Gun Runner’s ‘Rising Star’ Locked Overcomes Wide Journey in Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm's 'TDN Rising Star' Locked (c, 2, Gun Runner–Luna Rosa, by Malibu Moon), a flashy Saratoga maiden winner at second asking Sept. 1, showed his class as the 3-5 favorite while overcoming a wide trip in Saturday's 'Win and You're In' GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity S. at Keeneland.

Drawn widest of all in post eight, the chestnut didn't get off to the sharpest of beginnings and raced five to three wide around the clubhouse turn. He was out in the clear and one from the back through fractions of :24.47 and :48.23. Under a ride by Jose Ortiz on the far turn, he made a flashy, five-wide sweep to hit the front at the top of the short stretch.

Locked looked well on his way to a runaway win, but the three-for-three The Wine Steward (Vino Rosso) wasn't going out without a fight. The Wine Steward fought on gamely along the rail down the stretch, but Locked proved too much and forged clear late to win by a well-earned half-length. Generous Tipper (Street Sense) was third.

Locked was featured in Steve Sherack's Second Chances series after rallying smartly from last after getting steadied at the start to finish a very promising third sprinting on debut at Saratoga Aug. 5. He romped by 7 1/4 lengths to earn his diploma in 'Rising Star' fashion out of Saratoga's one-mile Wilson Chute Sept. 1. The distant runner-up that day Drum Roll Please (Hard Spun) returned to break his maiden at Aqueduct on Friday.

“He's a colt that we always felt like the further, the better,” said winning trainer Todd Pletcher, who also captured this race with subsequent GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Forte (2022), Carpe Diem (2014) and We Miss Artie (2013). “He kind of got a little bit of two-turn experience in that sort-of two-turn mile race at Saratoga (his maiden win Sept. 1), which is always a difficult race. But I thought he was super-impressive at Saratoga, and he's just been a colt that's done everything right since day one.”

Pletcher added, “You like to think it moves them forward. He was hung out very wide on both turns. He didn't have a real easy trip, but he's talented enough to overcome it.”

Pletcher and winning co-owner Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners also got the money with Candied (Candy Ride {Arg}) in the female equivalent GI Darley Alcibiades S. on Friday's opening day program at Keeneland.

Pedigree Notes:

Locked, a $425,000 Keeneland September graduate, becomes the seventh Grade I winner for his leading young sire. Gun Runner was also represented by Saturday's GII Chandelier S. heroine Chatalas. Malibu Moon is now the broodmare sire of nine winners at the top level.

Locked was produced by a winning half-sister to MGISW Gabby's Golden Gal (Medaglia d'Oro) and MGSW & GISP Always a Princess (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}). The Gun Runner/Malibu Moon cross is already responsible for GSWs Shotgun Hottie and Runninsonofagun. Locked is also bred similarly to MGISW and 'TDN Rising Star' Taiba (Gun Runner), who is out of a Flatter mare.

Locked's dam produced a colt by Caravaggio in 2022 and a filly by Tiz the Law this year. She was bred back to Early Voting.

Saturday, Keeneland
CLAIBORNE BREEDERS' FUTURITY-GI, $580,750, Keeneland, 10-7, 2yo, 1 1/16m, 1:45.06, ft.
1–LOCKED, 122, c, 2, by Gun Runner
                1st Dam: Luna Rosa, by Malibu Moon
                2nd Dam: Gabriellina Giof (GB), by Ashkalani (Ire)
                3rd Dam: Paola Quatraro (Ire), by Cure the Blues
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. 'TDN Rising Star'. ($425,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm; B-Rosa Colasanti (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Jose L. Ortiz. $358,050. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-1, $428,400. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–The Wine Steward, 122, c, 2, Vino Rosso–Call to Service, by To Honor and Serve. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($70,000 Ylg '22 SARAUG; $340,000 2yo '23 OBSMAR). O-Paradise Farms Corp. and David Staudacher; B-Sequel Thoroughbreds LLC, Lakland Farm & Mark Toothaker (NY); T-Michael J. Maker. $96,250.
3–Generous Tipper, 122, c, 2, Street Sense–Stopshoppingdebbie, by Curlin. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($130,000 Ylg '22 FTKJUL). O-Walking L Thoroughbreds, LLC; B-Jeff Prunzik & Melissa Prunzik (KY); T-Kenneth G. McPeek. $57,750.
Margins: HF, 3 3/4, NK. Odds: 0.76, 3.96, 17.35.
Also Ran: Northern Flame, West Saratoga, Just Steel, Awesome Road, Baytown Chatterbox. Scratched: Timberlake.

Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

O-Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners & Walmac Farm; B-Rosa Colasanti (Ky); T-Todd A. Pletcher.

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Gun Runner’s Chatalas Breeders’ Cup-Bound after Chandelier

Rancho Temescal Thoroughbreds and Dan Agnew's Chatalas (f, 2, Gun Runner–Indian Safari, by Indian Charlie), fourth last month behind ultra-impressive 'TDN Rising Star' Tamara (Bolt d'Oro) in the GI Del Mar Debutante, looks like she'll get another shot at that rival after winning the GII Chandelier S. at Santa Anita Saturday and earning a 'Win and You're In' berth to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Co-owner Agnew also bred the filly.

“Cloud nine, now that would describe it,” said Agnew. “Especially with a homebred like this, it is a great thrill and Mark [Glatt]'s done a great job with the filly. The man that was on the farm said, 'This is one I think you ought to keep and I think he was right.' I think the way Gun Runner has proven a great sire to both fillies and colts was a big reason I decided to keep her and race her. On to the Breeders' Cup. We hope that she comes out well and we are looking forward to it.”

Chatalas broke from the inside in the Chandelier with running on her mind. She immediately secured the front and was quickly joined by Bob Baffert's GIII Sorrento S. third-place finisher Dua (Arrogate), but Antonio Fresu up on the winner was relaxed and riding high in the saddle. The pair moved comfortably through early fractions of :23.69 and :47.97, continuing to hold Dua at bay by a half-length. Fresu threw a few crosses coming off the turn, encouraged Chatalas a few times with the stick, and the race was quickly put to bed. The bay left Dua behind as she strode powerfully to the wire. Meanwhile, Todd Pletcher maiden shipper Scalable (Speightstown) commenced a rally and caught Dua but there was no catching Chatalas, who had plenty left to hold off the late challenge.

“We've always thought the further she went the better she would be,” said Glatt. “A little disappointed with the Debutante performance, but I look back on it and she was fairly close to :44 fractions and that's just not her. We knew she would have pretty good speed going two turns and she did kind of everything her own way. She broke sharp and had a relatively comfortable lead. Fresu rode her great.”

Chatalas debuted July 30 with a victory at Del Mar sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs. Her 74 Beyer Speed Figure that day was second-best in this field behind Laurent (Practical Joke)'s 78 when second in the same Debutante Chatalas in which finished fourth. Laurent was the favorite Saturday in the Chandelier, but chased wide and finished ninth.

Pedigree Notes:

Not bad for an afternoon's work. Three Chimneys super sire Gun Runner had four graded stakes entries Friday. Two won and all four hit the board. About 45 minutes before Chatalas won the Chandelier, his Wicked Halo was a nose second in the GII Thoroughbred Club of America S. at Keeneland. Earlier in the afternoon, his Life Talk had been third in the GI Frizette S. at Belmont at Aqueduct, and moments after the Chandelier, his 'TDN Rising Star' Locked won the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland. Such is a Saturday afternoon in the rarefied air of Gun Runner's world. Interestingly, Locked, Life Talk, and Wicked Halo all hail from A.P. Indy broodmare sire lines, but Chatalas is out of an Indian Charlie mare. Chatalas is the 101st stakes winner out of a daughter of Indian Charlie and is one of 23 black-type winners by Gun Runner. A member of his third crop, Chatalas is one of 17 graded winners for Gun Runner.

Indian Safari, the dam of Chatalas, has a yearling filly by Bernardini who was a $225,000 purchase by Repole Stable out of the recent Keeneland September yearling sale. Her 2023 Liam's Map filly was foaled Apr. 12 and she was bred back to that sire for next term. Fleetwood Bloodstock purchased Indian Safari on behalf of Agnew for $130,000 while carrying her first foal, a Union Rags filly, at the 2015 Keeneland November sale.

Saturday, Santa Anita
CHANDELIER S.-GII, $202,000, Santa Anita, 10-7, 2yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:44.28, ft.
1–CHATALAS, 122, f, 2, by Gun Runner
                1st Dam: Indian Safari, by Indian Charlie
                2nd Dam: Hopes and Dreams, by More Than Ready
                3rd Dam: Nokia, by Theatrical (Ire)
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O-Rancho
Temescal Thoroughbred Partners and Dan J. Agnew; B-Dan
Agnew (KY); T-Mark Glatt; J-Antonio Fresu. $120,000. Lifetime
Record: 3-2-0-0, $187,200.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Scalable, 122, f, 2, Speightstown–Passion Flower, by Tapit.
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($200,000 Ylg '22
KEESEP). O-Repole Stable; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred
Holdings LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $40,000.
3–Dua, 122, f, 2, Arrogate–Attempt to Name, by Consolidator.
($400,000 Ylg '22 FTKJUL). O-Zedan Racing Stables, Inc.;
B-Wynnstay INC, Donna Moore & Jim Richardson (KY);
T-Bob Baffert. $24,000.
Margins: 1HF, NK, 3/4. Odds: 3.10, 8.90, 5.20.
Also Ran: Pacific Rose, Gate to Paradise, Autumn Chill, Motet, Pink Whitney, Laurent. Scratched: Next Right Thing.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Oct. 8 Insights: From New York to California, Big Name Debuts

