Gun Runner Has Big Pegasus Work at Fair Grounds
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Photo: Hodges Photography / Amanda Hodges Weir
Gun Runner, with Florent Geroux up, puts in his final work at Fair Grounds before shipping to Florida for the Pegasus World Cup
Winchell Thoroughbreds and Three Chimneys Farm's Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner Gun Runner had his final major workout for the $16 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) Jan. 14, working six furlongs in 1:11 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.
Working in company with regular workmate Gettysburg, Gun Runner was clocked galloping out to seven furlongs in 1:23 2/5 and a mile in 1:37 under jockey Florent Geroux as they prepare for the Jan. 27 Pegasus.
Fair Grounds clockers timed the Steve Asmussen trainee in splits of :12.30, :24.20, :36.10, :48.10, and :59.20, with the final two furlongs in :11 1/5 and :11 3/5. Gun Runner started off a little more than a length behind Gettysburg, pulled alongside on the turn, and drew off in the stretch.
Because of cold temperatures in New Orleans, the son of Candy Ride worked a few minutes after 12 p.m. CT.
"That was great," said Winchell Thoroughbreds' racing and bloodstock manager David Fiske, who was watching in Kentucky. "That was kind of a typical two-weeks-before-the-race Asmussen work. Usually that's a big work—kind of sharpen them up. He'll get another easy half-mile when he gets to Gulfstream, probably next Monday or something. But man, he looked pretty sharp to me."
Gun Runner is scheduled to fly to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Jan. 18.