Spendthrift, Repole Buy Gun Runner Colt for $1.15M

When two successful powerhouses team up, it can only lead to greatness, and that is what the horizon holds for the $1.15 million Gun Runner   colt Repole Stable and Spendthrift Partners purchased during Day 3 of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The colt, consigned as Hip 614 by his co-breeder Runnymede Farm, has big shoes to fill but will have every opportunity for the future.

"In my opinion, he was the best colt of the day; my team liked him a lot," Mike Repole said. "We thought he would go for a little less like we always do. I think the right people were on him, and sometimes, when you get a couple of the right people on them, you pay a little more than you want."

The chestnut colt, co-bred by Peter J. Callahan in Kentucky, is out of the Speightstown   mare Margate Gardens, sibling to Woodford Stakes (G3T) and Summer Stakes (G3T) victor Bridgetown, as well as stakes winners Clement Rock  and Carnacks Choice .

"He is a perfect mover, very efficient on his feet," Romain Malhouitre of Runnymede Farm commented. "He is a very good cross between Gun Runner and Speightstown. He has the power of Speightstown and the quality of Gun Runner. He was an early May foal and he was always compact with that beautiful walk. We knew he would come here and show himself quite well, but we didn't expect he would go that high. The mare is owned in partnership with Peter Callahan, who has more than 30 years with the Clay family and Runnymede. We've been investing in mares quite a bit over the last 10 years. For him to be rewarded like this is special."

The dam has had seven foals, including Wilson Q , by Constitution  , a juvenile that ran second best in the Bashford Manor Stakes at Ellis Park in July for trainer Doug O'Neill on second asking. The 3-year-old by West Coast  , Vita de Vito started running this year, making four starts and chipping away at a win with two third-place efforts.

The colt was hammered down for the session's highest price three-quarters through the day.

"I think it might be cheaper if I buy half of Spendthrift, but I gotta talk to Eric and Tammy and see if they will consider it. I'm enjoying being partners with Spendthrift," Repole joked. "They have Mo Donegal on the farm, and maybe one day they will have one of my good 3-year-olds on the farm."

The partnership picked up a $300,000 Into Mischief   colt earlier on Day 3 from Stonehaven Steadings. The colt (Hip 506) out of stakes placed Easy Living  is a half sibling to Youngstown Oaks second My Kentucky Girl . The Goldencents   juvenile, Crazy Hot , not appearing on the page, is now a stakes winner in the Generous Portion Stakes Sept. 4 at Del Mar. 

About 70 Hips later, they scored a $650,000 Into Mischief colt (Hip 573) from the Taylor Made Sales Agency. Bred by Siena Farms in Kentucky, the colt is out of the multiple-graded winner Isabella Sings , by Eskendereya .

Other purchases include a $600,000 Into Mischief filly (Hip 314) from the Blake-Albina Thoroughbreds banner; the Kentucky-bred is a full sibling to multiple grade 1 placed Shoplifted  . During Day 1, they nabbed a $600,000 Tapit   colt (Hip 96) out of stakes winner Divine Queen , sibling to grade 3 placed Queen's Award  from Betz Thoroughbreds, which they bred in partnership with DJ Stables/Graves/Gainesway/Lamantia/Ramsby.