It always seemed like there was a Grade I race with Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg})'s name on it and the hard-knocking chestnut, third in both this year's GI Kentucky Derby and GI Travers S. and second in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, finally earned that top-level victory with a 2 3/4-length win in Friday's GI Clark H. at Churchill Downs.
Gun Runner broke well and assumed the lead from his inside post as expected frontrunner Noble Bird (Birdstone) was slow out of the gate and trailed the field early. Gun Runner had a clear lead after a quarter in :23.72 and Noble Bird was caught some four wide while moving up to midpack on the first turn. Noble Bird took his first stab at the frontrunner after a half in :48.00, but Gun Runner shrugged off his older rival and skipped clear into the stretch. Breaking Lucky (Lookin at Lucky) looked a major threat in upper stretch, but Gun Runner turned back that longshot with a furlong to run and strode clear an authoritative victor.
Gun Runner earned a shot at the Kentucky Derby with wins in the Feb. 20 GII Risen Star S. and Mar. 26 GII Louisiana Derby to begin his sophomore campaign at Fair Grounds. The chestnut gave way grudgingly when third behind Nyquist (Uncle Mo) and Exaggerator (Curlin) in the Run for the Roses and sat out the rest of the Triple Crown. He returned with a front-running 5 1/4-length victory in the June 18 GIII Matt Winn S. at Churchill and followed a fifth-place finish in the July 31 GI Haskell Invitational with his third-place effort, well behind Arrogate (Unbridled's Song), in the Aug. 27 GI Travers S. He just missed catching Connect (Curlin) after a wide trip in the Sept. 24 GII Pennsylvania Derby and had to settle for second behind Tamarkuz (Speightstown) in the Nov. 4 GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.
Pedigree Notes:
Besilu Stables purchased GII Molly Pitcher S. winner Quiet Giant (Giant's Causeway), a half-sister to Horse of the Year Saint Liam (Saint Ballado), for $3 million out of the Ned Evans dispersal at the 2011 Keeneland November sale. Gun Runner is her first foal. The mare's Tapit filly was purchased by Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm for $1.4 million at this year's Keeneland September sale. She also has a Tapit weanling filly and she was bred to Candy Ride (Arg) this year. Quiet Giant is also a half to the dam of Grade I winner Buster's Ready (More Than Ready), as well as to multiple Grade I placed Miss Besilu (Medaglia d'Oro).
Friday, Churchill Downs
CLARK H.-GI, $500,000, CD, 11-25, 3yo/up, 1 1/8m, 1:48.50, ft.
1–&GUN RUNNER, 118, c, 3, by Candy Ride (Arg)
1st Dam: Quiet Giant (GSW, $405,389), by Giant's Causeway
2nd Dam: Quiet Dance, by Quiet American
3rd Dam: Misty Dancer, by Lyphard
O-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC & Three Chimneys Farm;
B-Besilu Stables, LLC (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen; J-Florent
Geroux. $294,500. Lifetime Record: 12-6-2-2, $2,037,800.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick
Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*.[bullet ad=”ea-bloodstock-2-yo-selection”][bullet ad=”niall-brennan-nbs-graduate”][bullet ad=”kbif-g1″][bullet ad=”bridlewood-farm-training-graduate”]2–Breaking Lucky, 118, c, 4, Lookin At Lucky–Shooting Party, by
Sky Classic. ($100,000 Wlg '12 KEENOV). O-Gunpowder Farms
LLC; B-Christine Hayden (ON); T-Reade Baker. $95,000.[bullet ad=”carabloodstock-graduate”][bullet ad=”selected-by-j-stevens-bloodstock”][bullet ad=”silver-spring”][bullet ad=”performance-genetics-selection”][bullet ad=”ontario-bred”]3–Shaman Ghost, 122, c, 4, Ghostzapper–Getback Time, by
Gilded Time. O-Stronach Stables; B-Adena Springs (ON);
T-James A. Jerkens. $47,500.[bullet ad=”adena-bred-and-raised”][bullet ad=”ontario-bred”]Margins: 2 3/4, 3HF, 3/4. Odds: 2.10, 46.20, 4.60.
Also Ran: Hoppertunity, Hawaakom, Effinex, Noble Bird, Are You Kidding Me, Prayer for Relief, Mr. Z. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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