Gun Runner | Horse Racing Free Tips

Gunite Returns to Winner’s Circle in Maxfield

Winchell Thoroughbreds' Gunite, winner of last year's GI Hopeful S., scored a determined victory in the Maxfield S. at Churchill Downs Sunday. The 4-5 favorite raced along the rail just off the pace as longshot Overtaxed (Fed Biz) took the field through fractions of :23.08 and :46.25. He had nowhere to run nearing the stretch, but the rail opened at the top of the lane and the favorite snuck through before grittily holding off both My Prankster and Hoist the Gold to get the best of a three-way photo finish on the wire.

Gunite was second in the GII Saratoga Special before his victory in last summer's Hopeful S. capped a remarkable Saratoga meet for his first-crop sire, Gun Runner, but the dark bay colt went to the sidelines following a fifth-place effort in the GI Champagne S. last October. He resurfaced with a runner-up effort over the Maxfield's track and seven-furlong distance in a June 3 optional claimer last time out.

Gunite's full-sister sold for $400,000 at last year's Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Stakes-winning Simple Surprise produced a filly by Copper Bullet in 2021 and she was bred to Tapiture last year. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

MAXFIELD OVERNIGHT S., $160,000, Churchill Downs, 7-3, 3yo, 7f, 1:23.08, ft.
1–GUNITE, 123, c, 3, by Gun Runner
         1st Dam: Simple Surprise (SW, $185,446), by Cowboy Cal
         2nd Dam: Simplify, by Pulpit
         3rd Dam: Classic Olympio, by Olympio
O/B-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen;
J-Tyler Gaffalione. $97,311. Lifetime Record: GISW, 8-3-3-1,
$438,099.
2–My Prankster, 120, c, 3, Into Mischief–My Wandy's Girl, by
Flower Alley. ($600,000 Ylg '20 FTKSEL). O-Lawana & Robert
Low; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Todd A.
Pletcher. $31,810.
3–Hoist the Gold, 118, c, 3, Mineshaft–Tacit Approval, by Tapit.
($47,000 RNA Ylg '20 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Dream
Team One Racing Stable; B-Dream Team Racing (KY); T-Dallas
Stewart. $15,905.
Margins: HF, HD, 3 1/4. Odds: 0.90, 1.40, 30.70.
Also Ran: Tejano Twist, Burninhunkoflove, Overtaxed.

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Monday’s Racing Insights: Pricey Gun Runner Filly Debuts at Churchill

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency

4th-CD, $120K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6f, 2:13 p.m.
Heider Family Stables' STUNNINGLY (Gun Runner) makes her first trip to the post Monday for trainer Steve Asmussen. Out of stakes winner Happy Mesa (Sky Mesa), the chestnut filly was a $675,000 Keeneland September acquisition.
Trainer Mark Casse sends outs firster Forever Dixie (Quality Road). The John Oxley homebred is a daughter of graded winner Dixie Strike (Dixie Union). Ken McPeek saddles the debuting Aunt Mischief (Into Mischief), a daughter of Grade I placed Motown Lady (Uncle Mo). TJCIS PPs

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Second Chances: More Ammo for Leading Young Sire Gun Runner

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar.

Disarm (c, 2, Gun Runner–Easy Tap, by Tapit) turned it on nicely in the stretch to report home an encouraging third on debut at Churchill Downs June 19.

The chestnut's worktab, dating back to late March, was led by a four-furlong bullet in :46 4/5 (1/28) at Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen's Louisville base June 6.

Outfooted early and under a ride in eighth through an opening quarter in :22.82, the 5-2 second-choice began to gain some momentum approaching quarter pole and was guided out five wide at the top of the stretch.

Receiving a steady dose of left-handers from Tyler Gaffalione down the lane, Disarm began to roll down the center despite attempting to get in. Nearly running on heels late, he was wrapped up approaching the shadow of the wire to finish two lengths adrift favored firster and $325,000 OBS April graduate Mo Strike (Uncle Mo) in the 5 1/2-furlong affair.

