Gun Runner (horse)

Gun Runner
Gun Runner at the 2016 Breeders' Cup
Sire	Candy Ride
Grandsire	Ride The Rails
Dam	Quiet Giant
Damsire	Giant's Causeway
Sex	Colt
Foaled	(2013-03-08)March 8, 2013
Country	United States
Color	Chestnut
Breeder	Besilu Stables LLC
Owner	Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC and Three Chimneys Farm
Trainer	Steve Asmussen
Record	17: 10-3-2
Earnings	US$5,738,500
Major wins
Risen Star Stakes (2016) Louisiana Derby (2016) Matt Winn Stakes (2016) Clark Handicap (2016) Razorback Handicap (2017) Stephen Foster Handicap (2017) Whitney Handicap (2017) Woodward Stakes (2017)
Awards
Timeform US rating: 139

Gun Runner (foaled March 8, 2013) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who has won multiple graded stakes races and is one of the top ranked racehorses of 2017. As a three-year-old, he became an early favorite for the 2016 Kentucky Derby after winning both the Risen Star Stakes and Louisiana Derby. Following a third place finish in the Derby, he won the Matt Winn Stakes and Clark Handicap, and was second in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and Pennsylvania Derby. As a four-year-old in 2017, he has won the Razorback Handicap, Stephen Foster Handicap, Whitney Stakes and Woodward Stakes, and finished second in the Dubai World Cup. His performance in the Whitney earned him a rating of 127 in the August 2017 update of the World's Best Racehorse Rankings, placing him third place worldwide.

Background

Gun Runner is a chestnut colt bred in Kentucky by Benjamin Leon Jr.'s Besilu Stables. His sire is Candy Ride, an Argentinian-bred horse who was undefeated in a six race career that included four Grade I wins in Argentina and the United States. Although expectations for Candy Ride at stud were initially low, he proved himself an excellent sire whose offspring include champion Shared Belief. Gun Runner is the first foal out of Quiet Giant, a multiple stakes winner from a distinguished female family that traces to Hall of Fame inductee and "blue hen" Gallorette. Quiet Giant is by leading sire Giant's Causeway out of the excellent broodmare Quiet Dance, the dam of Horse of the Year Saint Liam.

Quiet Giant was owned by Edward P. "Ned" Evans during the early part of her racing career. Following Evans' death in 2010, she finished her racing career under the ownership of his estate and was bought by Besilu Stables as a racing or broodmare prospect at the Keeneland November sale in 2011 for $3 million. Quiet Giant was officially retired from racing and was bred to Candy Ride in 2012, resulting in the birth of Gun Runner at WinStar Farm on March 8, 2013. As a foal, “he was bright and inquisitive as a young horse, never much trouble and never sick or injured," according to Chris Baker, who was then the general manager of WinStar Farm. Donnie Preston, another WinStar employee, noted that the young Gun Runner had "a little bit of fire to him."

Gun Runner was purchased in 2014 by Three Chimneys Farm as part of a package deal where Three Chimneys bought majority interests in Besilu's breeding stock, weanlings and yearlings. Three Chimneys originally planned to re-sell Gun Runner at auction as a two-year-old but instead sold a half interest in the colt to Ron Winchell for an undisclosed price. On retirement, Gun Runner will stand at Three Chimneys.

Chris Baker, the chief operating officer of Three Chimneys, summarized Gun Runner's main assets: "Pedigree. Conformation. Athleticism. Just the way he always carried himself, just very smart, intelligent, classy. Easy-moving horse, kind of scopey and light, but in a good way — just an athlete... We've got a stallion barn that we want to fill. He was the kind that had enough of the attributes on paper, that if he did what we thought he could do, he'd be in our stallion barn. And he hasn't proven us wrong yet."

Racing history

2015: Two-year-old season

On September 11, 2015, Gun Runner made his career debut at Churchill Downs, winning a maiden special weight race over one mile. He followed up with a win in an allowance race at Keeneland on October 17. He made his graded stakes race debut on November 28 in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs. On a muddy track, Gun Runner overcame some traffic problems to take the lead at the head of the stretch but was then overtaken and finished fourth.

2016: Three-year-old season

Gun Runner began his three-year-old campaign on February 20, 2016 in the Grade II Risen Star Stakes at the Fair Grounds Race Course. With new jockey Florent Geroux, Gun Runner settled in fourth then started his move around the final turn. He hit the lead at the head of the stretch then held off a late run from Forevamo to win by half a length. The win earned Gun Runner 50 points and the early lead on the 2016 Road to the Kentucky Derby. "He's a very nice horse. We're very lucky to have him," said trainer Steve Asmussen. "I thought Florent gave him a beautiful trip with how the track was playing. He's shown talent the whole time and it's definitely good to see him in the winner's circle in a race like this."

