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First-Crop Value Sires: The Breeders Speak

After hearing from Chris McGrath in his 2024 Value Sires Part I, we thought we'd ask several breeders who they thought offered particularly good value this year. Here's what they said:

Jody Huckabay

The horses I have chosen are expensive, but I think they are good value.

GOLD: Elite Power (Curlin–Broadway's Alibi, by Vindication), Juddmonte Farms, $50,000. The first horse I like for his body of work, race record, and pedigree is Elite Power. To me, he's on top of the list, with everything being considered. I look at it as a pie, and how many pieces of that pie can I get. He's brings the most pieces. I love his speed. I love his longevity, his consistency. His pedigree is deep–a very deep family top and bottom–and the conformation was there as well.

SILVER: Gunite (Gun Runner–Simple Surprise, by Cowboy Cal), Ashford Stud, $40,000. Gunite would be number two for me, and it goes back to a lot of the same type of reasoning. He was a Grade I winner as a 2-year-old, a very attractive horse to me, the way he ties together, the way he moves, and his longevity. That's a big deal for me, and yes at $40,000 it's steep, but when you start looking at all the pieces he brings to the table, a lot of the things he moves for me.

BRONZE: Forte (Violence–Queen Caroline, by Blame), Spendthrift Farm, $50,000. I thought he was a really, really nice-looking horse, physically. A year from now, he's going to be a very imposing horse. He's still a little immature now but he will fill into an absolutely gorgeous horse. He was the 2-year-old champion. We raced Loggins, and the defeat we had at Keeneland to Forte was gut-wrenching. It was just unfortunate, because Loggins had some bad luck in spots, wasn't able to show his true colors, but he was a genuine racehorse. We're breeding several mares to him. He was as nice a yearling as we ever had. We have high hopes for him.

Tommy Wente

GOLD: Pappacap (Gun Runner–Pappascat, by Scat Daddy), Walmac Farm, $12,500. I think everybody is too high this year, and everybody is trying to get to the good horses and it's tough, but if anybody is good value, it's Pappacap at $12,500. He's a hard-knocking horse. He's very correct, a good size, and I think they could have stood him for a little more money, but they kept him at $12,500. For me, he's the best value there is among first-crop sires. He's a Gun Runner, who's very hot, and this horse could run. I booked three mares to him.

SILVER: Proxy (Tapit–Panty Raid, by Include), Darley, $25,000. He's by Tapit, he's well-bred, and he's at Darley, where they're not going to overbreed this horse. I like that. He might be $5,000 to $10,000 more than I wanted to spend, so at $25,000 he's a little high, but for his pedigree, and where he is standing, he's got a good shot at $25,000.

BRONZE: Two Phil's (Hard Spun–Mia Torri, by General Quarters), WinStar Farm, $12,500. I think Two Phil's is good value. He's a decent horse with good balance. He has a good front end, he's correct with a great body, has a great race record, and he's by Hard Spun. At $12,500, you've got a shot to make some money.

Honorable Mention: Taiba (Gun Runner–Needmore Flattery, by Flatter), Spendthrift Farm, $35,000. I thought he was a good value, and I'm glad I got one, but he booked up so fast I couldn't get more mares to him. He had 300 applications on the first day they announced he was going to go to stud. I think that makes him good value. He probably could have stood for $50,000 or $60,000 and still filled up. I don't know how many mares they took, but as soon as the word got out, it was crazy.

Sally Lockhart

GOLD: Elite Power! I bought four seasons for clients before the Breeders' Cup and am so excited. What a phenomenal racehorse and outstanding individual.

SILVER: Up to the Mark (Not This Time–Belle's Finale, by Ghostzapper), Lane's End Farm, $25,000. At $25,000 what's there not to like? Serious race record, son of Not This Time How can you go wrong?

BRONZE: Loggins (Ghostzapper–Beyond Blame, by Blame), Hill 'n' Dale Farm, $7,500. Great price for a great physical. I loved him when I saw him. Such a shame we didn't see his true potential on the track.

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Gunite Follows Fellow Winchell Colorbearer to Ashford

Last year's Eclipse Champion 3-Year-Old Epicenter is the first stallion that Coolmore's Ashford Stud has stood for Winchell Thoroughbreds and the partnership got off to a blazing start as the son of Not This Time was one of the most popular stallions in Kentucky this year, covering 262 mares in his debut season.

