Odds-on choice Hard Spun, a colt who has shown up for all the major dances for trainer Larry Jones this season, earned his elusive first grade I victory when he turned back a serious challenge from First Defence in the $250,000 King’s Bishop (gr. I) for 3-year-olds at Saratoga on Saturday.

Hard Spun, a son of Danzig, is headed for a career at stud at Darley at the end of the year, so the grade I was a big step for the Fox Hill Farm runner. The Pennsylvania bred ended a four-race losing streak, cutting back to seven furlongs in the King’s Bishop for Jones and winning for the first time since taking the Lane’s End Stakes (gr. II) on the Turfway Park Polytrack in March. (via Hard Spun News)