Gunnevera retired after 'exciting' career, $5.6 million in winnings
Six-year-old Gunnevera is being retired after an "exciting" career in which he won $5.56 million, with a stud deal expected to be negotiated soon.
The son of Dialed In hasn't raced since his third-place showing in the Dubai World Cup in March 2019 after a series of injuries. Assistant trainer Alex Sano, son of trainer Antonio Sano, said Gunnevera is "100 percent sound" now, but that his performance wasn't the same as he had shown earlier in his career.
"He made five and a half million dollars for us, let's call it a day," Sano said. "He deserves a good home, and he's got to be happy as a retired horse."
Owned by Salomon Del Valle, Gunnevera has a record of 21: 6-5-3, with highlights that include runner-up efforts in the 2018 Breeders' Cup Classic and Grade 1 Woodward Stakes.
As a juvenile, he won the Saratoga Special Stakes (G2) and the Delta Downs Jackpot Stakes (G3). During his 3-year-old campaign, he won the the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2), came in third in the Florida Derby (G1), seventh in the Kentucky Derby, fifth in the Preakness Stakes and second in the Travers (G1).
Asked about the multiple efforts that fell short of victory, Alex Sano said: "I didn’t find it disappointing — it’s extremely exciting. Obviously, everyone wants to win the race, but that’s the hardest part of this game, winning races. But I feel sometimes that people should focus more on the performance of the horse.
"This horse came in second, third in races that he was beating multiple Grade 1 horses, like Always Dreaming, West Coast, Practical Joke, Classic Empire — all those big guys that right now are standing in Kentucky for big stud fees. And, regardless that he couldn’t get the win, he showed us — not once, but multiple, multiple times — the class that he had."
For now, Gunnevera is resting at a Sano family friend's farm in Ocala.
"Most likely we’re going to be finalizing a stud deal pretty soon with him," Sano said. "We think he deserves to be a stallion and have good numbers of mares and transmit his genetics. Other than the economic part of it, I think it would be nice for racing and the industry for a horse like him to transmit his genes to the next generation of racing. He was a horse that ran basically with no medication, only Lasix when needed and that’s it. And I feel that’s what racing needs a lot of these days."
Sano said Gunnevera "has a very funny personality. He’s the kind of horse that, he’s very strong and big-footed. He stomps on the ground instead of walking. But once you hang out with him for about two or three weeks, he gets attached to you. … For those who have had the chance to be with the horse, he would be the nicest teddy bear on the inside — goes toward you, leans his head — and then when other people would come around, he would start acting up a little bit.
"He was kind of smart. He did recognize the photographic camera. All of the sudden, when he was in the Preakness or the Derby, when people would come in, he would stick his head out of the stall, perk his ears up, and not move for a good minute or so. I was like, was, really, dude? You’re going to do this to me? You make me look like a fool because a minute ago, I was like, watch out, he bites."
Sano said he and his father are grateful to have had the opportunity to work with Gunnevara.
"He was a horse that gave us the ride of a lifetime. I know people say that a lot, but there’s no words I can express how much excitement he brings to both my family, and my friends and the racing industry. He opened doors that were never opened before. He made us go to Dubai not once, but twice. Had the Classic chance not once, but twice. I’m truly thankful for him and hope he’ll have a happy retirement."