Hard Spun colt flies home at Newmarket

Stakes-placed earlier in the month in the G3 Sirenia Stakes – his first Stakes attempt – Hard Spun’s two-year-old Maftool improved well off of that effort on September 25th with a solid win in the G3 Somerville Stakes at Newmarket.

In this seven-furlong event, Maftool settled well in mid-pack throughout the first six furlongs but new jockey Richard Hughes began to ask him for more. The juvenile colt responded well and was able to get by the leader and pull away for a very good score.

Bred in Kentucky by Charles Kidder & J. K. and Linda Griggs, Maftool is out of a half-sister to G2 winner Abraaj, Listed winner and track record-setter Leelanau and other Listed winner All Trumps.

Hard Spun is having his best year yet as a sire. This year, he is the sire of G1 winners Wicked Strong, winner of the Wood Memorial, Hardest Core, winner of the Arlington Million and Hard Not To Like, winner of the Jenny Wiley. He also has other Graded winners Big John B, Hard Enough and Reload. Only two stallions standing in North America have more Group or Graded winners in 2014.

Ranked among the top 10 sires in the U.S., Hard Spun returns to Darley in America for the 2015 breeding season after spending one year at Darley in Japan.