Free Drop Billy Gets First Stakes Winner

Spendthrift Farm's Free Drop Billy  , a grade 1 winner in the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity of 2017, recorded his first stakes winner in Free Drop Maddy July 17. The bay filly is from his first crop of 2-year-olds.

In her second start with trainer Bret Calhoun, the 9-5 favorite set the pace early from the inside and closed strongly under Gabriel Saez to win the 5 1/2-furlong dirt race by 1 3/4 lengths in 1:06.01. The Texas Thoroughbred Association Futurity Stakes at Lone Star Park included a TTA Sale graduate bonus of 60% of the purse to the winner. 

Free Drop Maddy made her first start last month at Churchill Downs among maiden special weight company, finishing second going five furlongs for owner Landon Jordan.

Bred in Louisiana by Clear Creek Stud, she is the fifth foal from the unraced Half Ours mare Solo Buena. Her 4-year-old colt by Anchor Down  , Swot Analysis , was stakes placed in the Louisiana Futurity of 2020. The mare has a yearling filly by Custom for Carlos   and an Anchor Down   colt for 2022.

The juvenile filly was sent through the 2021 Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders' Association Yearling and Mixed Sale by her breeder, selling to Bobby Dupre for $10,500. She returned the following year at the Texas Thoroughbred Association 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale with consignor Carl Deville, realizing $200,000 from Mansfield Racing.

A son of Union Rags, Free Drop Billy stands at Spendthrift Farm in Lexington, Ky., for an advertised fee of $5,000 in 2022.