Darley sire Hard Spun has been a revelation during the northern summer and his latest winner arrived this week in Maryland.

Hard Spun sired his sixth winner since the start of September when Filare l’Oro scored a stunning 8 length victory at Laurel.  Owner Tom Donohue bought her for $18,000 out of the Blue Heaven Farm draft at the 2010 Keeneland September yearling sale.

Filare l’Oro (2f Hard Spun – Elusive Gold by Strike the Gold) is a half-sister to Gouldings Green (Charismatic), a G3 winner at Woodbine, Turfway Park and Arlington.  Their dam Elusive Gold is a half-sister to G1 Santa Anita winner Stop Traffic (Cure the Blues).

Hard Spun has sired 17 individual winners so far this season – five ahead of his nearest rival among freshman sires in North America.

His divisional leader Red Duke won the G2 Superlative Stakes at Newmarket in July and was runner-up in the G3 Champagne Stakes at Doncaster last Saturday.  He is trained by John Quinn and will race next in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Churchill Downs.

A son of Danzig, Hard Spun was undefeated in three starts as a juvenile.  He was placed in the G1 Kentucky Derby and G1 Preakness prior to a fourth place finish in the G1 Belmont Stakes.

After the classics, he was runner-up in the G1 Haskell Invitational and followed up with wins in the G1 King’s Bishop Stakes and G2 Kentucky Cup Classic.  Hard Spun was as game as always when runner-up to Curlin in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Hard Spun is covering his fourth book at Darley’s Northwood Park base in Victoria for a $16,500 (inc gst) service fee.