Lucullan took the lead in the stretch and powered home to an impressive victory in the G2 Knickerbocker Stakes on October 14 at Belmont Park.
It was the first Graded Stakes win for the five-year-old son of Hard Spun, who has hit-the-board in 11 of his 13 starts.
Lucullan sat near the rear of the field down the backstretch, moved up around the turn, took the lead in deep stretch and pulled away to a one-length victory over Olympico in the nine-furlong turf event.
Lucullan was bred in Kentucky by Darley, and races as a homebred for Godolphin. He is out of Golden Velvet (by Seeking the Gold), winner of the G3 Sixty Sails Handicap and G3 Sabin Stakes. Lucullan is a half-brother to the talented filly Innovative Idea (by Bernardini), winner of the G3 Groupie Doll Stakes. Other standouts found in Lucullan’s immediate family are multiple Graded Stakes winner Caress, G1 Hopeful Stakes winner Sky Mesa, and recent G1 Breeders' Futurity hero Maxfield (by Street Sense).
Hard Spun has sired 75 career Stakes winners, including 11 Grade 1 winners. His other top performers in 2019 include three-year-olds Out For A Spin, winner of the G1 Ashland Stakes, A Thread Of Blue, winner of the $1M Saratoga Derby, Hard Legacy, winner of the G3 Regret Stakes, and Spun to Run, who earned a 110 Beyer winning the $100,000 M.P. Ballezzi Appreciation Mile at Parx Racing over the weekend.
