Loyalty put away leader Love To Shop in deep stretch on her way to capturing the G2 Bessarabian Stakes by one-and-a-half lengths at Woodbine on Saturday, 11 Nov.
The four-year-old filly became the second daughter of Hard Spun to take a Graded Stakes race on the Woodbine card; less than an hour earlier, Millie Girl won the G3 Maple Leaf Stakes for her second straight Graded Stakes win.
A field of 13 older fillies and mares went to the post in the Bessarabian, with Loyalty being sent off as the slight favorite. The dark bay filly broke well under jockey Kazushi Kimura and was settled in mid-pack, just behind the leading phalanx of Owen’s Tour Guide, Miss Dracarys and Love To Shop.
As the field entered the far turn, Loyalty moved to the outside for a clear final run, as Love To Shop took the lead from a tiring Owen’s Tour Guide and Miss Dracarys. Love To Shop continued to cling to a narrow lead with less than a furlong to go, but Loyalty was flying down the center of the course, overtaking her in deep stretch to win going away.
Loyalty was bred in Florida by Best A Luck Farm and Godolphin. She is out of the unraced Elusive Quality mare, Slew's Quality, and is a half-sister to Champion and G1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint winner Shamrock Rose, as well as Stakes-placed runners My Friends Beer and Bet On Mike.
In addition to Loyalty, Hard Spun is also represented by fellow Woodbine Stakes winners Spun Glass (G3 Ontario Fashion Stakes), Millie Girl (G3 Maple Leaf and G3 Ontario Matron) and Elysian Fields ($500,000 Woodbine Oaks, 2nd King’s Plate and Breeders’ Stakes).
Hard Spun will stand the 2024 breeding season at Jonabell Farm for $35,000 stands and nurses.
