By Jill Williams
Surely there's not much that hasn't been said about the inimitable Gun Runner. A top 3-year-old–Grade I winner who placed in the Kentucky Derby, Travers, and Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile–he was nearly perfect at four. After a runner-up finish behind Arrogate halfway across the world in the Dubai World Cup, he never lost again, reeling off a string of Grade I scores which included the Breeders' Cup Classic. He hasn't broken stride at stud either, currently and remarkably ranked second on the U.S. general sires list with only his third crop now at the races.
“Gun Runner was such a special horse for us,” said Scott Blasi, assistant to Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen. “He was a horse that we developed from his 2-year-old year on. Just to be a part of him and get to watch him develop into the super star that he was and to see what he's done in the stallion barn is just absolutely amazing. I'm pretty proud to be a part of it.
“The fun part about Gun Runner is how early it is in his stallion career, but he's doing things that we haven't seen stallions do. Having the opportunity to train his future offspring is such a privilege.
“Just being able to be a part of him and being able to continue to be a part of him is really special and exciting. That pretty much sums it up.”
A runaway leader of both the first-crop sires list in 2021 and the second-crop list last year, Gun Runner's top performers in the last two months alone include GI Ballerina winner Echo Zulu, GI Forego winner Gunite, and GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity winner Locked. He had a Breeders' Cup winner in his first year with runners and a Preakness winner in his second.
“I have asked the grooms in the barn things that they think I should convey,” said Veronica Reed, stallion manager at Three Chimneys, “and the top one we all agree on is that Gun Runner is the king of the castle! This horse is so smart. He knows that he rules the roost over the people that work with him day in and day out, but also the people joining tours and breeders coming for a peek at his majesty.
“We have never met a horse that knows where his place is in this world better than Gun Runner, and we have met a lot of excellent racehorses. He has such a sharp eye it seems he can see miles away; it also makes it obvious to me that he could win all those races [because] he was calculating moves before the other horses even knew what they had coming.
“He is highly intelligent in the shed. He seems to know who the exciting mares are, as well as the ones that might give him a run for his money. Yet he is a gentleman with his ladies, and sometimes with the people that handle him, mostly. We pick and choose who can handle him as he is not always an easy horse to work with but one that will teach a whole lot to the grooms.
“He loves his outdoor time and having other over-the-fence stallions to mingle with. He knows when to pose for photos, but also enjoys us looking ridiculous as we try to get his attention in conformation shots.
“I love the balance he pushes us to reach as when we are all in harmony, he is happy, and he reminds us that this industry is about the horse.”
Gun Runner (2013 chestnut horse, Candy Ride {Arg}–Quiet Giant, by Giant's Causeway)
Lifetime record: Horse of the Year, Ch. older male, MGISW-U.S., G1SP-UAE, 19-12-3-2, $15,988,500
Breeders' Cup connections: B-Besilu Stables, LLC (KY); O-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC and Three Chimneys Farm; T-Steve Asmussen; J-Florent Geroux.
Current location: Three Chimneys Farm, Versailles, Ky.
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