2006: two-year-old season
Bred for endurance, at age two Hard Spun made his debut on October 22, 2006, at
Delaware Park Racetrack, winning by an -length margin. He then showed he could handle sloppy tracks when he won the
Port Penn Stakes on the same track by five lengths on November 14. In December, he won the 2006
Pennsylvania Nursery Stakes at
Philadelphia Park Racetrack, a race won in 2003 by
Smarty Jones.
2007: three-year-old season
Entering the three-year-old racing season in 2007,
jockey
A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used ...
Mario Pino rode Hard Spun to his fourth straight win, capturing the January's
Lecomte Stakes at the
Fair Grounds Race Course in
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
. In his next start on February 19 in the
Southwest Stakes at
Oaklawn Park in
Hot Springs, Arkansas
Hot Springs is a resort city in the state of Arkansas and the county seat of Garland County, Arkansas, Garland County. The city is located in the Ouachita Mountains among the U.S. Interior Highlands, and is set among several natural hot springs ...
, he was sent off as the 2-5
betting favorite. However, the
colt finished fourth to winner
Teuflesberg, who was ridden by
Stewart Elliott. Trainer
Larry Jones said that Hard Spun had a difficult time with his footing on Oaklawn's dirt surface and decided to skip the racetrack's
Rebel Stakes and
Arkansas Derby. Instead, Hard Spun was sent to compete in the
Lane's End Stakes on the
Polytrack at
Turfway Park in Northern
Kentucky
Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...
. On March 24, Hard Spun scored his fifth win in six starts with a -length victory in the Lane's End Stakes in a strong time of 1: for the event.
Hard Spun was expected to next start in the
Blue Grass Stakes on the Polytrack at
Keeneland Race Course, but Jones instead decided to go directly to
Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs is a horse racing complex in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States that hosts the annual Kentucky Derby. It opened in 1875 and was named for Samuel Churchill, whose family was prominent in Kentucky for many years. The first ...
to see if the colt could handle its dirt surface. Hard Spun passed his test and finished 2nd at the
Kentucky Derby on May 5. For Hard Spun's owner, trainer, and veteran jockey, it marked their first entry in America's most prestigious horse race. Hard Spun finished third in the
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held annually on Armed Forces Day, the third Saturday in May at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland (except in 2026 when it will move to Laurel Park (race track), Laurel Park dur ...
and fourth in the
Belmont Stakes.
On June 2, 2007, owner Richard Porter sold Hard Spun's breeding rights to
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's Darley Stud.
Hard Spun ran second by lengths to
Any Given Saturday in the $1 million
Grade I Haskell Invitational Handicap at
Monmouth Park on August 5, 2007. Third place went to the
betting favorite,
Curlin.
On August 25, 2007, Hard Spun got his first
Grade I win in the
King's Bishop Stakes
The H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes is a Graded stakes race, Grade I American thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run over a distance of seven furlongs on the dirt held in August at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The ...
at
Saratoga Race Course in a time of 1:22:34 over a fast track.
On September 29, 2007, he won the
Grade II Kentucky Cup Classic Stakes on
Polytrack at
Turfway Park, beating
Kentucky Derby winner
Street Sense and earning not only the base purse of $130,000 but a bonus of $150,000 offered by the track to any starter of a
Grade I winner for 2006 or 2007. Hard Spun finished second in the
Breeders' Cup Classic.
Stud record
Retired from racing, Hard Spun stood as a stallion for the
Darley Stud with an initial
stud fee
Stud may refer to:
Animals
* Stud (animal), an animal retained for breeding
** Stud farm, a property where livestock are bred
Arts and entertainment
* Stud (band), a British progressive rock group
* The Stud (bar), a gay bar in San Francisco
* Th ...
of $50,000. He was based at the Jonabell Farm, Kentucky in 2011. Hard Spun's first two-year-olds reached the racetrack in 2011 and featured the
American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly Questing.
Hard Spun has also found success as a sire internationally, siring
Superlative Stakes winner Red Duke (from first crop), multiple Gr.I winning Australian Le Romain, and Japanese graded stakes winning mare Someries. He is also the sire of Lil Rockerfeller, a graded stakes winning
steeplechase runner.
In 2014, son
Wicked Strong was a favorite for the
Kentucky Derby, but finished fourth behind
California Chrome, whom he also tied with for fourth in the
Belmont Stakes.
Hard Spun's most notable progeny includes:
* Wicked Strong: In 2014, won
Wood Memorial Stakes and
Jim Dandy Stakes, 4th Kentucky Derby.
* Hard Aces: In 2015, won
Gold Cup at Santa Anita Stakes and
Louisiana Handicap. In 2016, won
Cougar II Handicap. In 2017, won
Tokyo City Cup Stakes.
* Questing: In 2011, won
Coaching Club American Oaks and
Alabama Stakes; 2011
American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly.
* Big John B: In 2014, won
Del Mar Handicap. In 2015, won
Cougar II Handicap and Del Mar Handicap. In 2016, won Tokyo City Cup Stakes.
* Promising Run: In 2016, won Istanbul Trophy. In 2017, won Al Rashidiya Stakes.
* Ertijaal (AUS): In 2015, won Cape Derby and Sea Cottage Stakes (South Africa).
* Hardest Core: In 2014, won
Arlington Million.
* Red Duke: In 2011, won Superlative Stakes.
* Taghleeb: In 2017, won
W. L. McKnight Handicap.
* Lil Rockerfeller: In 2016, won
National Spirit Hurdle.
* Gatting (AUS): In 2017, won W.A.T.C. Derby.
* Hard Not To Like: In 2014, won
Jenny Wiley Stakes. In 2015, won
Gamely Stakes and
Diana Stakes.
* Le Romain (AUS): In 2016, won
Randwick Guineas and
Cantala Stakes. In 2017, won
Canterbury Stakes and
Frederick Clissold Stakes.
* Nomorerichblondes: In 2017, won
UAE Oaks.
* Someries (JPN): In 2012, won Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun. In 2014, won Cluster Cup.
* Smooth Roller: In 2015, won
Awesome Again Stakes.
* Zo Impressive: In 2012, won
Mother Goose Stakes.
* Maftool: In 2014, won Tattersall Stakes. In 2015, won
UAE 2000 Guineas.
* Reload: In 2014, won
Canadian Turf Handicap. In 2016, won Tampa Bay Stakes.
* Island Town: In 2015, won
Matt Winn Stakes and
Smarty Jones Stakes.
* Timeline: In 2017, won
Peter Pan Stakes.
* Hard Not To Love: In 2019, won
La Brea Stakes.
Hard Spun has sired minor stakes winners such as Top Score (GB), Bond Elegance (AUS), Midnight Transfer, Glinda the Good, Portmagee, Text'n Hurley, Hard Enough, and Crystal Web (AUS).
Hard Spun's 2020 stallion fee is set at $40,000.
References
{{Reflist
2004 racehorse births
Racehorses bred in Pennsylvania
Racehorses trained in the United States
Thoroughbred family 16-h