Gun Runner Keeps Rolling With Woodward Win

By Jordan Sigmon

With Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) favoritism, and perhaps the Horse of the Year title up for grabs, Gun Runner continued on an upward trajectory towards those goals with a 10 ¼-length runaway win in the historic Woodward Stakes (G1) at Saratoga.

Looking for his third Grade I win in a row, Gun Runner stalked the Todd Pletcher-trained Neolithic throughout solid opening fractions of :23.20 and :46.56 before drawing alongside of that rival at the head of the stretch and bursting away from him and the rest of the field.

Trainer Steve Asmussen was very pleased with the effort from Gun Runner, indicating that this was also his final start before the Breeders’ Cup.

“He stepped up,” Asmussen said. “He was carrying everybody, all of us, under these circumstances. We all know what’s happened over the past couple of weeks. This was our last race heading into the Breeders’ Cup and I thought it went as well as we could have hoped.”

With Gun Runner being on the pace in most of his races, Asmussen admitted… (more)