Three Chimneys Farm homebred Gun Pilot (Gun Runner) punched through from in between horses in the final furlong after sitting a midfield trip and skipped clear at odds of 5-1 to give his sire a sweep of the afternoon's seven-furlong Grade I contests in the Churchill Downs S.
Here Mi Song (Cross Traffic) dueled heads apart for the early lead with 'TDN Rising Star' Zozos (Munnings) and battled back inside of that one to complete the exacta.
Briefly on the Triple Crown trail in 2023 and fifth in the GII Pat Day Mile S. on this same program, Gun Pilot had made three starts over six furlongs this term, winning allowance races at the Fair Grounds in January and in March at Oaklawn before finishing runner-up as the favorite in the Apr. 7 Eclipse S. in Hot Springs.
“This is so special,” winning trainer Steve Asmussen said. “It is very special for Mr. (Goncalo) Torrealba (of Three Chimneys Farm). This is a special horse. I really believe in him. Cristian (Torres) believes in him, too. Seven-eighths is a good distance for him. We wanted to make it simple for him today. Nothing special in the way of tactics. Get him out in the middle of the track and then let him do his close. It worked out perfectly.”
Torres, winning his first Grade I race, added, “I don't know what to say. I'm really excited, I've been looking for this Grade I for a long time. I just come to ride. I study my races, I do my homework. I just come out here to do the best job that I can. I'm very happy that I finally got one. Gun Pilot is a great horse. The Asmussen team spotted him very well. He's an easy horse to ride.”
Pedigree Notes:
Gun Pilot becomes the 10th Grade I winner, and second on the card, for leading young sire Gun Runner. He is now responsible for 21 graded/group winners worldwide. The late Smart Strike was being represented by his second graded winner on the program as a broodmare sire (Seize the Grey). He is now the sire of 15 Grade I winners as a broodmare sire, including GI Kentucky Derby winners Mine That Bird (Birdstone) and Rich Strike (Keen Ice). The unraced Bush Pilot, purchased by Three Chimneys Farm for $425,000 in foal to More Than Ready at the 2018 KEENOV sale, had a colt by Volatile in 2023. Bush Pilot is a half-sister to MGSW Global View (Galileo {Ire}).
#10 Gun Pilot hits another gear down the stretch and wins the @ChurchillDowns Stakes at odds of 5/1!
Jockey: Cristian Torres
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Owner: Three Chimneys Farm LLC🎥 #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/XgDxstCsQy
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) May 4, 2024
Saturday, Churchill Downs
CHURCHILL DOWNS S. PRESENTED BY FORD-GI, $1,000,000, Churchill Downs, 5-4, 4yo/up, 7f, 1:21.95, ft.
1–GUN PILOT, 123, c, 4, by Gun Runner
1st Dam: Bush Pilot, by Smart Strike
2nd Dam: Egyptian Queen, by Storm Cat
3rd Dam: Warrior Queen, by Quiet American
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I
WIN. O/B-Three Chimneys Farm, LLC (KY); T-Steven M.
Asmussen; J-Cristian A. Torres. $589,000. Lifetime Record:
11-5-3-0, $975,575. Werk Nick Rating: B.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Here Mi Song, 123, g, 6, Cross Traffic–Mi Viera, by Dehere.
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O/B-Nathan Hayden (KY); T-William
Stinson, Jr. $190,000.
3–Zozos, 123, h, 5, Munnings–Papa's Forest, by Forestry.
'TDN Rising Star'. 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O/B-Barry Butzow &
Joni Butzow (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. $95,000.
Margins: 2HF, NK, 2. Odds: 5.34, 20.06, 4.97.
Also Ran: Raise Cain, Hoist the Gold, Mr. Wireless, Tejano Twist, Track Mate, Minnesota Ready, Three Technique. Scratched: Bo Cruz.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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