With weekend wins, Gun Runner progeny live up to his name

It is hard to believe it has been six years already since I saw a handsome chestnut son of Candy Ride come home a winner in his debut at Churchill Downs. On the track, Gun Runner was a good one from day one and he only got better with time. As far as his stallion career, he already has accomplished part one of the equation.

On Saturday at Del Mar, Pappacap, a son of Gun Runner, announced himself as a prime contender for November’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile with an impressive victory in the Best Pal Stakes (G2).

Now unbeaten in two starts, the Mark Casse-trained bay colt won his debut smartly in a maiden race at Gulfstream Park on May 14 for owner and breeder Rustlewood Farm. Shipped west for the Best Pal, Pappacap was even better in his second career start.

Looking like a chip off the old block, Pappacap showed good tactical speed to sit comfortably in third early, before taking his cue from veteran rider Joe Bravo. Once asked, he athletically swung outside to tackle the early leaders. Down the lane he proved much the best and went on to score by 4 3/4 lengths.

One of the more popular runners of recent years, it should come as no surprise that Gun Runner has found success both on the track and now in the stallion barn as the nation’s top freshman sire.

A son of the unbeaten and extremely talented Candy Ride, who also went on to become a top sire, Gun Runner has the pedigree on his female side as well. His dam is Quiet Giant, a multiple stakes winner from a distinguished female family that traces back to the great mare Gallorette.

Very good at 2 and a Grade 1 winner at 3 for owners Three Chimneys and Winchell Thoroughbreds, Gun Runner turned things up a notch as an older horse.

As a 4-year-old in 2017, Gun Runner traveled overseas to finish runner-up in the rich Dubai World Cup before returning to America and proving unbeatable the rest of the way. Dominant wins in four Grade 1s – the Stephen Foster, Whitney, Woodward and Breeders' Cup Classic – propelled him to a clear choice as America’s Horse of the Year.

Trained by Steve Asmussen, Gun Runner successfully finished off his decorated career with a smashing score in the Pegasus World Cup (G1) in January and was retired to stud at Three Chimneys, where he covered a full book of mares in the 2018 breeding season.

Now of racing age, Gun Runner’s offspring have met rave reviews before they even made it to the track, and they are quickly proving themselves at the races.

Further proof came on Sunday. Gun Runner added to his quickly growing resume at stud when Wicked Halo raced to a decisive victory at Saratoga in the Adirondack Stakes (G2), giving her sire two graded-stakes winners in as many days.

Like her daddy, the gray filly is trained by Steve Asmussen, who on Saturday became the sport's all-time leading trainer by wins, and is owned by Ron Winchell.

Coast to coast, his sons and daughters are showing off their athleticism and class, much as he did. Early on, it looks to be no fluke that he is out in front in the freshman sire rankings. As he was on the track, Gun Runner is off and running as a sire, and his future looks very bright indeed.