Disarm, a homebred for Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC, earned a 66 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.

“Going into the race, it was kinda like one of those, 'We like him at 5 1/2 [furlongs], but we'd love him at a mile' kind of things,” said David Fiske, longtime advisor to the Winchell family.

“He didn't get the typical 'Laredo leap' leaving the gate. The way Steve [Asmussen]'s father schools those 2-year-olds down there, they tend to break pretty alertly and he was a little flat-footed that day. He was still running at the end and that probably wasn't his optimum distance.”

The Gun Runner over Tapit cross–two of the best to ever carry the maroon-and-white Winchell silks–is already responsible for last term's GII Adirondack S. heroine Wicked Halo, promising unbeaten Monomoy Girl S. winner Society and Texas Turf Mile S. winner Red Run.

Last year's record-setting freshman sire Gun Runner is represented by five top-level winners, including champion Echo Zulu and GI Preakness S. winner Early Voting.

Disarm's dam Easy Tap–a $300,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky yearling purchase–won one of five starts for the Winchells and Asmussen. The 12-year-old has produced Tap Daddy (Scat Daddy), a winner of Pimlico's James W. Murphy S. and runner-up in the GIII Dixiana Bourbon S. for these same connections. He was also a champion stayer in Venezuela after being sold privately. Easy Tap is also responsible for the multiple stakes-placed Total Tap (Candy Ride {Arg}) and a Gun Runner colt of this year.

As for Disarm, Fiske concluded, “He's a great-looking horse. Steve [Asmussen] was taking him out during Derby week and showing him off to press guys. He thought this was the best-looking horse he had in the barn, so he paraded him around. He likes him quite a bit. I think he's got plenty of talent.”

The 'Second Chances' honor roll is headed by two-time Breeders' Cup winner Golden Pal (Uncle Mo), GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby winner and Lane's End stallion Honor A. P. (Honor Code) and MGISW and 'TDN Rising Star' Paradise Woods (Union Rags).

This term's GI Carter H. winner Speaker's Corner (Street Sense), GIII Westchester S. winner Cody's Wish (Curlin), GI Preakness S. third-place finisher Creative Minister (Creative Cause), streaking Cinema S. winner War At Sea (War Front) and next out 'TDN Rising Star' Artorius (Arrogate) have also been featured in the series.

Other standouts include: GSW Moonlight d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro), GSW & MGISP Spielberg (Union Rags), GSW Backyard Heaven (Tizway), MSW and 'TDN Rising Star' Gidu (Ire) (Frankel {GB}); and GISP A Mo Reay (Uncle Mo).

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June 26 Insights: Tapit Colt Out of Havre De Grace Unveiled in New York

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency

4th-BEL, $90k, Msw, 3yo/up, 6 1/2f, 2:32p.m. ET
Havre de Grace (Saint Liam)'s fourth foal to the races will be unveiled in this spot in the form of 3-year-old Saint Tapit (Tapit), a full-sibling to GIII Molly Pitcher S. victress Graceful Princess. From four others to race, including a half-brother by War Front, all are winners. The Whisper Hill Farm homebred has a steady line of works for Todd Pletcher, including most recently a four furlong move in :48.81 over the main track June 19. To Saint Tapit's immediate outside is $300,000 KEESEP Juddmonte purchase Mount Craig (Arrogate), bred by W S Farish and in the barn of Bill Mott. Mount Craig claims Good Magic (Curlin) in his female line. Breaking to the far outside of the group will be well-bred Flute Master (Gun Runner), a colt out of a Juddmonte-bred daughter of their GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Flute (Seattle Slew). That one produced MGISP Filimbi (Mizzen Mast) and the dam of GSW Current (Curlin) and GISW Weep No Moe (Mineshaft). Steve Asmussen will send Flute Master to post for owners Almost Heaven Stables. TJCIS PPs

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