1st-BAQ, $90k, Msw, 2yo, 7f, 12:35p.m. ET
Whisper Hill Farm has been enjoying a fruitful year on the track and in the sales ring, and SPEED RUNNER (Gun Runner) looks to add his tally to the operation's banner year. A half-brother to the brilliant GISW Brilliant Speed (Dynaformer); SW & GSP Souper Speedy (Indian Charlie); and SP Bank (Bernardini), the Pletcher-trained chestnut comes into the race with a bullet move Sept. 27 over Belmont's training track–a five furlong work in a co-fastest minute flat. His dam Speed Succeeds is a half-sister to Canadian champion older mare GSW Serenading (A.P. Indy); that one's full-sister MSW & GISP Handpainted–herself dam of GSW Painting (Distorted Humor) and GSP Patena (Seeking the Gold); and the dams of Japanese runner GSW Touch Me Not (Jpn) and GISP Conquest Mo Money (Uncle Mo).

To the outside and carrying the colors of Juddmonte, Lambeth (Arrogate) goes to post from the barn of Bill Mott. Out of a half-sister to SW & G1SP Task Force (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and SW Elegant Verse (GB) (Galileo {Ire})–making her a daughter of European champion 2-year-old filly MG1SW Special Duty (GB)–Lambeth can also claim GI Breeders' Cup Mile victor Expert Eye (GB) (Acclamation {GB}) as a relation. TJCIS PPs.

1st-SA, $61k, Msw, 2yo, 6fT, 4:00p.m. ET
Jumping from in between a West homebred and a Don Alberto one is C R K Stable's Shear Magic (Good Magic). The $350,000 OBSAPR pick up from this past spring has been sighted religiously on the work tab for conditioner John Shirreffs. His dam, a half-sister to GSP Bo Cruz (Creative Cause) and out of a half-sister to GI Preakness hero Cloud Computing (Maclean's Music), was a winner and has produced three others from as many to the races. This is the family of MG1SP Marino Marini.

The West runner American Hope (American Pharoah) is out of MGISW Room Service (More Than Ready), a half-sister to SW & MGSP Oscar Party (Dixie Union) and full-sibling to GSW Major Gain. Don Alberto's Citadino (Runhappy) hails from the family of champion 3-year-old filly MGISW Surfside and her half-brother, track record-setting GSW Irish Surf via second dam, champion 2-year-old filly MGISW Flanders. TJCIS PPs.

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Champion Echo Zulu Leads Asmussen Workers

A trio of Breeders' Cup-bound horses trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen had their first works at Santa Anita Friday.

Drilling easy half miles under the watchful eye of assistant Scott Blasi were Echo Zulu (Gun Runner), who went the distance in 50.80 seconds and Society (Gun Runner), who completed her move in 50.20 seconds.

Also working for Asmussen was Private Creed (Jimmy Creed), who was officially clocked going three furlongs in 37.40 seconds.

“This was their first work on the racetrack so we didn't want to do a whole lot,” Blasi said. “It was just a maintenance breeze to get them used to the surface.”

Echo Zulu, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2021, is a perfect 3-for-3 this campaign including a win in the GI Ballerina S. most recently Aug. 26 at Saratoga. She is being pointed to either the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint going six furlongs against males or the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at seven furlongs. Both races are slated for Nov. 4 at Santa Anita.

Society is headed to the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff at 1 1/8 miles the same day at Santa Anita. Private Creed is targeting the five-furlong GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint Nov. 4.

Asmussen and Blasi plan to work two more Breeders' Cup hopefuls on Saturday at Santa Anita: Clairiere (Curlin), who will also go in the Distaff; and Gunite (Gun Runner), who is possible for either the Sprint or Dirt Mile, both also Nov. 4.

In other Breeders' Cup news, top-rated Classic contender Arcangelo (Arrogate) walked the shedrow and appeared to be doing well the morning after having his first work at Santa Anita.  On Thursday, the Belmont and Travers winner drilled five furlongs in 1:02.20 for trainer Jena Antonucci.

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