G1 winner Free Drop Billy gets first mare in foal
March 4, 2019
Free Drop Billy, the only G1-winning son of Union Rags
Spendthrift Farm’s new stallion Free Drop Billy, the Grade 1-winning 2-year-old by Union Rags, had his first mare confirmed in foal.
Autumn Gold, a Smart Strike mare that was bred through Spendthrift’s “Share The Upside” program, checked in foal on Monday at Fairview Farm in Versailles, KY. A half-sister to a pair of multiple stakes winners, Autumn Gold is owned by Dr. Connie Brown.
Campaigned by Albaugh Family Stables, Free Drop Billy was one of America’s top 2-year-olds in 2017. After a three-length debut victory going 5 ½ furlongs at Churchill, Free Drop Billy was the favorite in the Sanford S. (G3) and Hopeful S. (G1) at Saratoga in his next two starts, finishing a close runner-up in each. He stretched out around two turns in his fourth start – the 1 1/16-miles Breeders’ Futurity (G1) at Keeneland – and won going away by four lengths over Bravazo.
In major Derby preps as a 3-year-old, Free Drop Billy finished on the board in the Blue Grass S. (G2), Holy Bull S. (G2) and Gotham S. (G3). He retired to Spendthrift as the only Grade 1-winning son of popular sire Union Rags, with career earnings of $662,470.
Free Drop Billy is out of the Graded stakes-placed and multiple Grade 1-producing Giant’s Causeway mare Trensa, and hails from the family of champion and leading sire Cozzene. Free Drop Billy is a half-brother to multiple Group 1-winning multimillionaire Hawkbill.
For more information about Free Drop Billy or Spendthrift, please contact Des, Mark, or Brian at 859-294-0030, or visit the new website at SpendthriftFarm.com.