You've gotta love Hard Not To Like

Less than 24 hours after Big John B won the G2 Cougar Handicap at Del Mar, Hard Spun's remarkable weekend continued as his daughter, Hard Not To Like, wore down the leaders to win her third career G1 event in Saratoga's Diana Handicap. It was her second consecutive win at the highest level and she set a new course record of 1:45.22 in the process.

It appeared to be a three-horse race early on as the lead pack put more than 10 lengths between themselves and the rest of the field at the half-mile pole. Entering the final turn, the front runners began to slow their pace allowing the chasing pack to close the gap. As the field entered the stretch, Hard Not To Like slowly but surely passed the lead horses to get up for the win. 

Bred by Garland E. Williamson, Hard Not To Like also won the G1 Jenny Wiley Stakes at Keeneland as a five-year-old. The mare is out of multiple Stakes winner Like A Gem, herself a half-sister to G3-placed Hard Spun filly Ruby Lips, as well as Stakes winners Win And Reign and Graded-placed Cool Gator.

Only Tapit has more G1 winners than Hard Spun in 2015. He's also the sire of Hard Aces who captured the Gold Cup at Santa Anita last month. The sire of three G1 winners in 2014 as well, Hard Spun is one of only 11 sires since 1990 to have sired at least six G1 winners in their first three crops.