Spun to Run, the dominant winner of last year's Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, has been retired from racing by owners Bob and Sue Donaldson.
Spun to Run won five races as a 3-year-old last year by a combined 20 lengths. His most important win came in the 2019 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita Park where he led gate-to-wire to win by 2 3/4 lengths over favored multiple Grade 1 winner Omaha Beach. That deep field also included multiple Grade 1 winner Improbable, and graded stakes winners Coal Front and Mr. Money. He earned a 109 Beyer speed figure in the win.
In addition to his Breeders' Cup victory, Spun to Run captured the Grade 3 Smarty Jones Stakes and the M.P. Ballezzi Appreciation Mile Stakes where he ran a 110 Beyer Speed Figure, the second-highest for a 3-year-old at a mile or more in 2019. His brilliant 3-year-old campaign also included a strong second-place finish to Maximum Security in the G1 Cigar Mile, where he posted a -2 Thorograph figure, and a third place finish in the G1 Haskell Invitational Stakes. He retires with earnings of $1,160,520.
A brilliant miler with the ability to carry his speed, Spun to Run captured three of four starts at a mile, with his one second at the distance coming in the Cigar Mile. He ran less than a 1 on the Thorograph in six of his nine starts at three.
Owner Bob Donaldson commented: “From day one, this guy showed us his heart and determination, but most importantly, he showed us a mindset that was unlike any horse we had ever been around. With each start he just got better and more determined to simply outrun his competition.”
Breeder Migdaly Serra of Sabana Farm echoed Donaldson's comments about Spun to Run's class in an interview with The BloodHorse MarketWatch earlier this year: “From a very young age, Spun to Run behaved like he always has—like a champion. Everyone who worked with us in that year knew it. He was exceptional.”
Darley's Darren Fox added: “Spun to Run embodies many of the best qualities in Hard Spun. When I think of Hard Spun, I think of his heart, desire, and the will to win. Spun to Run embodies much of Hard Spun's heart and speed, that honest running style that says, 'Here's what I have, catch me if you can.' It's a joy to watch and is certainly something that runs in a lot of Hard Spun's progeny.”
Spun to Run possesses a top-rung pedigree to complement the brilliance he showed on the racetrack. He is by Grade 1 winner and champion sire Hard Spun, making him a grandson of the mighty Danzig. In addition to Hard Spun, other male-line descendants of Danzig standing at stud include: Danehill, Green Desert, War Front, Sea The Stars, and Kingman.
Spun to Run's stakes-winning dam, Yawkey Way, is also the dam of stakes-winning 3-year-old filly Tap It All. He is from the immediate family of Grade 1 winners Constitution, All Fired Up, Awesome Humor, Emcee, and Competitive Edge.
Stud plans have not been determined for the 4-year-old son of leading sire Hard Spun.
The post Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile Winner Spun To Run Retired; Stud Plans Pending appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
