Gun Runner

Winchell Thoroughbreds homebred Gunite (Gun Runner), winner of the track-and-trip GI Hopeful S. as a juvenile and runner-up in the GI H. Allen Jerkens S. 12 months ago, parlayed a tactical advantage Saturday into a vengeful victory in Saratoga's GI Forego S. The Steve Asmussen pupil had come up a head short of 2022 champion sprinter Elite Power (Curlin) in the GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. going a furlong shorter in the slop here July 29, and was 6-5 to get the better of that formidable foe this go around....

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar. Against the flow of the race from the outset, Locked (c, 2, Gun Runner--Luna Rosa, by Malibu Moon) rallied smartly from last after some trouble at the start to finish a very encouraging third sprinting on debut at Saratoga Aug. 5. Chilly on the board at 12-1 for trainer Todd Pletcher, the Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm colorbearer was forced to take up sharply shortly after...

Cherie DeVaux trainee Vahva (f, 3, Gun Runner--Holiday Soiree, by Harlan's Holiday) shipped in to Charles Town off a third in Belmont's July 8 GIII Victory Ride S. to capture Friday night's 15th running of the $750,000 GIII Charles Town Oaks, billed as the richest sprint race for sophomore fillies in North America. Off at 7-5, Vahva raced just behind the leaders while 96-1 Late Frost (Frosted) set early fractions of :23.37 and :46.82 as Undervalued Asset (Speightstown) pressured her from the outside. The two pacesetters pulled well clear of...

Il Miracolo (c, 3, Gun Runner--Tapit's World, by Tapit), a longshot second in Saratoga's Curlin S. July 21, broke through with a career high in Tuesday's GIII Smarty Jones S. at Parx. Drawn widest of all in post eight, the 7-2 chance was hustled from his outside draw and raced three wide around the clubhouse turn. He sat a perfect, stalking trip from an outside third, made his move on the far turn, kicked for home as the one to catch, and, despite drifting out badly down the lane,  was...

In Risk It (Gun Runner), who made his career debut in Saturday's first race at Saratoga, you had a horse by an exceptional sire, one who sold for $500,000 as a yearling, was taking money at the windows and is trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen. He figured to be a runner, and he was. Ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, Risk It broke sharply, quickly opened up by two lengths on the backstretch and cruised home from there in a race that was never in doubt. A $136,5000 maiden special...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY - The Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Yearlings Sale gained momentum throughout its opening session, ending with figures ahead of last year's opening session after a brisk evening of just 100 catalogued head. A colt by Violence brought the night's top price when Chris Baccari, bidding alongside trainer Ken McPeek, went to $380,000 on behalf of country singer Toby Keith. The yearling was consigned by Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa. A total of 53 yearlings sold Sunday for $5,999,000. The average of $113,189 was up 5% from last year's...

Wonder Ride (Gun Runner) is by one of the best sires in the sport and comes from a winning barn in the Kenny McPeek stable. But Saratoga bettors overlooked her in Sunday's first race, a seven-furlong dirt maiden for 2-year-old fillies. She was sent off at 10-1. You probably won't get 10-1 again on her anytime soon. Ridden by Julien Leparoux, Wonder Ride was never far back, but the jockey remained patient. She got rolling near the top of the stretch, split horses and then took over in the final...

4th-Colonial Downs, $60,000, Msw, 8-12, 3yo/up, 1 1/16mT, 1:42.17, fm, 6 1/2 lengths. INTEGRATION (c, 3, Quality Road--Harmonize {GISW, $827,860}, by Scat Daddy) earned even-money favoritism in his first start since bringing $700,000 as a yearling at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton New York Select Yearling Sale. 30-1 longshot Elon (Great Notion) was eager to go on with it and surged ahead to open up nearly five lengths on the field through a half in :47.58. Integration, though caught a bid wide throughout, easily took over into the far turn as the...

Sunday's GIII West Virginia Derby winner Red Route One (Gun Runner) is expected to make his next start in the National Thoroughbred League Dueling Grounds Derby Sept. 3 at the FanDuel Meet at Kentucky Downs. The Steve Asmussen-trainee began his career with a victory over the Kentucky Downs grass last year and owner Ron Winchell is a co-managing partner with Marc Falcone in Kentucky Downs and its sister The Mint Gaming Hall properties. "I think since he had been successful there last year, we have always had our eye on...

by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY - The Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale of Selected Yearlings, which looked to have a tough task to live up to its record-smashing 2022 renewal, proved more than equal to that task and, when a fast and frenetic session concluded Tuesday night, the auction had once again set high-water marks for gross and average and tied its record median. "We have experienced some magical nights in Saratoga in the past and you've heard me talk about the Saratoga magic, but we ain't seen...

A filly by Gun Runner out of the Grade II-placed Divine Dawn (Divine Park) was hammered down to Lauren Carlisle, acting as agent, for $850,000 to lead the early returns during the first of two sessions of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling Sale Monday evening. Bred by Oussama Aboughazale's International Equities Holding and consigned to the sale by Gainesway, the Feb. 28 foal is out of a full-sister to Grade II winner Divine Miss Grey and is the year-younger half-sister to Top Connor (Twirling Candy), a $200,000 Keeneland September yearling who...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY - A year after a record-smashing 2022 edition, the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale of Selected Yearlings returns to Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion in Saratoga Springs with a two-session auction beginning Monday evening at 6:30 p.m. The sales grounds were a scene of wall-to-wall activity on a cloudless Sunday morning as trainers, agents and principals all vied for prized show spots for the 235 catalogued yearlings. "The traffic has been outstanding," consignor Dave Anderson outside his Barn 3. "Coming in with the economy being a little suspect, it was...