Gun Runner was a strong player in the Kentucky Derby prep season races at Louisiana’s Fair Grounds Race Track but there were many who questioned his ability to translate that performance to other tracks. He earned his way into the Kentucky Derby with a nice victory in the Louisiana Derby and became sort of a ‘smart money’ choice in the ‘Run For The Roses’. He didn’t disappoint on race day although he likely lost a lot of energy getting sucked in to a brisk early pace. He ended up finishing third behind race winner Nyquist and runner up Exaggerator (who would go on to win the Preakness Stakes).
Curiously, Gun Runner fell off the radar after his strong effort in the Kentucky Derby. Trainer Steve Asmussen almost immediately withdrew him from Preakness consideration and Gun Runner didn’t enter the Belmont either. He was sort of ‘missing in action until Saturday night when Gun Runner gave notice that he was still here–he turned in a record breaking run in winning the Grade 3 Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs. In the process, he set a stakes race record as he covered the distance of 1 1/16 miles in 1:41:42.
Trainer Asmussen noted how some time away from active competition had benefited Gun Runner greatly: “Visually, looking at him I think that the horse has matured. He’s stronger than he was. He was beautiful in the gates and went away smoothly. I thought he handled nicely and he’s got beautiful speed. His confidence should be exactly where we’re hoping for going into an extremely competitive Haskell it looks like. I do think that he is of the highest quality and this is only his seventh lifetime race. He is faster now than he has ever been and that’s a great thing.”
Gun Runner’s next challenge is a likely start in the Haskell Invitational to be be run at New Jersey’s Monmouth Park on July 31. Kentucky Derby veteran Brody’s Cause and Todd Pletcher trained Donegal Moon are already being pointed to the race. And of particular interest–it has been discussed as a possible return race for Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist should Doug O’Neill and company decide to ‘head East’ where the better races are at this point of the season.