Hard Spun's first time starter, the two-year-old colt Artest, battled through a first quarter mile in :21 3/5 and never looked back, drawing away impressively in the stretch to win by six lengths in a five-furlong maiden special weight event at Belmont. He joins two other winners for Hard Spun in his first crop making him the first freshman sire to reach that mark in 2011.
Artest was bred by JMJ Racing Stables, LLC, Jeffrey Narlinger and Michael Narlinger in Kentucky and is out of the Stakes-winning, G3-placed mare Desire to Excel, a daughter of the six-time Stakes winner Ayrial Delight.
Hard Spun won the G1 King’s Bishop at 1400m and was able to carry his speed to second-placed finishes in the G1 Kentucky Derby and G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic, both run at 2000m. He has also made a huge impact at the USA-based two-year-old sales in 2011 with four sales toppers and is also the sire of the top-priced juvenile sales horse of the year at US$675,000.
An exceptional song of Danzig, Hard Spun covered an outstanding first book of mares which included G1 winners In Joyment, Reganza and She's Archie, plus the dams, siblings and daughters of a further 18 G1 winners. Standing the forthcoming breeding season at Northwood Park at a fee of $16,500 (inc GST), Hard Spun is sure to once again prove popular this season.
