Winchell Thoroughbreds and Three Chimneys' Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}) exited his scintillating victory in Saturday's GI Whitney H. in good shape, according to trainer Steve Asmussen. “He's fabulous, happy with himself, came back great,” said Asmussen.
The most adventurous part of Gun Runner's Whitney may have been the by-now famous horseshoe entangled in the favorite's tail.
“[I only noticed it] once he slowed down,” Asmussen said. “We watched the tape repeatedly. Can you believe that? I mean if we tried to throw one and stick it 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, it was held out from him, when he slowed down to a 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.”
Asmussen said that Gun Runner would likely make one start before the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, likely in the GI Woodward S. on closing weekend at Saratoga.
“It seems very probable with him running over the racetrack here [and] not having to travel again,” the trainer said of the Sept. 2 Woodward. “It would be ideal.”
Keen Ice (Curlin), who overcame a stumbling start to finish second in the Whitney, will likely skip the Woodward in favor of the Oct. 7 GI Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park, according to trainer Todd Pletcher.
Pletcher could be represented in the Woodward by Neolithic (Harlan's Holiday), who captured an allowance at Saratoga Saturday in his first start since finishing third in the Mar. 25 G1 Dubai World Cup.
“I thought he ran well,” Pletcher said. “He had a little freshening at WinStar and got a little sick when he first came back, so we had a tight schedule to get to that. I think he overcame a less-than-ideal schedule and not his preferred distance, but I was proud of him for putting in that kind of run. He kind of got pushed out a little bit but showed some real determination. We're going to move forward from that race and run a mile and an eighth, which is more in his wheelhouse. Gun Runner is very good, so we'll do the best we can.”
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