Hard Spun

The trendlines have been all too visible and all too visceral-nationwide declining foal crops and numbers of mares bred. Mainstays of the Thoroughbred breeding industry in the state that has produced the likes of Smarty Jones, Hard Spun and Unique Bella, however, are beginning to see tentative signs for optimism. "Our number of mares bred has remained relatively the same the past four years," said Brian Sanfratello, executive secretary of the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association (PHBA). Indeed, the number of mares bred to Pennsylvania stallions has narrowly fluctuated between a...

The flash sale for Starship Beauty (Hard Spun), a half-sister to Kentucky Derby hopeful Fulleffort (Liam's Map) and GISW Power Squeeze (Union Rags), is accepting bids, the organization announced via press release. Offered pregnant to Constitution for her first foal, Starship Beauty is consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency. Her aforementioned half-sister won three graded stakes in her career including the GI Alabama Stakes as a 3-year-old. The millionaire daughter of Union Rags sold for $2.5-million at the Fasig-Tipton November sale last year to Godolphin as a broodmare prospect. Half-brother...

The 51st Sovereign Awards were held by the Jockey Club of Canada Thursday, and among a list of venerable champions to be crowned, 2025 King's Plate hero Mansetti (Collected) topped the lot as Canada's Horse of the Year. Owned by Al & Bill Ulwelling, the son of Collected also claimed the GIII HPIBet Marine Stakes and the Woodstock Stakes as well as placing second in the GIII Ontario Derby and Prince of Wales Stakes. Mansetti garnered 81 votes while champion Caitlinhergrtness (Omaha Beach) came in a close second with 74....

Rome was not built in a day. So at a time when Derby dreams can only be maintained by one horse dashing those of several others, let's celebrate a revival that should give hope to any now finding themselves obliged to retreat and regroup. This time last year Built (Hard Spun) was slithering down the sophomore pyramid. He had started out thrashing a smart horse in the Gun Runner Stakes, but each of the three subsequent Fair Grounds trials went worse. He did make Churchill on the first Saturday in...

BUILT (c, 4, Hard Spun--Sea Garden, by Curlin) twice hit the board last season on Louisiana's Road to the Kentucky Derby, second and third in the GIII Lecomte Stakes and GII Risen Star Stakes, respectively, before missing the money in two subsequent starts. Sent to the shelf in early May after disappointing in the GII Pat Day Mile, he resurfaced Dec. 18 at this venue to wrap his '25 season with a win against allowance company. Tried on the turf last out Feb. 14 to kick off his 4-year-old campaign,...

Group 1 Saudi Cup hero Senor Buscador (Mineshaft) is represented by his first foal, a colt out of Oriole (Medaglia d'Oro), who hit the ground at Shawhan Place Monday, it was announced via press release. The new arrival, bred by the farm who raised the stallion, is out of a daughter of multiple stakes winner Free as a Bird (Hard Spun), herself a half-sister to SW Let Me Entertain U (Nobiz Like Shobiz) and to the dam of full-siblings SW Dancing Magic (Good Magic) and SP Thunder Chuck. Oriole is...

The band we reach today, between $20,000 and $29,999, perhaps represents the sweet spot of the entire pyramid. It features sires of adequate achievement to have elevated themselves clear of the basement, yet without obtaining the kind of commercial luster that puts them beyond mortal pockets. The most established names retain their customary place on our Value Podium, not least as a tremendous route to proving a mare; but this tier also features one or two that could be on the point of cycling through delayed rewards for their early...

Jockey Jareth Loveberry claimed career win 2,000 in Friday's eighth and final race at Fair Grounds after a frontrunning score for trainer Justin Jeansonne. Two wins shy entering the day's action, Loveberry claimed the opener with the odds-on favorite Prince Day (Race Day) and bookended the card aboard Island Cabana (Custom for Carlos) to pass the threshold of the milestone. His career has taken him all over the country, with Loveberry best known for winning multiple titles at Arlington Park and finishing second in the Kentucky Derby aboard Two Phil's...

Snap Decision (Hard Spun), champion steeplechase horse of 2024 and the second-leading earner in United States steeplechase history, has been retired by owner Bruton Street-US and trainer Jack Fisher. Bred in Kentucky by Phipps Stable, the 11-year-old gelding won 17 of 32 starts over hurdles, finished second eight times and was third twice while racing from 2019-2025. Snap Decision earned $1,258,150 over jumps, second only to Hall of Famer McDynamo's $1,310,104 in North American history. The gelding won an Eclipse Award as champion steeplechaser of 2024 and was a finalist...

Mae Town (Mo Town) made it three wins in a row with her first stakes win in the Pea Patch Stakes Sunday at Ellis Park. The Cave Brook Farm homebred broke her maiden going five furlongs at Churchill Downs May 9, and repeated against allowance company under the Twin Spires June 11. After a good break from her far outside post, the filly found herself towards the rear of the field up the backstretch, several lengths off the swift early tempo set in :20.92. With plenty of work to do,...

1st-Churchill Downs, $117,975, Msw, 6-29, 3yo/up, f/m, 1m, 1:34.03, ft, 1 3/4 lengths. LEMON ZEST (f, 3, Nyquist--Larkin, by Bernardini) came into this second jump out of a live maiden on debut May 17 beneath these Twin Spires. The winner of that contest, Me and Molly McGee (Vekoma), won a first-level allowance at this venue June 22 after a prolonged duel and earned an 85 Beyer for the effort. The runner-up Spun Candy (Hard Spun) broke her maiden June 28--also at Churchill--and earned an 86 for her troubles while High...

With Derby weekend in the books, we take a look back at the graded races in April that led us there. The month did not disappoint with great racing from coast to coast, although Keeneland, as per usual, was the star of the show. If the top of the sport is measured by graded races, few race weeks are as packed with quality or as anticipated as the boutique meets at Keeneland. With an inevitable focus on the Lexington track, we look at trends and notable items from the country's...