Gun Runner

In this continuing series, we examine the past winners of significant filly/mare races by the lasting influence they've had on the breed. Up today is Belmont Park's GI Acorn S., the first leg in New York's prestigious summer trio of Grade I events for 3-year-old fillies. Long a coveted prize, the Acorn has been designated a Grade I from the very beginning when the grading system became official in 1973. A disproportionate amount of its winners are in the Hall of Fame, ranging from Top Flight to Twilight Tear to...

GI Preakness S. winner National Treasure (Quality Road) worked five furlongs in :59.55 seconds over Belmont Park's main track on Monday in preparation for Saturday's $1.5 million GI Belmont S. With exercise rider Erick Garcia aboard, the colt galloped out six furlongs in 1:11.20 and seven furlongs in 1:25.20. "He worked very well this morning," trainer Bob Baffert's assistant, Jimmy Barnes, said. "It's a big track and you can find yourself lost out there. Erick did an excellent job working him and now we're just waiting for the race." National...

Alexandres LLC's Il Miracolo (Gun Runner) breezed five furlongs at Gulfstream Park Friday morning in preparation for a scheduled start in next Saturday's GI Belmont Stakes. He was timed in 1:00.88, the fastest clocking of four recorded at the distance. The Antonio Sano trainee is coming off a front-running score at Gulfstream in an optional claiming allowance at a mile May 11 in his first start since finishing sixth to 'TDN Rising Star' Forte in the GI Curlin Florida Derby. "The horse wants distance and is doing really good, so...

No stranger to layoffs, champion 2-year-old filly and 'TDN Rising Star' Echo Zulu (Gun Runner) made her first start of 2023 a winning one with a runaway score in Churchill's GIII Winning Colors S. On the sidelines since a game second to 2022 champion female sprinter Goodnight Olive (Ghostzapper) in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, she returned to the races in this six-furlong sprint--the shortest distance she's ever raced--without missing a beat, looking every bit the 3-10 favorite. Sharp from an outside gate, Echo Zulu went out...

5th-CD, $120K, Msw, 3yo/up, f/m, 6 1/2f, 2:45 p.m. PUMPKIN SCONE (Into Mischief), a $1.25-million Keeneland September Yearling purchase by Spendthrift Farm, debuts for Brad Cox from the outside gate on Sunday. Bred in Kentucky by the China Horse Club, the bay filly is out of Embellish the Lace (Super Saver), who has also produced three-time winner and fellow $1.25-million KEESEP graduate Tap the Faith (Tapit). Pumpkin Scone hails from a female family which includes GI Travers S. hero Afleet Express (Afleet Alex) and MGISP My Miss Sophia (Unbridled's Song),...

This week's Triple Crown feature examines the trips of GI Kentucky Derby runners in detail from first to last: 1) Mage (No. 12 in TDN pre-race rankings) Mage, the little horse who could, was a characteristic beat slow out of the starting gate. Javier Castellano let him roll with the flow as the field sorted itself out through the first furlong, then darted to secure the rail while fourth-last the first time under the wire. Unhurried through the turn, this son of Good Magic ($235,000 KEESEP; $290,000 EASMAY) raced several...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - With no shortage of racing fans, horsemen and media lined up along the outer rail, the Churchill Downs backstretch got awfully quiet in a hurry as Verifying (Justify) lost his exercise rider leaving the five-eighths marker during Thursday morning's special training session for GI Kentucky Derby and Oaks horses. A big tip of the cap goes out to outriders Greg Blasi and Lee Lockwood, who did a fantastic job of apprehending the GI Blue Grass S. runner-up at the quarter pole. Trainer Brad Cox later reported that...

by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis OCALA, FL - For the third straight day, the team of Bob Baffert and Donato Lanni, acting on behalf of Saudi businessman Amr Zedan, made the highest bid of the session, this time going to $2.2 million--top price of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training sale so far--to acquire a colt by Gun Runner from the de Meric Sales consignment as the Spring sale continued to produce figures largely in line with its record-setting 2022 renewal. Through three of four...

Well into Thursday's third session of the OBS Spring Sale, several of racing's biggest names were out in force to duke it out for a juvenile colt by Horse of the Year Gun Runner. With several separate interests clashing, including agent Donato Lanni, accompanied by Bob Baffert, and trainer Steve Asmussen, the trainer of Gun Runner, it was Amr Zedan's team that outlasted the rest to land the colt for a cool $2.2 million. Offered as Hip 782, the Mar. 20 foal is out of Perfect Wife (Majesticperfection), the dam...

2nd-KEE, $80K, Msw, 2yo, f, 5 1/2fT, 1:32 p.m. A $700,000 acquisition out of the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale last October by Wesley Ward and Three Chimneys Farm, BUNDCHEN (Gun Runner) will look to close out Ward's Keeneland spring meet on a high note with this turf sprint debut. Her dam No More Parties, while unraced herself, is a full-sister to GI Belmont Derby Invitational winner Force The Pass (Speightstown) and from the extended family of MSW & MGISP Wonder Gal (Tiz Wonderful). Joel Rosario gets the call. TJCIS...

Winchell Thoroughbreds' GII Louisiana Derby runner-up Disarm (Gun Runner), who most recently finished third in the Apr. 15 GIII Lexington S. at Keeneland, worked five furlongs in 1:00 with jockey Joel Rosario aboard for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen at Churchill Downs on Monday morning. The bay colt broke off about a length behind stablemate Gigante (Not This Time) with Churchill clocker John Nichols catching him in splits of :13.20, :35.40, :36.60 and :48.40 before galloping out the six furlongs in 1:13.20. "I thought he worked really well this...

While currently ranked 28th in points and on the outside looking in for the GI Kentucky Derby, Red Route One punched his ticket to the second jewel of the Triple Crown with a win Saturday in the Bath House Row S. After bursting onto the scene with a third to Derby favorite Forte (Violence) in the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity last fall, Red Route One earned a pair of placings in both the GIII Southwest S. and the GII Rebel S. before faltering to sixth when last spotted in the...