Danzig Danny’s Child Hard Spun on Triple Crown Aspirations
Ranked 11, Hard Spun by the magnificent Danzig was probably one of the very few horses who lived up to the expectations of their inheritance from pedigree and ensured he never finished any lower than fourth. He contested a field of contemporaries like Curlin, Street Sense and Rags to Riches, to name a few. Awarded World Champion Three Year Old Sprinter on Dirt, Hard Spun sired quite a handful of good race horses proving his excellence at racing and stud, likewise.
As a two year old, Hard Spun started thrice, winning all three of them in a sweet ride. In his maiden start at a Special Weight event at Delaware Park in October 2006 winning against his competitors by an 8 ¾ length lead. Soon followed on the same track was the Port Penn Stakes which he again won by 5 lengths beating Heart Throbbin’ and E Cash Rich. In his next start at the Pennsylvania Nursery Stakes in December at 7 furlongs, he beat Favorite Valay by 7 ¾ lengths, Legacy Reserve and Mr Boxcar finishing third and fourth respectively.
He didn’t go through a layoff longer than a month that he set off his three year old racing campaign under the training of Larry Jones with LeComte Stakes. The 8 furlongs race had Hard Spun finishing first again with a lead of 6 ½ lengths over Izzie’s Halo. It came as a sudden surprise to his connections when he finished fourth in his next start again within a month in the South West Stakes at Oaklawn Park.
Of his 10 starts as a three year old in 2007, Hard Spun finished a winner in four and placed second in three, finished third in one. March, he started in Grade-2 event, Lane’s End Stakes which he successfully won, declaring a solid comeback. Triple Crown season commenced and Hard Spun made a highly anticipated start in the first leg; he overtook the field and set a fast pace for all, leading for almost throughout the distance. However after the final turn he was overtaken by Street Sense who eventually also won the race. He finished second in the Kentucky Derby.
However, at the Pimlico grounds during the Preakness Stakes, Hard Spun overtook the early pace set by Xchanger and Flying First Class. Soon leading the field for a considerable distance, he faced heavy stalking by CP West. Coming from the outside, Curlin glided into the lead only to be challenged by Street Sense until a nose win as they overtook Hard Spun who finished third. The third leg of the Triple Crown finished in a fourth place behind Rags to Riches, Curlin and Tiago. togel online