Spun to Run Retired, No Stud Plans Decided

Owners Bob and Sue Donaldson announced Aug. 12 that last year's Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner Spun to Run has been retired from racing.

The son of Hard Spun  won five races as a 3-year-old in 2019 by a combined 20 lengths. His most important win came in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita Park where he led gate-to-wire to win by 2 3/4 lengths over favored multiple grade 1 winner Omaha Beach . The field also included multiple grade 1 winner Improbable, and graded stakes winners Coal Front  and Mr. Money. 

In addition to his Breeders' Cup victory, Spun to Run captured the Smarty Jones Stakes (G3) and the M.P. Ballezzi Appreciation Mile Stakes, where he ran a 110 Beyer Speed Figure, the second-highest for a 3-year-old at a mile or more in 2019. His brilliant campaign also included a strong second-place finish to Maximum Security in the Cigar Mile Handicap (G1), and a third-place finish in the TVG.com Haskell Invitational (G1). He retires with a record of 5-2-3 from 12 starts and earnings of $1,160,520.

A brilliant miler with the ability to carry his speed, Spun to Run captured three of four starts at a mile, with one second at the distance coming in the Cigar Mile. In six of his nine efforts at 3, he ran less than a 1 on the Thorograph.

"From day one this guy showed us his heart and determination, but most importantly, he showed us a mindset that was unlike any horse we had ever been around," Bob Donaldson said. "With each start he just got better and more determined to simply outrun his competition."

Breeder Migdaly Serra of Sabana Farm echoed Donaldson's comments about Spun to Run's class in an interview with BloodHorse MarketWatch earlier this year.

"From a very young age, Spun to Run behaved like he always has—like a champion," she said. "Everyone who worked with us in that year knew it. He was exceptional."

"Spun to Run embodies many of the best qualities in Hard Spun," Darley's Darren Fox added. "When I think of Hard Spun, I think of his heart, desire, and the will to win. Spun to Run embodies much of Hard Spun's heart and speed, that honest running style that says, 'Here's what I have, catch me if you can.' It's a joy to watch and is certainly something that runs in a lot of Hard Spun's progeny."

Spun to Run possesses a top-rung pedigree to complement the brilliance he showed on the racetrack. His stakes-winning dam, Yawkey Way, is also the dam of stakes-winning filly Tap It All. He is from the immediate family of grade 1 winners Constitution , All Fired Up, Awesome Humor, Emcee, and Competitive Edge .

Stud plans have not been determined for the 4-year-old Spun to Run.