Gun Runner

Sierra Leone Books Return Trip to Classic With Powerful Win in Whitney

Last year's champion 3-year-old colt and 'TDN Rising Star' Sierra Leone (Gun Runner), winless in two attempts since capturing the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, came storming home from last of nine to book a return trip to Del Mar in Saturday's 'Win and You're In' GI Whitney S. at Saratoga. Highland Falls (Curlin), winner of last summer's GI Jockey Club Gold Cup S. at the Spa, was a length back in second. 'Rising Star' Disarm (Gun Runner), runner-up in the 2023 GI Travers S., was up for third. The 6-5...

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The Sire Primer: Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale

A total of 47 sires will be represented at next week's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale. Here's a breakdown of how many yearlings each stallion has cataloged, along with a closer look at some of the individuals boasting Grade I pedigrees.     First-Crop Yearling Sires: 29% of Catalogue Corniche: 2 Cyberknife: 3 Drain The Clock: 1 Epicenter: 4 Flightline: 9 Golden Pal: 8 Idol: 1 Jack Christopher: 3 Jackie's Warrior: 7 Life Is Good: 9 Mandaloun: 2 Mystic Guide: 1 Olympiad: 5 All eyes will be on the first crop of...

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Brant romps on debut at Del Mar
OBS Record-Setting Brant as Advertised, Delivers 'Rising Star' Performance on Debut at Del Mar

Brant (c, 2, Gun Runner--Tynan, by Liam's Map), the record-setting $3-million OBS March breezer, lived up to the hype for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert with a spectacular 'TDN Rising Star' performance on debut at Del Mar Saturday. The 4-5 choice sat the trip in third through an opening quarter in :21.56, revved up three deep at the top of the stretch and leveled off with powerful strides to win going away by 5 1/4 lengths. Civil Liberty (Independence Hall) was second. The final time for 5 1/2 furlongs was...

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Sierra Leone works at Saratoga
Contenders Get Final Works In Before Next Weekend's Whitney

Reigning champion 3-year-old colt and 'TDN Rising Star' Sierra Leone (Gun Runner), second last out in the GI Stephen Foster on June 28 at Churchill Downs, worked a half-mile in :48.80 (52/167) Saturday to the inside of Secured Lender over the Spa main track. The Chad Brown runner is expected to start in next Saturday's GI Whitney Stakes, a 'Win and You're In' race for the GI Breeders' Classic in November at Del Mar. "He worked super. It was just maintenance," Brown said. "He's bounced out of the Stephen Foster...

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Saturday Insights: OBS Record-Setter Debuts For Baffert At Del Mar

4th-DMR, 100K, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 6:33 p.m. Amr Zedan went to an eye-watering OBS record $3,000,000 to acquire BRANT (Gun Runner) from consigner Eddie Woods back in March and the colt makes his debut at Del Mar for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert. Working in an impressive time of :9 3/5, he was a huge pinhook for St. Clair Stables who picked him up for just $200,000 as a yearling at Keeneland last September. Brant is out of a winning Liam's Map half-sister to GSW/GISP and young stallion Pappacap...

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Summer Breezes Sponsored By OBS: Saturday, July 26, 2025

Some of the most highly anticipated races during the summer season are the 'baby' races during the boutique meetings at Saratoga and Del Mar and at Ellis Park, which attract its fair share of high-priced juveniles from a variety of top national outfits. Summer Breezes, sponsored by OBS Sales, highlights debuting and stakes-entered 2-year-olds at those meetings that have been sourced at the breeze-up sales earlier in the year, including links to their under-tack previews. Here are the horses entered for Saturday at Saratoga, Ellis Park and Del Mar. Saturday,...

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Into Mischief's Silent Dreamer Makes Turf to Dirt Swap, Wins Well at Second Asking

2nd-Monmouth, $51,975, Msw, 7-19, 3yo/up, f/m, 6f, 1:10.70, ft, 6 1/4 lengths. SILENT DREAMER (f, 3, Into Mischief--Celestine {GISW, $1,148,055}, by Scat Daddy) debuted on the lawn at Aqueduct Sept. 19 last season, and ran a flat seventh after showing little. She transitioned from the Christophe Clement to the Miguel Clement program on her return to the barn, and left the blocks for this second jump with first-time blinkers, Lasix, and on the main track. In the bit and taking the lead right from the jump, the 7-1 shot set...

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Saratoga Notebook, Presented by NYRA Bets: Mindframe Back To Work, May Wait For Next Race

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- Arguably the best older horse in training, Mindframe (Constitution), went back to work Friday morning. The 4-year-old colt had his first work since winning the loaded GI Stephen Foster Stakes last month for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. Mindframe worked an easy four furlongs in :52.46 (76/78) on the main track with regular exercise rider Carlos Quevedo on board. "He does whatever you ask him to do," Pletcher said outside his barn at the Oklahoma Training Track. "He is cool that way. He goes easy...

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A Little Drama, But All the Glory, for Glory Me in 'Rising Star' Debut at Ellis

She was the seventh highest-priced Gun Runner at Keeneland September last year, and Glory Me more than justified that price tag here as she effortlessly cruised home to 'TDN Rising Star' honors on unveiling at Ellis Park. Giving the crew trouble before the race but eventually convinced to load, she hit the gate coming out and was content to watch the pace unfold from the back of a tightly bunched group as they went up the backstretch behind an opening quarter in :22.08. Pinched back as quarters got tight entering...

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Monday's Racing Insights: Well-Bred Son Of Gun Runner, Out Of Our Khrysty Makes Ellis Debut

2nd-ELP, $100K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, 1:19 p.m. ET. The seventh highest-priced Gun Runner to be taken home for $975,000 by Lael Stables during Keeneland September last year is now making her debut at Ellis on Monday. Sent to trainer Cherie DeVaux, GLORY ME is out Blue Heaven Farm's GSW Our Khrysty (Newfoundland), who acquired her for $600,000 at the 2011 Fasig-Tipton Fall Sale while she was in foal to Tiznow. The productive mare counts among her offspring GISW & $2-million buy Grace Adler (Curlin) and recently retired GSW...

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Luna Rosa is the dam of Locked
The Producers: Part 1, Locked and Bloodstock

In this new series, we'll spotlight the dams and connections of some of 2025's racetrack superstars. First up, we'll set the scene by explaining our objective and search for trends, then for a curtain raiser we'll kick off the series by checking in with the dam of one of the top older horses of 2025. Tabbed to be something special from the start, 'TDN Rising Star' Locked (Gun Runner) is a multiple Grade I stakes winner and future Gainesway stallion. Grade I-Winning Trends The end of June marked the halfway...

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Friday Insights: Plenty Of Quality In Churchill's Friday Maidens

3rd-CD, 120K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:43 p.m. The juveniles kick things off at Churchill Downs Friday with a well-bred pair drawn side by side. Widest of the two is MO LAKE TIME (Uncle Mo), the first foal out of the American Pharoah mare Lake Garda who sold for $600,000 to H & R Bloodstock carrying Mo Lake Time in utero at KEENOV in 2022. While unraced herself, Lake Garda is a half-sister to MGISW Hoppertunity (Any Given Saturday) and MGISW Executiveprivilege (First Samurai). Bred by Boardshorts Breeding and Racing,...

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