Speedy Gunite Splashes to King Cotton Score at Oaklawn

Winchell Thoroughbreds' homebred Gunite  made his 4-year-old debut in sparkling fashion Jan. 28 at Oaklawn Park, taking the $150,000 King Cotton Stakes by four lengths and finishing the six-furlong test in 1:08.89.

The Gun Runner   colt was making his first start for trainer Steve Asmussen since a fourth in the Nov. 5 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Keeneland. That effort marked a quick turnaround off a victory in the Oct. 22 Perryville Stakes at the Lexington track.

Asmussen hopes Saturday's swift victory sets Gunite up for a run in the $1.5 million Riyadh Dirt Sprint (G3) Feb. 25 in Saudi Arabia.

"(A purse worth) a million-and-a-half, the best sprinters in the world…he needs to be as fast as he's ever been, and today is an indication he can be," the Racing Hall of Fame trainer said.

With Ricardo Santana Jr. in the irons, 3-5 favorite Gunite ($3.40) broke alertly from post 5 in a six-horse field and settled well in second, tracking pacesetter Gar Hole  through early fractions of :22.43 and :45.48 on a sloppy (sealed) track. 

Drawing on even terms with that rival headed into the lane, the dark bay or brown colt splashed through five-eighths in :57.18 and widened his advantage to the wire, finishing well clear under firm handling.

Tejano Twist  rallied from the back of the pack to check in second, while Miles Ahead  closed from fifth to third by 1 3/4 lengths over Arkansas-bred Gar Hole, who weakened to finish fourth. Flash of Mischief  and Ultimate  completed the order of finish, with Long Range Toddy  and Radical Right  both scratched by their trainers.

Gunite added the King Cotton to a resume that includes the 2021 Hopeful Stakes (G1) and the 2022 Amsterdam Stakes (G2), both at Saratoga Race Course. He improved his record to 7-4-1 from 14 starts, with earnings of $1,110,509.

"He's been a very special horse," Asmussen said. "As a 2-year-old, being Gun Runner's first grade 1 winner when he won the Hopeful, and for him to have a very productive 3-year-old year and start out his 4-year-old year with such an exciting victory (is rewarding)."

Bred in Kentucky, Gunite is the first foal out of stakes-winning Cowboy Cal mare Simple Surprise , who also has an unraced 3-year-old filly named Surprise Attack , a 2-year-old Copper Bullet   filly, and a yearling Tapiture   filly. She was bred back to Gun Runner for 2023.