On March 26, Gun Runner returned in the $1 million Louisiana Derby, also at the Fair Grounds, where he was the third betting choice at odds of almost 4-1. He was close behind a slow early pace, then drew away in the stretch to win by 4+1⁄2 lengths in a dominant performance. "The good thing is he's very easy to manage," said Geroux. "He has so many gears. He settles really nicely, and when you ask him to go, he has a nice turn of foot."

In the 2016 Kentucky Derby, Gun Runner was the third betting choice behind the two-year-old champion Nyquist, who had also won the Florida Derby, and Exaggerator, who had won the Santa Anita Derby. Gun Runner broke well and raced with Nyquist just behind a fast early pace set by Dazzling Candy. As they rounded into the stretch, Gun Runner made his move and took the lead. Nyquist then responded and started to draw away. From far behind, Exaggerator made a strong run down the stretch to finish second, with Gun Runner holding on for third.

With his connections opting to pass the final two legs of the Triple Crown, Gun Runner returned to action on June 18 in the Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs. He led from wire-to-wire, winning by 5+1⁄4 lengths while setting a stakes record. His time of 1:41.12 for 1+1⁄16 miles was just 0.02 seconds off the track record.

His next start saw him face Nyquist and Exaggerator once again in the 2016 Haskell Invitational Stakes. On a sloppy track, he ran an uncharacteristically off the board race finishing fifth. He rebounded with a respectable third place finish in the Travers Stakes, though well behind the winner, Arrogate, who set a track record for 10 furlongs with a brilliant time of 1:59.36. "We ran into a freak today," Asmussen said. "I thought 2:02 would win it."

On September 24, Gun Runner again faced off with Nyquist and Exaggerator in the $1.25 million Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing. Gun Runner settled into fourth behind a fast early pace, then swung wide around the far turn to move into second. Meanwhile, Connect made his move along the rail and reached the lead in mid-stretch, then stood off Gun Runner's rally to win by half a length.

After finishing second in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, Gun Runner ended his three year old season on November 25 against a strong field of older horses in the Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs. When the expected pacemaker Noble Bird broke poorly, Gun Runner took control of the race and led from wire-to-wire for the first Grade I win of his career. "I'm so proud of him," said Asmussen. "Walking him over, the horse has such confidence about him. He's kept his strength and his weight with the thousands of miles he's traveled this year on the stages that he's been on."

2017: Four-year-old season

Gun Runner was stabled over the winter at the Fair Grounds, which was quarantined in January after two horses tested positive for the neuropathogenic strain of the equine herpesvirus. The connections of Gun Runner arranged to enter the horse in the inaugural running of the $12 million Pegasus World Cup on January 28 in what would have been his seasonal debut, but Gulfstream Park officials refused to allow him to ship to the track despite a negative blood test as the horse had not also been tested for the virus through a nasal swab.

Instead, Gun Runner's 2017 seasonal debut came in the Grade III Razorback Handicap on February 20 at Oaklawn Park. Sent off as the 1-5 favorite in a field of six older horses, Gun Runner took the lead out of the gate and was never seriously challenged to win as he sped through 1+1⁄16 miles in 1:40.97, just two-fifths of a second off the stakes record of 1:402⁄5. The win cemented Gun Runner's reputation for durability, reliability and "consistent class", and encouraged his connections to run him in the $10 million Dubai World Cup. "He's getting better and better and (the Razorback) was an extremely pleasant performance, even better than anticipated," said Doug Cauthen of Three Chimneys Farm. "He's a heck of a nice horse and he's proven it."

On March 25, Gun Runner entered the Dubai World Cup at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai as part of a field of fourteen that was headlined by Arrogate, who had won the Breeders' Cup Classic and Pegasus World Cup after defeating Gun Runner in the Travers. On a muddy track, Gun Runner tracked the early leaders then took the lead as the field turned for home. Gun Runner continued to stride out well but succumbed to Arrogate, who had overcome a terrible start to record a dominant win. Gun Runner's second-place finish earned him 2 million dollars. After the Dubai World Cup, his connections announced that Gun Runner would run against Arrogate at least once more, in the 2017 Breeders' Cup Classic.

