Hard Spun (foaled May 10, 2004 near Malvern, Pennsylvania) is an American

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, 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 basic pr ...

that finished second in the 2007

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-year ...

Background

Hard Spun is a bay horse with a white

star A star is an astronomical object comprising a luminous spheroid of plasma (physics), plasma held together by its gravity. The List of nearest stars and brown dwarfs, nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked ...

standing 16.2

hands A hand is a prehensile, multi-fingered appendage located at the end of the forearm or forelimb of primates such as humans, chimpanzees, monkeys, and lemurs. A few other vertebrates such as the koala (which has two opposable thumbs on each " ...

high. He is from one of the last crops of three-time

leading sire in North America The list below shows the leading sire of Thoroughbred racehorses in North America for each year since 1830. This is determined by the amount of prize money won by the sire's progeny during the year. It is restricted to stallions which are based in N ...

Danzig. Hard Spun was owned during his racing career by

Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington ( Lenape: ''Paxahakink /'' ''Pakehakink)'' is the largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish settlement in North America. It lies at the confluence of the Christina ...

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 8 ¾-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 Parx Casino and Racing (formerly Philadelphia Park Racetrack and Casino) is a thoroughbred horse racing venue and the largest casino gaming complex in Pennsylvania. Parx is located in Bensalem Township in Bucks County, northeast of the city of P ...

, a race won in 2003 by

Smarty Jones Smarty Jones (February 28, 2001) is a champion Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes and came second in the Belmont Stakes. Background Born at Fairthorne Farm in Chester County, Pennsylvania, the horse was ...

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 racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...

Mario Pino Mario G. Pino (born September 8, 1961, in Wilmington, Delaware) is a retired jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing. Raised on a farm, he began his riding career in 1978 at Delaware Park in Wilmington. Over the years, he has chosen to be b ...

rode Hard Spun to his fourth straight win, capturing the January's

Lecomte Stakes The Lecomte Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses at a distance of one and one-sixteenths miles on the dirt run annually in mid-January, at Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, Louisiana. The event c ...

at the Fair Grounds Race Course in

New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

. In his next start on February 19 in the

Southwest Stakes The Southwest Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses at a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt run annually in late January at Oaklawn Park Race Track in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The event cu ...

at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas, he was sent off as the 2-5

betting Gambling (also known as betting or gaming) is the wagering of something of value ("the stakes") on a random event with the intent of winning something else of value, where instances of strategy are discounted. Gambling thus requires three eleme ...

favorite. However, the

colt Colt(s) or COLT may refer to: *Colt (horse), an intact (uncastrated) male horse under four years of age People * Colt (given name) *Colt (surname) Places *Colt, Arkansas, United States *Colt, Louisiana, an unincorporated community, United States ...

finished fourth to winner Teuflesberg, who was ridden by

Stewart Elliott Stewart Elliott (born March 1, 1965) is an American thoroughbred jockey. Elliott was born, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He grew up in horse racing; his father was a jockey for many years, his mother rode show horses and was a riding instructor ...

. 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 The track surface of a horse racing track refers to the material of which the track is made. There are three types of track surfaces used in modern horse racing. These are: *Turf, the most common track surface in Europe *Dirt, the most common track ...

Turfway Park Turfway Park is an American horse racing track located within the city limits of Florence, Kentucky, about south of the Ohio River at Cincinnati. The track conducts live Thoroughbred horse racing during two meets each year—Holiday (December), ...

in Northern

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

. On March 24, Hard Spun scored his fifth win in six starts with a 3¼-length victory in the Lane's End Stakes in a strong time of 1:49 2/5 for the 1⅛-mile event. Hard Spun was expected to next start in the

Blue Grass Stakes The Blue Grass Stakes, currently the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes due to sponsorship by the Toyota Motor Corporation, is a horse race for 3-year-old Thoroughbreds held annually in April at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Kentucky. The race is run ...

on the Polytrack at

Keeneland Race Course Keeneland Association, Inc. is an equine business based in Lexington, Kentucky. It includes two distinct divisions: the Keeneland Race Course, a Thoroughbred racing facility, and Keeneland Sales, a horse auction complex. It is also known for its ...

, but Jones instead decided to go directly to

Churchill Downs Churchill Downs is a horse racing complex located on Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, famed for hosting the annual Kentucky Derby. It officially opened in 1875 and was named for Samuel Churchill, whose family was ...

to see if the colt could handle its dirt surface. Hard Spun passed his test and finished 2nd at the

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 on Armed Forces Day which is also the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs () on ...

and fourth in the

Belmont Stakes The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is run over 1.5 miles (2,400 m). Colts and geldings carry a weight of ; fillies carry . The race, nicknamed Th ...

. On June 2, 2007, owner Richard Porter sold Hard Spun's breeding rights to Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's

Darley Stud Darley Stud is located at Dalham Hall, the global breeding operation owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the Ruler of Dubai and vice-president of the United Arab Emirates. It is on the outskirts of Newmarket, Suffolk, the internati ...

