Three Chimneys announced that Horse of the Year and champion sire Gun Runner, a six-time Gr. 1 winner and the second leading all-time money earner in North America with $15,988,500 in earnings, will be available to cover mares on Southern Hemisphere time.
Gun Runner distinguished himself on the track as the best of his generation, starting with a win on debut as a 2-year-old and culminating with wins in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) and the Pegasus World Cup (G1). He boasts a truly international pedigree, being by Argentine champion miler Candy Ride who established a world record for the mile on turf in 1:31.01. He is out of a daughter of European champion racehorse and champion sire Giant's Causeway.
In the breeding shed, Gun Runner has been nothing short of sensational. Owner Breeder Magazine wrote: “Three Chimneys is home to one of the most exciting stallions in North America, one that is already eliciting comparisons with Danzig and Mr. Prospector.”
He is the sire of a first crop 2-year-old champion and Breeders' Cup winner in Echo Zulu, an undefeated winner at 2 of three individual Grade 1 races, she won the Winning Colors Stakes (G3) last time out by 5 3/4 lengths on May 29, boosting her earnings to $2,255,375. Echo Zulu is archetypical of Gun Runner's progeny: precocious, brilliant, durable, consistent and top class.
Further to that argument is G1 winning 2-year-old Gunite, winner of the historic Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga by 5 3/4 lengths. His win last out on June 3 in the $225,000 Aristides at Churchill Downs advanced his earnings to $1,749,509, being in the money 15 times in 17 starts. Millionaire Wicked Halo, a 3 1/2-length winner at 2 of the G2 Adirondack Stakes at Saratoga, was second last out to champion Goodnight Olive, in the G2 Bed o' Roses. She boasts a record of 13 of 14 times in the money. Disarm, a 6 1/4-length winner at Saratoga as a 2-year-old, became Gun Runner's newest graded stakes winner with his victory on June 11 in the G3 Matt Winn Stakes. With earnings approaching $1 million, he has hit the board six times in seven starts. The narrative remains the same – precocious, brilliant, durable, consistent and top class. Yet another millionaire, Society, the runaway winner of the G1 Cotillion, most recently set a new track record at Ellis Park, blistering seven furlongs in 1:20.54 while taking the G3 Chicago Stakes in thrilling fashion, besting G1 winner Matareya.
The sire of six individual G1 winners, Gun Runner distinguished himself with a first-crop Classic winner in Early Voting. The Three Chimneys-bred colt, a winner on debut at two, followed that win with a victory next out in the G2 Withers Stakes en route to his Classic triumph in the middle leg of the Triple Crown, the $1.65 million Preakness (G1). Early Voting was acquired by Coolmore for stud duty. Another standout runner for his sire is three-time G1 winner Taiba. The $1.7 million 2-year-old sales graduate has compiled a record of four wins, one second, and one third from eight starts with career earnings of $2,356,200.
Cyberknife, another multimillionaire-multiple G1-winning son, was second by a neck to Cody's Wish in the G1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. He is one of six sire sons by Gun Runner to stand or soon to stand at stud.
In the sales ring, Gun Runner's progeny have been received with vigorous enthusiasm. The $2.3 million sale-topping yearling at Saratoga last year was by Gun Runner. Given his reputation of siring world class juveniles, his 2-year-olds this year sold for up to $2.2 million.
Breaking all records among U.S. stallions with his first two crops, he was the No. 1 General Sire of 2022 by percentage of G1, graded, and black type winners and placed horses. Gun Runner was also the No. 1 sire of 3-year-olds with $13,423,330 in progeny earnings. With just two crops to race, Gun Runner currently ranks No. 5 on the General Sire list in America with $7,245,631 in current earnings with 21 individual Stakes performers.
“We have had heavy interest from farms and breeders in Australia and have already seen some great mares visit him in his first Southern Hemisphere crop, including Golden Slipper winner Estijaab,” said renowned bloodstock expert Doug Cauthen, a board member at Three Chimneys. “Being free of Danehill is something we have heard a lot from Australian breeders.”
With Gun Runner's precocity and brilliance, Three Chimneys is offering a AUD$500,000 bonus if any offspring from this crop as well as foals resulting from his first Southern Hemisphere crop produce a G1 Golden Slipper winner.
“We figured this would be a fun bonus and a possible one as well, as Slipper winner Estijaab herself is in foal to Gun Runner,” said Rebecca Nicholson, director of stallion nominations.
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