Now, Coolmore has teamed up with the same racing and breeding operation to debut another Grade I-winning stallion–this time a homebred son of Winchell's own Gun Runner. Gunite, who claimed the GI Hopeful S. as a juvenile and won at the top level again this year at four in the GI Forego S., will stand for an initial fee of $40,000 in 2024.

When Gun Runner was bursting onto the scene as a first-crop sire in 2021, Gunite broke his maiden in June at Churchill Downs on the same card that Gun Runner got his first stakes horse as a sire with another Steve Asmussen trainee Wicked Halo, who placed in the Debuante S. Soon after that, Gunite claimed the GI Hopeful S. the day after future champion Echo Zulu gave Gun Runner his first Grade I score in the Spinaway S.

“Durable is the word to describe Gunite,” said Coolmore's Adrian Wallace. “He ran six times in all as a 2-year-old, showing his soundness and fortitude and culminating in a very impressive display beating Wit (Practical Joke), who was a very accomplished horse in his own right, at Saratoga in the Hopeful. I think the thing about him was he had a 'never say die' attitude. He was a highly accomplished, precocious 2-year-old who then traveled around the world at three and later on at four.”

Over a three-year career, Gunite placed in all but two of his 21 starts, recording eight stakes victories. The winner of the GII Amsterdam S. and runner-up to eventual studmate Jack Christopher in the GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial S. at three, Gunite's 4-year-old campaign this year was marked by a rivalry with MGISW Elite Power (Curlin) that spanned from the Middle East to Saratoga to California. Gunite got the better of Elite Power in the GI Forego S.,winning by nearly two lengths, and finished second to the same rival in his final career start in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint.

“He broke his maiden in June of his 2-year-old year, won the Hopeful, and then competed at a very high level in all three years of his racing career,” said Wallace. “I think in today's environment, a horse that is able to win two Grade I races, place in five more and compete at the highest level not only in the United States but in Saudi Arabia and in Dubai, that shows how sound and durable of a horse he is.”

Gunite scores in the GI Forego S. | Sarah Andrew

Wallace attributes much of Gunite's speed and toughness to his pedigree. The 4-year-old hails from three generations of stakes winners and his dam, Simple Surprise, is a daughter of Cowboy Cal (Giant's Causeway) who won the Bolton Landing S. for the Winchells and Asmussen in 2015.

“I think the main thing when you consider a horse like him is how similar he is in many ways to his sire Gun Runner and how similar he is to both Cowboy Cal and Giant's Causeway himself,” Wallace explained. “He was ultra, ultra tough and the great thing about the Gun Runners is that they are tough, sound horses. When you combine that with two doses of the Iron Horse's blood, you get horses that are going to be built for durability and brilliance.”

Wallace added that the new stallion should have all the potential to not only pass on his own brilliance and precocity, but also the two-turn ability shown on both sides of his pedigree.

Wallace said that Gunite, who is just over 16'1, is a standout physically as well.

“He is a great combination of Gun Runner's and Giant's Causeway's blood,” he explained. “Cowboy Cal was a very elegant racehorse himself and is becoming quite a good broodmare sire from very limited opportunity. Gunite has a lot of leg and is very balanced. Priced at $40,000, as a dual Grade I-winning son of Gun Runner, I think he'll fit a lot of people's bill.”

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Gunite Retired to Ashford; Stud Fee Set at $35k

Gunite (Gun Runner–Simple Surprise, by Cowboy Cal), a two-time Grade I winner and runner-up behind champion Elite Power (Curlin) in Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Sprint at Santa Anita, has been retired from racing and will stand at Coolmore America's Ashford Stud for 2024. His fee has been set at $35,000.

Trained by Steve Asmussen, the Winchell Thoroughbreds homebred defeated the aforementioned two-time Breeders' Cup Sprint winner in this summer's GI Forego S. at Saratoga. Gunite also won the GI Hopeful S. during his 2-year-old season and the GII Amsterdam S. at three, both at Saratoga. His loaded resume also includes a close second to Elite Power in this summer's GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt H., a runner-up finish in the 2022 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial S. and a third-place finish in this year's G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen.

“Gunite is extremely important to horse racing in the current climate,” Asmussen said. “He was Gun Runner's first starter for us in April of his 2-year-old year and ran six times in his juvenile campaign and won the Grade I Hopeful at Saratoga. He then travelled to California to work with the brilliant Echo Zulu because he is the only thing that I had that could be comparable company for her, and he won four stakes races at Churchill, Keeneland and Saratoga. As a 4-year-old, he then travelled to Saudi Arabia and Dubai and competed at the highest level and returned to the U.S. to beat his rival Elite Power in the Grade I Forego S. at Saratoga. He is a very special horse to race at the level he has for as long as he has and do it consistently.”

