Always a Runner

With one week to go until next Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby, contenders began putting in their final works Friday. At Keeneland, Golden Tempo (Curlin) had his final timed drill for first-time Derby trainer Cherie DeVaux. Working inside of MGSW Brilliant Berti (Noble Mission {GB}), the GIII Lecomte Stakes winner clocked a half-mile in :47.40 (2/72). "He's had different company, and he's outworked each one," DeVaux said. "This was just a maintenance work and Brilliant Berti is a pretty good workhorse and he's older. We didn't want him (Golden Tempo) doing...

Red White and Blue Racing's Pashmina (Constitution), second in the Apr. 4 GIII Gazelle Stakes, will now take a shot in the May 1 GI Kentucky Oaks. The bay filly worked four furlongs over Belmont's dirt training track in :47.97 (19/88) Friday. It was her first breeze back since her pacesetting 1 1/4-length defeat to Always a Runner in the nine-furlong Gazelle. "She worked really good on Friday," trainer Rob Atras said. "The track was a little quick, the clocker said. I didn't think she was moving that fast, but...

The prep season for the GI Kentucky Oaks came to a conclusion last week and the field looks more or less set. It should be a quality, competitive race with no clear standout. The big story last week was the win in the GI Ashland Stakes by Percy's Bar (Upstart). It was a powerful, eye-opening performance, one that was good that she has moved up in this poll from the 10th spot to the top spot. So, here goes, your latest and last Top 10 for the Kentucky Oaks: 1)...

As we acknowledged a week ago, the contributions made by these horses to what we can turn into a narrative are wholly random. But it has meanwhile felt almost as though Gun Runner wanted to prove otherwise, after watching Into Mischief's feisty response to the spectacle of Not This Time stealing an early march in the general sires' table. Gun Runner's role in that exchange was to retreat sulkily to the wings, lamenting the injury to his top Classic prospect Paladin. Well, he's obviously too good for that. On the...

Douglas Scharbauer and Three Chimneys Farm's Always a Runner (Gun Runner) collared the pacesetting Pashmina (Constitution) late to win Saturday's GIII Gazelle at Aqueduct. In victory, the Chad Brown-trainee secured the maximum allotment of 100-50-25-15-10 Kentucky Oaks points on offer to the top-five finishers. "She looks good this morning," said Brown on Easter Sunday. "I'll speak to the owners later [Sunday]. I'm inclined to go on to the Oaks with her. She only ran twice, but she looks super this morning. You deal with 14 horses instead of 20, I...

'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Always A Runner (Gun Runner) wore down pacesetter Pashmina (Constitution) in the final sixteenth to win Saturday's GIII Gazelle Stakes and earn 100 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks. The least experienced runner in the field with just one start under her belt, the seven-figure yearling impressed at Tampa Bay Downs Feb. 6, drawing off to win that debut by 6 1/2 lengths. Lacking any early speed from the gate on a surface that had taken a bit of rain just before...

She may've been left behind at the jump, but Always A Runner (Gun Runner) turned the tables in the lane as she effortlessly cruised home to 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' honors at Tampa Bay Downs. Tabbed as a horse to watch in the 'Insights' segment for this unveiling, the Chad Brown-trainee entered this contest with a healthy worktab at Belmont and Payson Park, and commanded the betting dollars to the tune of 3-5 favoritism. Right from the jump, she made her backers sweat when Always A Runner hopped...

3rd-TAM, $55K, Msw, 3yo, f, 1m 40yds, 1:36 p.m. ET. Three Chimneys bred ALWAYS A RUNNER (Gun Runner) as the first foal out of GSP Always Carina (Malibu Moon) who is the half-sister to Jeff Drown and Don Rachel's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf hero Structor (Palace Malice). The farm bought Always Carina's dam, Miss Always Ready (More Than Ready), for $400,000 at the 2014 Keeneland April 2-Year-Old Sale. Her full-sister is Bobby Flay's GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf victress More Than Real. During the 2024 Keeneland September Sale,...