. Hard Spun ran second by 4½ lengths to

Any Given Saturday Any Given Saturday (foaled January 29, 2004 in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Background From the mare Weekend in Indy, a daughter of the 1992 U.S. Horse of the Year and U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee A.P. Indy, Any Given ...

in the $1 million

Grade I In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

Haskell Invitational Handicap at Monmouth Park on August 5, 2007. Third place went to the

favorite, Curlin. On August 25, 2007, Hard Spun got his first

win in the

King's Bishop Stakes The H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes is a 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 current purse for th ...

at Saratoga Race Course in a time of 1:22:34 over a fast track. On September 29, 2007, he won the 1 1/8 mile

Grade II In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

Kentucky Cup Classic Stakes on

, beating

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

winner for 2006 or 2007. Hard Spun finished second in the

Breeders' Cup Classic The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade I Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3-year-olds and older run at a distance of on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships in late October o ...

Stud record

Retired from racing, Hard Spun stood as a stallion for the

with an initial stud fee 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 The American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually to a female horse in Thoroughbred flat racing. It became part of the Eclipse Awards program in 1971. The award originated in 1936 when both ...

Questing Letterboxing is an outdoor hobby that combines elements of orienteering, art, and puzzle solving. Letterboxers hide small, weatherproof boxes in publicly accessible places (like parks) and distribute clues to finding the box in printed catalogs, ...

. Hard Spun has also found success as a sire internationally, siring

Superlative Stakes The Superlative Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old horses. It is run on the July Course at Newmarket over a distance of 7 furlongs (1,408 metres), and it is sc ...

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 Steeplechase may refer to: * Steeplechase (horse racing), a type of horse race in which participants are required to jump over obstacles * Steeplechase (athletics), an event in athletics that derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing ...

runner. In 2014, son Wicked Strong was a favorite for the

, but finished fourth behind California Chrome, whom he also tied with for fourth in the

. 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 The Hollywood Gold Cup Stakes is a Grade I American thoroughbred horse race for horses age three and older over a distance of miles on the dirt held at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California in May. The race currently offers a purse of $400,000. ...

and Louisiana Handicap. In 2016, won

Cougar II Handicap The Cougar II Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds over a distance of one and one-half miles on the dirt, scheduled annually in late July or early August at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California. The event ...

. In 2017, won

Tokyo City Cup Stakes The Tokyo City Cup Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at the beginning of April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. A Graded stakes race, Grade III event raced on dirt at a distance of miles (12 furlongs), it is ope ...

. * Questing: In 2011, won

Coaching Club American Oaks The Coaching Club American Oaks is a race for thoroughbred three-year-old fillies and the second leg of the Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing. Originally run at Belmont Park, the Grade I $500,000 stakes race was moved to Saratoga Race Course in 2 ...

and

Alabama Stakes The Alabama Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race open to three-year-old fillies. Inaugurated in 1872, the Grade I race is run over a distance of one and one-quarter miles on the dirt track at Saratoga Race Course. Held in mid August, it cu ...

; 2011

. * Big John B: In 2014, won Del Mar Handicap. In 2015, won

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 The W. L. McKnight Stakes is an American Grade 3 Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Inaugurated in 1973 at Calder Race Course it remained there through 2013 when the track closed. In 2017 a race ...

. * Lil Rockerfeller: In 2016, won

National Spirit Hurdle The National Spirit Hurdle is a Grade 2 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Fontwell Park over a distance of about 2 miles and 3 ...

. * 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 The Gamely Stakes is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares age three and older over a distance of miles on the turf run in late May annually at Santa Anita Park, Arcadia, California. History The race was inaugurated i ...

and

Diana Stakes The Diana Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race. Named for the mythological goddess Diana, the race is run each year at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Inaugurated in 1939, it is open to fillies and mares age three and ...

. * Le Romain (AUS): In 2016, won

Randwick Guineas The Randwick Guineas is an Australian Turf Club Group One Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds, run at set weights over a distance of 1600 metres at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia in March as a part of the Sydney Autumn Carnival ...

and Cantala Stakes. In 2017, won

Canterbury Stakes The Canterbury Stakes is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged three years old and upwards at weight for age, over a distance of 1300 metres, held annually at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia in March. His ...

and Frederick Clissold Stakes. * Nomorerichblondes: In 2017, won

UAE Oaks The UAE Oaks is a flat horse race in the United Arab Emirates for three-year-old thoroughbred fillies run over 1900 metres on dirt at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai in late February or early March. It was first contested in 2001 over 1800 metres on di ...

. * 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 The Mother Goose Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies held at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Raced on dirt in late June or early July, the race currently offers a purse of $300,000. Inaugurated in 1957 at a mi ...

. * Maftool: In 2014, won Tattersall Stakes. In 2015, won

UAE 2000 Guineas The UAE 2000 Guineas, is a horse race run over a distance of 1,600 metres (one mile) on dirt in February at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai. The race is restricted to three-year-olds. It was first contested in 2000 on dirt at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse. ...

. * Reload: In 2014, won

Canadian Turf Handicap The Canadian Turf Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race, by invitation for four-year-olds and older over a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on the turf track, held annually in late February or early March at Gulfstream Park ...

. In 2016, won Tampa Bay Stakes. * Island Town: In 2015, won

Matt Winn Stakes The Matt Winn Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses run over a distance of miles on the dirt at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The event currently offers a purse of $225,000. It is usually run ...

and Smarty Jones Stakes. * Timeline: In 2017, won Peter Pan Stakes. * Hard Not To Love: In 2019, won

La Brea Stakes The La Brea Stakes is a Grade I American thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies over a distance of seven furlongs on the dirt track held annually in late December at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, USA. The event currently off ...

. 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