Asmussen added, “I'm a walking infomercial for Gunite. I apologize in advance. I am such a huge fan of his. The story of Gunite is so unique as in the first crop of Gun Runners, in Laredo, I laugh at it to myself because you want Gun Runner to do well, and you're nervous as to whether they'll be any good when they're yearlings. They all look good, but we all know how looking good and running can be different. And looking around the barn at my dad's place over the holidays at the Gun Runners, and Gunite's out of a nice precocious family we've had success with, and I immediately identify him as the Gun Runner you're going to come out with. He was our first starter for Gun Runner, in April of his 2-year-old year. He ends up running six times as a 2-year-old, second in the Saratoga Special, wins the Hopeful at Saratoga, and I reward him off of six runs and a Grade I win at Saratoga by taking him to California because I don't want to change Echo Zulu's workmate leading into the Breeders' Cup. So not only does he have the six runs as a 2-year-old, he's got three stiff works with her, because he's the only thing good enough to work with her leading up the Breeders' Cup, and then as a 3-year-old, he wins three stakes, at Churchill, Keeneland, and another graded stake at Saratoga. And then as a 4-year-old, he goes to Saudi, Dubai, wins another Grade I at Saratoga against Elite Power, finishes off 21 races with 17 firsts and seconds at the highest level, running I believe a 2 3/4 Rag in the Breeders' Cup Sprint, and is enough horse to pass the regulatory veterinarian scenario that we're racing under now. That's how important a horse to racing he is now. He's unbelievable. Needless to say, I am a huge fan of his. He's still running 3 Rags at this stage of his career. Incredilble.”

What qualities will make him a good stallion?

“First and foremost, his ability,” Asmussen said. “He's obviously got a tremendous amount of ability. He's extremely attractive. He's very correct. He's unbelievably sound. He is everything horse racing needs right now. For me, he's got tremendous balance. He's very smooth. He's a very athletic horse, smooth as can be, great balance. He looks a picture from all angles. Just great constitution. Always a tremendous appetite, no matter where in the world he is, day before the race or the day after. He's very strong mentally and physically. Unbelievably honest. Extremely straightforward, has a ton of confidence about him, not overly aggressive, but always, always capable if needed. How important he is under the current climate is what's amazing. Six runs as a 2-year-old, starting in April racing at that level, running his fastest he's ever run on his 21st run, on seven or eight different surfaces at the highest level.”

Owner/breeder Ron Winchell added, “Like many of the Gun Runners, Gunite got better and better throughout his racing career and gave us many great days. We also raced his first and second dams and they were both stakes winners at Saratoga. Gunite has retired sound and I very much look forward to supporting him at stud.”

“He was unusual in that he was top class at two, three and four, he was one of the best sprinters in the country and had top Beyer figures of 108 at both Saratoga and Churchill,” said Ashford's Director of Sales Charlie O'Connor. “He's a very good-looking horse and we can't wait for breeders to see him.”

Gunite retires with a record of 21-9-8-2 and earnings of $2,493,009.

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Fiske: Echo Zulu Surgery `Went As Well As Could Be Expected’

Echo Zulu (Gun Runner) had successful surgery today to repair her two broken sesamoids in her left front leg and the surgery “went as well as could be expected” said David Fiske, racing manager to co-owner Ron Winchell.

The surgery was performed at the Southern California Equine Foundation's hospital on the grounds of Santa Anita Park.

The 4-year-old filly suffered an injury Friday morning at Santa Anita, working in company with stablemate Gunite (Gun Runner) in preparation for the Breeders' Cup.

“She's out of surgery,” said Fiske. “Out of recovery. (It) went as well as could be expected. Prognosis guarded. A lot depends on sufficient blood supply to the surgery site and how well she can take care of herself.”

The surgery was performed by veterinarian Ryan Carpenter. “The surgery went very good,” said Carpenter. “She's up and headed back to the barn. From this point on, we take it day by day. These cases are not out of the woods for the next four to six weeks but every good day is a day closer to a successful outcome.”

In 2023, Echo Zulu won the GI Ballerina H., GII Honorable Miss H., GIII Winning Colors S. Her overall racing record was 11 starts, with nine wins and earnings of $2,640,375.

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