A Thread of Blue

A Thread of Blue needed three starts to earn his first career victory, improving with a switch to turf in his second race and then winning an off-the-turf sprint by two lengths in his third start in October 2018 at Belmont Park.

The Hard Spun colt next raced in the Awad Stakes on the turf at Aqueduct on Nov. 4 and finished third by 1 ¼ lengths. He shipped to Gulfstream Park for the winter and closed his 2-year-old season with a front-running 2 ¾-length in an optional claiming race on the grass on Dec. 22.

A Thread of Blue made his 3-year-old bow in the Dania Beach Stakes on Feb. 3 at Gulfstream and set an uncontested pace en route to a 3 ½-length runaway victory to nail down his first stakes triumph. He subsequently was tested in graded stakes company in the Grade 3 Palm Beach Stakes on March 2. This time, he did not get the lead, but after racing in third early, A Thread of Blue finished powerfully to prevail by three-quarters of a length as the 1-2 favorite.

A Thread of Blue next started in the Grade 2 American Turf Stakes Presented by Ram Trucks on May 4 at Churchill Downs and nearly lasted all the way in a game runner-up effort behind Digital Age. He then shipped to Penn National for the Grade 2 Penn Mile Stakes, but did not handle the yielding turf and finished fourth as the 7-5 favorite.

After a two-month break, A Thread of Blue returned in the $1 million Saratoga Derby on Aug. 4, the second leg of the new Turf Trinity. Sent to the lead by regular rider Luis Saez, the colt held a quality field at bay and had plenty left in reserve to defeat Digital Age for a lucrative payday.

Multiple group stakes winner Enthused, by Seeking the Gold, is the dam (mother) of A Thread of Blue. Enthused also has produced group stakes winner Norman Invader and stakes winner Ea. A Thread of Blue’s grandam (maternal grandmother) is Group 1 winner Magic of Life, by Seattle Slew.