Derby Polishes Hard Spun's Already Sterling Credentials

Established sire Hard Spun  has been on a hot streak lately that has included a new milestone for Darley's 16-year-old of Danzig. He is one of two sires with multiple starters in the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1).

Hard Spun's Derby contenders are Attachment Rate, who was third in the Gotham Stakes (G3) and runner-up in two other stakes this year, and Necker Island, who was third in the Indiana Derby (G3) and third in the Runhappy Ellis Park Derby behind Attachment Rate. Both Attachment Rate and Necker Island finished behind Art Collector at Ellis Park. Art Collector was scratched from the Kentucky Derby Aug. 31 when he injured a foot during a morning gallop.

The other stallion with multiple Derby starters this year is Lane's End's second-crop sire Honor Code , who will be represented by Runhappy Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner Honor A. P. and multiple grade 1-placed grade 3 winner Max Player.

From 10 crops of racing age, Hard Spun has sired only one Kentucky Derby starter before this year. His son Wicked Strong  finished a respectable fourth in the 2014 Derby. Such light representation in the highest-profile American classic is a bit surprising considering Hard Spun's credentials as the runner-up in the 2007 Kentucky Derby, a race in which he led the field for a mile before Street Sense  and Calvin Borel stormed past him along the rail. Hard Spun went on to finish third in the Preakness Stakes (G1), fourth in the Belmont Stakes (G1), and second in the Breeders' Cup Classic Powered by Dodge (G1). He managed to pick up another grade 1 during his sophomore year by winning the seven-furlong King's Bishop Stakes (G1).

Already the sire of 81 black-type winners worldwide, of which 41 are graded/group winners, Hard Spun doesn't need a starter in the Kentucky Derby to prove he's capable of getting an elite runner. But it's still exciting for the team at Darley that launched his stud career in 2008.

"While this is great, this is not something that has happened overnight. He has been performing at a very high level for some time," said Darren Fox, the sales manager for Darley America's stallion division. "He's really been hot as of late."

Hard Spun got off to a fast start as a sire, finishing second by a relative nose to Scat Daddy in the 2011 freshman sires standings. The two stallions were separated by only $11,175 in progeny earnings. Hard Spun got revenge during his second-crop year when he ended the year on top, ahead of Scat Daddy by $104,624. He also sired his first champion in 2012 when his daughter Questing won the TVG Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) and the Alabama Stakes (G1) on her way to earning the title of champion 3-year-old filly. Hard Spun did sire a classic starter in 2012 with Hard Not to Like in the Kentucky Oaks (G1), where the future grade 1 winner finished sixth.

Most recently, Hard Spun has been among the leading sires by number of graded and grade 1 winners. In 2019, he was the second-leading North American sire by number of grade 1 winners with three behind Lane's End's Quality Road , who had four. That year he was the co-sixth-leading stallion by number of graded/group winners with seven alongside Speightstown  and Kitten's Joy .

If this year's Kentucky Derby has an impact on Hard Spun's stallion career, it is likely to be seen at the upcoming yearling sales more than attracting a greater number of mares during the coming breeding season. The stallion already has not bred fewer than 140 mares since 2015 and averaged 153 mares during the past five years.

"We need to get on the other side of the race to see how it plays out and then take stock," Fox said. "If he were to get a winner or even hit the board, there is no doubt that everyone with a Hard Spun in the September sales would be ecstatic. It is certainly great timing heading into the yearling sales, and then that has a positive correlation in November."

Hard Spun is represented by 57 yearlings cataloged in the Keeneland September Yearling Sale and eight in Fasig-Tipton's Selected Yearlings Showcase Sept. 9-10. In 2019, Hard Spun was represented by 57 yearlings that sold at auction for an average of $83,798. Sixteen of the yearlings sold last year brought $100,000 or more, with his top seller bringing $410,000.

Aside from the commercial recognition, Fox said a farm's entire operation benefits when a stallion on the roster has starters in the highest-profile races.

"Anytime the farm can be represented in the bigger races, and there are none bigger than the Derby, there is reflected glory—first on the stallion, and next on the farm for achieving that," Fox said. "We are certainly enjoying the moment."

Oaks Doubles

Two second-crop stallions also have multiple starters in the Kentucky Oaks.

WinStar Farm's former stallion Daredevil , who was exported to Turkey last fall, is the sire of Oaks morning-line second choice and grade 1 winner Swiss Skydiver and longshot Shedaresthedevil.

Hill 'n' Dale Farms' Bayern  has two starters as well in grade 2-placed winner Tempers Rising and multiple grade 3-placed winner Bayerness.

Though Daredevil no longer stands at WinStar, farm president and CEO Elliott Walden said the accomplishment still reinforces the quality of WinStar's stallion and breeding program.

"We bred Swiss Skydiver and always loved that filly," Walden said. "She got to the sales grounds where there was an issue that the vets knocked her on, and sure enough, she's become a grade 1 winner."

Trainer Kenny McPeek ended up buying the filly for $35,000 at the 2018 Keeneland September sale, and she now races for Peter Callahan. Swiss Skydiver has won four graded stakes and earned $952,980.

"The rewarding thing for our farm is that we continue to breed good horses by our stallions in their first couple of years," Walden said, noting that WinStar's Distorted Humor  got a Kentucky Derby winner in his first crop with Funny Cide, as did former stallion Bodemeister  with Always Dreaming . "It is a remarkable achievement of the team here in mating them the right way and raising them the right way, and then we sell 95% of our yearlings, so we put a great opportunity in the marketplace."