Gun Runner Dominates the Louisiana Derby
A field of eleven three-year-olds were making their final starts on the Road to the 2016 Kentucky Derby and in so many ways today’s $1,000,000 Louisiana Derby (G2) turned out to be a replay of the Risen Star, which took place at the Fair Grounds Race Course about five weeks ago. Once again it was Gun Runner who rushed to victory down the center of the track while Mo Tom was blocked and forced to check as he tried to make a move along the rail.
The similarities between the two Derby prep races are uncanny. Gun Runner was again sent off as the third betting choice even though he had won his 2016 debut in the Risen Star. Mo Tom was the 9-5 favorite because many handicappers thought he would have won the Risen Star if he had not been badly stopped when a tired horse caused his rider Corey Lanerie to sharply check the son of Uncle Mo. That day, Lanerie gathered Mo Tom and still managed to get third place.
Today in the Louisiana Derby, Gun Runner and his jockey, Florent Geroux, had the perfect trip and amazingly Lanerie and Mo Tom would find trouble in the exact same way that they did in the Risen Star.
Gun Runner broke alertly out of the gate and Geroux put him into a ground saving position on the rail behind the early pace setters, Candy My Boy and Dazzling Gem. After the early fractions went in 23.54, 48.24, and 1:12.94 and Geroux made his move with the son of Candy Ride by swinging to the outside to get a clear path to the finish.
After the race Geroux said, “He is so easy to manage and has so many gears. He settles really nicely and when you ask him to go he has a nice turn of foot. It’s great (to have a Derby horse).”
Meanwhile Mo Tom sat farther behind the pace in tenth place nine-lengths from the lead while racing two or three wide. When the time came for Lanerie to make his move down the stretch he went along the rail with Mo Tom and at virtually the exact same spot on the Fair Grounds track he had to sharply check his horse. This time when the early leader Candy My Boy was dropping out of contention. Today, however, they were not able to regain their momentum as well as in the Risen Star and they managed to get up to fourth place.
Lanerie was willing to take the blame, “It was a bad ride and totally my fault. He came underneath me and I had more horse than I knew what to do with and I got him in trouble and went inside when I shouldn’t have. I doubt they’ll let me sit on him again. He’s a great horse.”
Mo Tom’s trainer Tom Amoss was not happy either, “I was just puzzled as to why Corey went down to the rail. I just hope he didn’t hurt my horse. I am surprised. There were other choices and I don’t understand why he did what he did. Watching this was like going to the schoolyard and watching your kid get beat up by another kid. It’s so hard to watch something like that with all the preparation we do. We will make sure he’s okay before we make any other decisions.”
Tom’s Ready finished second and picked up 50 Derby qualifying points giving him a total of 54 and enough to make the Derby field. Dazzling Gem hung on for third place giving him 20 points. With his 10 points for today’s fourth place finish, Mo Tom now has 32 which has been in the past enough to get in the gate for the Run for The Roses.
In the end Gun Runner won the Louisiana Derby by 4 ½ lengths in a final time of 1:51.06. Sent off at 3.90-1, the Winchell Thoroughbreds and Three Chimneys Farm runner upped his Derby points total to a leading 151. Gun Runner paid $9.80, 5.60, and 3.60 and the $2 exacta with Tom's Ready paid $187. The win and the $600,000 share of the purse upped his career record to 5: 4-0-0 and $906,920.
Gun Runner’s trainer Steve Asmussen said, “We’re so fortunate and thankful for the Winchells for the opportunity to train this horse and we really look forward to his next race. He’s very talented. (The Kentucky Derby) is what we’re all dreaming about.”