Free As A Bird makes it three-in-a-row

Hard Spun mare Free As A Bird secured her third Black type win in a row August 1 with a come-from-behind score in the Caress Stakes at Saratoga. A winner of the License Fee Stakes at Belmont in May, the mare followed up with another Belmont victory in the Intercontinental Stakes in June.

In the five-and-one-half-furlong turf sprint Free As A Bird was well back in seventh to start the race. Turning for home she took aim on the lead, swinging wide and gaining ground on the outside for a strong win as the 8-5 favorite.

Free As A Bird is a daughter of G3 Forward Gal Stakes winner and G1 Ashland Stakes-placed Take The Cake, also the dam of Stakes winner Let Me Entertain U. She is a homebred for Elizabeth Jones Valando.

Set to return to Darley in America in 2015, Hard Spun is the sire of more than 30 Black type winners thus far in his career. To date in 2014 his daughter Hard Not To Like captured the G1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland, and most recently G1 Wood Memorial winner Wicked Strong added the G2 Jim Dandy at Saratoga to his record August 26. Along with Hard Not To Like, top runners in the sire's first crop include Eclipse Champion Questing and G1-winning filly Zo Impressive.