Integrity an honest winner at Belmont

There’s no doubt about it that Hard Spun’s 4-year-old son Integrity likes the front end. In three previous career victories, he’s only missed leading at every stage of those events by just three points of call. And in the Listed Elusive Quality Stakes on May 1 (a race named after fellow Darley stallion Elusive Quality), Integrity once again shot to the front and extended his lead down the stretch when pushed by the second-placed horse to notch his fourth lifetime win.

Bred by Peter E. Blum in Kentucky, Integrity was purchased by Robert V. LaPenta at the Keeneland September Sale in 2011 for $320,000. Integrity is out of the Stakes-winning Unbridled’s Song mare Generosity.

Hard Spun is having his best year to date with two new G1 winners in 2014 Kentucky Derby entrant Wicked Strong, and Hard Not To Like. Wicked Strong was an impressive winner of the G1 Wood Memorial on the dirt while Hard Not To Like annexed the G1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland over the turf, with both wins coming in April.

Hard Spun is the sire of 29 Stakes winners in total, including additional top-level performers Questing, North American Eclipse champion at two, and Zo Impressive. He is represented by a total of 10 Group or Graded winners worldwide.

Hard Spun’s 2014 stud fee is 4 million yen.