On May 1, it was announced that Gun Runner's next start would be in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs on June 17th. The Stephen Foster is a "Win and You're In" race, part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge series. The winner of each "Win and You're In" race gets an automatic berth into a specific Breeders' Cup race, which for the Stephen Foster is the Breeders' Cup Classic. Highweighted at 124 pounds, Gun Runner drew post 3 in the Stephen Foster and was installed as the 4-5 morning line favorite. By post time, his odds had dropped to 1-2. Sent out to the lead early, Gun Runner set the pace in the Stephen Foster and led the field into the first turn and onto the backstretch. On the second turn, 10-1 shot Stanford attempted to make a bid for the lead, but Gun Runner drew away to win by 7 lengths, a margin of victory record for the Stephen Foster. Gun Runner's final time of 1:47.56 was only 0.28 seconds off of Victory Gallop's track record set in the 1999 Stephen Foster. He was given a Timeform rating of 139 for his performance, tied with Arrogate in the Pegasus World Cup for the highest Timeform rating achieved within the US in 2017.

Asmussen was relieved that Gun Runner had earned his spot in the Breeders' Cup Classic early. "There's not more I can say than this horse is simply the real deal," he said following Gun Runner's Stephen Foster win. Asmussen said the colt's next start would likely be at Saratoga and mentioned the Whitney Stakes as a possible target. Jockey Florent Geroux was also very impressed with Gun Runner's performance. "You know, going back and thinking about the race, it's very rare as a jockey that you can feel a horse never getting tired in a 1 1/8-mile grade 1," he remarked.

Gun Runner made his next start in the Whitney Stakes on August 5 at Saratoga, going off as the heavy 3-5 favorite. After a good start, he settled into second place behind Cautious Giant, who had been entered as a "rabbit" for his stablemate War Story. Entering the far turn, Geroux decided the pace was too slow and let Gun Runner assume control of the race. In the stretch, he continued to draw away to a 5+1⁄4 length victory, despite a strong late run from Keen Ice.

The win attracted further attention on social media because Gun Runner ran the final half mile with a horseshoe caught in his tail: a shoe from Cautious Giant flew loose just as Gun Runner was starting his move. "We watched the tape repeatedly, repeatedly," said Asmussen, "and if you never seen anything before, just wait around. Can you believe that? I mean if we tried to throw one and stick in one's tail as he was standing, still we'd go 0-for-1,000 – let alone at a run, let alone Gun Runner, let alone in the Whitney – and it stayed. [With] how fast he was going [during the race], it was held out from him. When he slowed down to walk, then it came into him. We were obviously unaware of it until he came back to the winner's circle, but not a nick on him. I mean, there's still nails in it."

The race improved Gun Runner's rating to 127 in the World's Best Racehorse Rankings August update, maintaining his third place ranking worldwide.

On September 2, Gun Runner made his next start in the Woodward Stakes at Saratoga, going off as the prohibitive favorite in a field of five. Trainer Todd Pletcher entered two horses, with Neolithic assigned to set a fast early pace in the hopes of tiring Gun Runner, while Rally Cry was intended to close from behind. The race went much as expected, with Gun Runner stalking Neolithic for the first 6 furlongs before swinging to the lead on the far turn. Gun Runner maintained his momentum and eventually won by 10+1⁄4 lengths over the late-closing Rally Cry. His time of 1:47.43 was the fastest Woodward Stakes since the race was moved to Saratoga in 2006 and earned Gun Runner a career high Beyer Speed Figure of 115.

"That was better than the Whitney, just stronger, faster overall," said Geroux. "I don't think he's 100-percent cranked up yet. I really do think we have another step forward with him. We're going to need one against Arrogate."

Pedigree

Pedigree of Gun Runner, chestnut colt, foaled March 8, 2013

Sire Candy Ride (ARG) 1999	Ride the Rails 1991	Cryptoclearance	Fappiano
			Naval Orange
		Herbalesian	*Herbager (FR)
			Alanesian
	Candy Girl (ARG) 1990	Candy Stripes	Blushing Groom (FR)
			Bubble Company (FR)
		City Girl	Farnesio (ARG)
			Cithara
Dam Quiet Giant 2007	Giant's Causeway 1997	Storm Cat	Storm Bird
			Terlingua
		Mariah's Storm	Rahy
			Immense
	Quiet Dance 1993	Quiet American	Fappiano
			Demure
		Misty Dancer	Lyphard
			Flight Dancer (Family: 17-b)

Gun Runner is inbred 4S x 4D to Fappiano, meaning Fappiano appears in the fourth generation on both the sire and dam's side of the pedigree. Gun Runner is also inbred to Blushing Groom 4S X 5D and Lyphard 5S X 4D.