Hard Spun to Darley Japan

Grade 1 winner Hard Spun will stand the 2014 breeding season at Darley Stud in Hokkaido, Japan.

The 9-year-old son of Danzig began his stallion career in 2008, and has stood his entire Northern Hemisphere career at Darley’s Jonabell Farm in Lexington, Ky. He has sired three crops of racing age, led by Questing, champion 3-year-old filly of 2012. His other notable runners include Grade 1 winner Zo Impressive, Group 2 winners Red Duke and Moviesta, and Grade 3 winners Easter Gift, Hard Not to Like and Hierro.

Hard Spun already has several stakes winners in the Western Hemisphere, having shuttled from Darley’s U.S. and Australian farms since the beginning of his stallion career.

"Just like Street Sense was in 2013, Hard Spun will be a fantastic addition to our stallion ranks in Japan,” said Charlie Boden, Darley’s head of sales. “We are constantly looking for ways to enhance and accommodate Sheikh Mohammed’s breeding operations around the globe, but are also looking for ways we can provide breeders access to our stallions on an international scale as well."

Hard Spun was a major player in the notable 3-year-old class of 2007 that also included Curlin, Rags to Riches and fellow Darley sire Street Sense. His sophomore campaign included wins in the Grade 1 King’s Bishop Stakes, as well as the Grade 2 Lane’s End Stakes and Kentucky Cup Classic and the Grade 3 LeComte Stakes. He also finished second in that year’s Kentucky Derby, Breeders’ Cup Classic and Haskell Invitational, and third in the Preakness Stakes.

In total, Hard Spun retired with seven wins in 13 career starts for earnings of $2,673,470 racing for owner Fox Hill Farms and trainer Larry Jones.

Bred in Pennsylvania by Michael Moran and Brushwood Stable, Hard Spun is out of the Grade 2-placed stakes-winning Turkoman mare Turkish Tryst, whose five winners from as many foals to race also includes stakes winner Our Rite of Spring and multiple stakes-placed winner Wild Current.

Hard Spun joins Admire Moon, Deep Sky, Furioso, King’s Best, Pyro, and Storming Home on the Darley Japan stallion roster.