Free Drop Billy Sires First Foal
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Photo: Autry Graham
Free Drop Billy's first foal with the mare Sweet Diva at Heaven Trees Farm
Spendthrift Farm stallion Free Drop Billy , a grade 1-winning 2-year-old by Union Rags , sired his first reported foal Jan. 19 when a filly was born at Heaven Trees Farm near Lexington.
"This is a good-sized filly with a lot of bone. She's going to be nice," said Adolfo Martinez, manager at Heaven Trees.
Bred by Bill O'Neill through Spendthrift's renowned "Share The Upside" program, the flashy chestnut filly is out of the stakes-placed Purim mare Sweet Diva, whose dam is a half sister to multiple grade 1-winning millionaire River Bay.
Campaigned by Albaugh Family Stables, Free Drop Billy was one of the leading 2-year-olds of 2017. After a three-length debut victory going 5 1/2 furlongs at Churchill Downs, Free Drop Billy was the favorite in the Sanford Stakes (G3) and Hopeful Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course in his next two starts, finishing a close second in each. He stretched out around two turns in his fourth start, the 1 1/16-mile Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1), at Keeneland, and won going away by four lengths over Bravazo.
In major Kentucky Derby preps as a 3-year-old, Free Drop Billy finished on the board in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2), Holy Bull Stakes (G2), and Gotham Stakes (G3). He retired to Spendthrift as the only grade 1-winning son of Union Rags, with career earnings of $662,470.
Free Drop Billy is out of the graded stakes-placed and multiple grade 1-producing Giant's Causeway mare Trensa, and hails from the family of champion and leading sire Cozzene. He is a half brother to multiple group 1-winning multimillionaire Hawkbill.
Free Drop Billy is set to stand his second season at Spendthrift for a fee of $10,000 stands and nurses.