Red Run First Winner for Champion Gun Runner
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Photo: Coady Photography
Red Run breaks his maiden at Churchill Downs
Red Run became the first winner for freshman sire and 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner when he scored gamely at first asking May 9 in a $99,058 maiden special weight at Churchill Downs.
Sent off as the heavy 3-5 favorite in his debut, Red Run rated in third off splits of of :22.25 and :46.30 before collaring the leaders in deep stretch. Under Ricardo Santana Jr., the chestnut colt finished 1 3/4 lengths clear at the wire and clocked the five furlongs in :59.22 over a sloppy main track.
Red Run is owned and bred by Winchell Thoroughbreds and trained by Steve Asmussen, sharing the same connections as his champion sire, who was also co-owned by Three Chimneys Farm.
Gun Runner was a consistent and brilliant performer on the racetrack. The son of Candy Ride won six grade 1 races, including the 2017 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) and 2018 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1), and retired with $15,988,500 in earnings. Out of a half sister to Horse of the Year Saint Liam, he stands at Three Chimneys Farm in Midway, Ky., for a fee of $50,000.
Red Run breaks his maiden at Churchill Downs
A son of Gun Runner was the second highest-selling juvenile at this year's The Gulfstream Sale, Fasig-Tipton 2-year-olds in training sale in Florida, selling for $1.7 million to agent Gary Young on behalf of Zedan Racing.
Red Run is the first foal out of the unraced Tapit mare Red House, a full sister to 2014 champion 3-year-old filly and Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) victress Untapable . Red House has a yearling full brother to Red Run and was bred to Copper Bullet for 2021.