Gun Runner

2nd-Saratoga, $101,850, Msw, 8-27, 2yo, 1m (off turf), 1:38.44, ft, 6 1/2 lengths. FUNTASTIC AGAIN (c, 2, Funtastic--Repeta, by Broken Vow), seventh on debut after chasing the pace and fading late over Belmont's turf course July 1, drew in as a main track only entry Saturday and got the 9-5 nod for his second career start. Despite being difficult through the loading process and breaking last of the field, Funtastic Again, wearing blinkers for the first time, rushed up in a three-wide move to assume command seven furlongs from home....

Peter Blum's Society (Gun Runner) avenged her lone career defeat to date last time in the GI CCA Oaks with a thoroughly dominating performance in Friday's GIII Charles Town Oaks. Favored on the precipitous drop in class, the beautifully bred chestnut was hustled straight into the lead by Tyler Gaffalione and the duo was pressed along early by 21-1 outsider Chardonnay (Candy Ride {Arg}), with the well-backed Louisiana raider Free Like a Girl (El Deal) not far away in third. Going along easily after four furlongs in a very manageable...

Our sport thrives on anticipation; our business, on outcomes. But actually it can take a while to unpick one from the other--especially when even a race as storied as the GI Runhappy Travers S. is not just an end in itself, but also a potential means to viability for the whole program of whoever is lucky enough to own the winner. In principle, the bare couple of minutes dividing anticipation from outcome at Saratoga on Saturday will be history tangibly in the making. From the flux of hopes and interests...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY - Though an impressive win in the GI Haskell S. helped make Cyberknife (Gun Runner) the second choice on the morning line for Saturday's GI Runhappy Travers S., trainer Brad Cox agreed with the question: Is your colt underappreciated? "I think he is a little bit, given the fact he's won two Grade Is," Cox said. Very quickly, Cox made it clear that he was not quibbling that the linemaker for the 153rd Travers figured that Epicenter (Not This Time) would have the lowest odds by his...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY--During a pre-season interview in early July, trainer Chad Brown offered another colt--at that point, with a low profile--to a discussion of his deep bench of GI Travers prospects: Zandon (Upstart), Early Voting (Gun Runner) and Jack Christopher (Munnings). "I have a late -bloomer, a horse named Artorius (Arrogate), that I really like," Brown said.  "He's going to run in the Curlin Stakes. Much like the dad, he's late bloomer. I'm not saying he's a threat to win the Travers, but I'm going to tell you: he's lightly...

6th-Saratoga, $105,000, Msw, 8-21, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, 1:17.93, ft, 4 3/4 lengths. GRAND LOVE (f, 2, Gun Runner--Grand Prayer {SW, $145,170}, by Grand Slam) continued the eternal hot streak for her superstar second-crop sire with a speedy debut score Sunday at Saratoga. Tipping her hand with a half-mile gate breeze in :47 2/5 (4/143) over this track July 31, the Three Chimneys homebred was let go as the 47-10 fourth choice and broke like a rocket from her inside post. Quickly two lengths clear, the bay showed the way...

Echo Again (Gun Runner) was no secret coming into this debut and ran to the hype, becoming the latest 'TDN Rising Star' for his sensational young sire with an eye-catching graduation at Saratoga. Away quickest of all from the center stall, the 3-5 chalk seized the early advantage and seemed well within himself as he coasted along through opening splits of :22.39 and :45.66. Turning for home with a head of steam, the gray opened up with ease while under a hand ride from Ricardo Santana, Jr. to win for...

7th-SAR, $105K, Msw, 2yo, 6 1/2f, 3:52 p.m. ET Winchell homebred ECHO AGAIN (Gun Runner) gets his career started for Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen. Produced by a stakes-placed half-sister to GISW Pyro (Pulpit), the 9-5 morning-line favorite is a half-brother to SW & GSP Pneumatic (Uncle Mo) and a full to SP Costa Terra, both winners at first asking. This same Gun Runner x Tapit cross is responsible for recent 'Rising Star' Disarm as well as last term's GII Adirondack S. heroine Wicked Halo, Monomoy Girl S. winner Society...

Kirk Godby didn't think he'd buy a horse in 2021. The plan wasn't there, no paperwork was prepared, but when partners lean on you to buy a racing prospect, it's not always a request even when it sounds like one. Godby, co-founder of Don't Tell My Wife Stables along with long-time business partner Rob Slack, didn't exactly have a master plan in place before the opportunity to purchase Confidence Game (Candy Ride {Arg}) arose. Like most small operations, there was a set budget to adhere to and buying something regally-bred...

by Jessica Martini and Christie DeBernardis SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY - During an electrifying session of bidding Tuesday, the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearlings Sale produced 10 seven-figure yearlings--topped by a $2.3-million son of Gun Runner--and crashed records for gross, average and median. "Rarely do you find me speechless," Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning said Tuesday night. "We are blown away by the results. The energy, the excitement, it just feels so good from an industry perspective. The statistics are phenomenal. We averaged over $500,000 tonight and had 10 horses over seven figures....

Hip 202 had been well advertised leading up to the sale, and clearly the team at Gainesway Farm knew what they had, as the son of burgeoning super sire Gun Runner garnered $2.3 million from Peter Brant's White Birch Farm in partnership with Coolmore's M.V. Magnier. Magnier had just finished signing a $1.4-million ticket for another son of the Horse of the Year and Three Chimneys resident. Hip 202 was bred by Debby Oxley out of GI Darley Alcibiades S. winner Heavenly Love (Malibu Moon).

Coolmore's M.V. Magnier fended off all challengers Tuesday at Fasig-Tipton to take home hip 186, a $1.4-million son of Gun Runner from the Denali Stud consignment. Bred by Earle I. Mack, the Mar. 12 foal has some interesting inbreeding to late Coolmore stalwart Giant's Causeway. The colt is out of a mare by the "Iron Horse," as is his sire.