Gun Runner Stakes Kicks Off Fair Grounds' Derby Preps

Gun Runner  , the 2017 Horse of the Year, thrived at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in early 2016 ahead of a third-place finish in that year's Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1). Trained by Steve Asmussen for Winchell Thoroughbreds and Three Chimneys Farm, he won both the Veterans Ford Risen Star Stakes (G2) and the Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) at the New Orleans oval.

Now that track will honor him with a new 1 1/16-mile race in his name Dec. 26 that offers qualifying points on a 10-4-2-1 scale toward the 2022 Kentucky Derby.

The $100,000 Gun Runner Stakes, which expands Fair Grounds' Road to the Kentucky Derby prep series to four races, drew a field of seven 2-year-olds for its first running Sunday The 5-2 morning-line favorite is impressive maiden winner Epicenter , trained by Asmussen for Winchell Thoroughbreds.  

Epicenter, a Not This Time   colt, dueled on the lead in a one-mile maiden special weight Nov. 13 at Churchill Downs and pulled away to win by 3 1/2 lengths. That effort was much improved from his seven-furlong debut Sept. 18 at Churchill in which he faded to sixth. Brian Hernandez Jr. picks up the mount from the rail in the Gun Runner.

The only contender in the field with fewer starts is Frank Fletcher Racing Operations and Ten Strike Racing's Rocket Dawg , who jumps into stakes off a debut victory. A son of Classic Empire   trained by Brad Cox, Rocket Dawg was unveiled Nov. 19 at Churchill and rallied from seventh to win by 5 1/2 lengths at seven furlongs. Florent Geroux retains the mount from post 3 on the 3-1 co-second choice.

Tom Durant's homebred Tejano Twist , pegged at those same odds, is the lone stakes winner in the field. The Practical Joke   gelding is also the most experienced with eight starts this season. He enters off two straight victories—a 7 1/4-length allowance-level win Oct. 22 at Keeneland and a half-length victory in the Nov. 27 Lively Shively Stakes at Churchill. Both of those victories were at 6 1/2 furlongs, the longest distance he has raced. 

"He just seemed to develop over the course of the year to the point his last two have been very, very good," trainer Bret Calhoun said.

Prior to his black-type breakthrough, Tejano Twist collected seconds in the Aug. 31 Exacta Systems Rosie's Stakes at Colonial Downs and the Sept. 26 Kip Deville Stakes at Remington Park. 

"I think three back, the stake at Remington was probably a low point for me with him. I was disappointed in that race and kind of resolved to the fact that he was going to be just OK, he wasn't going to move up to the next level," Calhoun said. "He really, really turned things around at Keeneland that day. I think a little bit of it was him mentally maturing and learning how to race, and I think a little bit of it was he got in a little trouble and got covered up, had to settle back off of it. I think we learned a little bit different running style that might help him a little bit."

Calhoun said the Gun Runner will be Tejano Twist's chance to show if he can succeed at a route distance. 

His stakes-placed dam, the Cuvee  mare Haley's Lolipop , was a sprinter, and three of her four other winning foals have scored most of their wins in one-turn races, including stakes winner Game Day Play  (Violence  ).

"That's why we chose this spot, to kind of answer the question of whether we're going to continue to go forward chasing the two-turn dream or we're going to freshen him up and make a one-turn horse out of him," Calhoun said.

Joseph Rocco Jr. will ride Tejano Twist for the sixth consecutive time Sunday. The pair drew post 6.

Cypress Creek Equine's Waita Minute Hayes  crossed the line first in his last two starts at Delta Downs—a Nov. 6 allowance and the Nov. 20 Jean Lafitte Stakes—but was placed second by stewards in the latter for interference. Rounding out the field are Surfer Dude , Kevin's Folly , and Rich Strike .

Oaks Points on Line in Untapable

Fair Grounds has also expanded its Road to the Kentucky Oaks prep series with the $100,000 Untapable Stakes, which will award points on a 10-4-2-1 basis for the May 6 Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1). Eight juvenile fillies are lined up for the one-mile-and-70-yard event, which is named for another champion Asmussen-Winchell runner that won the Rachel Alexandra Stakes (G3) and Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) locally ahead of capturing the 2014 Kentucky Oaks.

The 3-1 morning-line favorite is Cocktail Moments , trained by Kenny McPeek for Dixiana Farms. The Uncle Mo   filly came from 10th to win her debut Nov. 27 at Churchill by 9 1/4 lengths when racing seven furlongs. Hernandez will ride from post 5.

Chris Walsh's California Angel , the 4-1 second choice, will make her second start on dirt after collecting a victory in the Oct. 13 JPMorgan Chase Jessamine Stakes (G2T) on the Keeneland turf. That effort preceded an 11th-place run in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) Nov. 5 at Del Mar. The California Chrome  daughter was a rallying third in her lone start on dirt after being fractious in the gate. Marcelino Pedrozo Jr. will ride the George Leonard III trainee for the first time out of post 2. She races with blinkers off.

Rebecca Hillen, Stonecrest Farm, and Bruno De Julio's North County  will aim to keep her record perfect in her third start Sunday. Brendan Walsh trains the Not This Time filly, who broke her maiden on the Indiana Grand turf before taking an off-the-turf allowance in the slop at Keeneland. Adam Beschizza retains the mount from post 8.

Fannie and Freddie , Alittleloveandluck , Implosion , Feeling Happy , and Shotgun Hottie  complete the field. 

Four other stakes are also on the Sunday card at Fair Grounds, ranging in value from $75,000 - $100,000.

Entries: Gun Runner S.

Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Sunday, December 26, 2021, Race 11

• STK
• 1 1/16m
• Dirt
• $100,000
• 2 yo
• 5:06 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Epicenter (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	122	Steven M. Asmussen	5/2
2	2Waita Minute Hayes (KY)	Ashley Broussard	122	Ricky Courville	8/1
3	3Rocket Dawg (KY)	Florent Geroux	122	Brad H. Cox	3/1
4	4Surfer Dude (KY)	Reylu Gutierrez	122	Dallas Stewart	5/1
5	5Kevin's Folly (KY)	James Graham	122	Thomas M. Amoss	8/1
6	6Tejano Twist (KY)	Joseph Rocco, Jr.	122	W. Bret Calhoun	3/1
7	7Rich Strike (KY)	Sonny Leon	122	Eric R. Reed	15/1

Entries: Untapable S.

Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Sunday, December 26, 2021, Race 10

• STK
• 1m 70y
• Dirt
• $100,000
• 2 yo Fillies
• 4:35 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Fannie and Freddie (KY)	Colby J. Hernandez	122	Albert M. Stall, Jr.	9/2
2	2California Angel (KY)	Marcelino Pedroza, Jr.	122	George Leonard, III	4/1
3	3Alittleloveandluck (FL)	Jareth Loveberry	122	Michael Dini	12/1
4	4Implosion (KY)	Mitchell Murrill	122	Steve Margolis	10/1
5	5Cocktail Moments (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	122	Kenneth G. McPeek	3/1
6	6Feeling Happy (KY)	James Graham	122	James E. Baker	8/1
7	7Shotgun Hottie (KY)	Florent Geroux	122	Thomas M. Amoss	6/1
8	8North County (KY)	Adam Beschizza	122	Brendan P. Walsh	9/2