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Gunite Dazzles In Perryville

In another dominating display of talent, Gunite pounced on dueling rivals and rolled home to a flashy victory in Keeneland's Perryville S.

Second to fleet-footed stakes-winner Conagher (Jimmy Creed) in a non-winners of three at Churchill Downs June 3, he parlayed that effort into victories in that track's Maxfield S., Saratoga's GII Amsterdam S., and a runner-up effort two-back to Jack Christopher (Munnings) in the GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial S. Returning to winning ways last out Sept. 24 in the Harrods Creek S. beneath the Twin Spires over familiar foe Conagher, the 3-5 favorite made short work of his rivals here when the real running began.

Perched in third early as Provocateur (Into Mischief) and Of a Revolution (Maclean's Music) battled through :22.38 and :45.82 splits, Tyler Gaffalione was content to range into his striking position approaching the five-sixteenths pole before inhaling the tiring pacesetters. Kicking clear in upper stretch, Gunite meant business as he strode home 3 3/4 lengths best over 25-1 longshot Hoist the Gold (Mineshaft), who valiantly tried to make a race of it.

“[Gunite has shown] beautiful consistency. He has performed at the highest levels and continues to impress. He carries himself like he can do this. He's got a confidence. He accepts what's happening and does it extremely well,” said conditioner Steve Asmussen in a winner's circle interview.

And as for a possible start in the GI Qatar Racing Breeders' Cup Sprint in two weeks' time?

“This was the first test: how he handles Keeneland,” said Asmussen. “I thought he ran really well. He was very comfortable and looked great over the race track. Now it will all be about how he comes back. But we have until Monday [pre-entry deadline] to decide.”

Out of a stakes-winning half-sister to MSW Optionality (Gun Runner) and SP Simply Sovereign (American Pharoah), Gunite is his dam's only foal to the races thus far. Simple Surprise has a 2-year-old full-sister to the winner named Surprise Attack and produced a pair of half-sisters to those–a yearling by Copper Bullet and a 2022 weanling by Tapiture. She went back to Gun Runner for 2023. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

PERRYVILLE S., $250,000, Keeneland, 10-22, 3yo, 7f, 1:23.21, ft.
1–GUNITE, 122, 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. $151,125. Lifetime Record: GISW, 12-6-4-1, $965,934.
2–Hoist the Gold, 118, c, 3, Mineshaft–Tacit Approval, by Tapit. ($47,000 RNA Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Dream Team One Racing Stable; B-Dream Team Racing (KY); T-Dallas Stewart. $48,750.
3–B Dawk, 118, c, 3, Gormley–Mott N Hester, by Super Saver. ($77,000 Ylg '20 KEEJAN; $140,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP; $425,000 2yo '21 EASMAY; $500,000 RNA 3yo '22 KEEAPR). O-West Point Thoroughbreds and Joseph E. Besecker; B-Small Batch Thoroughbreds & Robert Fetkin (KY); T-Doug F. O'Neill. $24,375.
Margins: 3 3/4, 3, 3 3/4. Odds: 0.62, 25.78, 7.02.
Also Ran: Artorius, Friar Laurence, Of a Revolution, Provocateur. Scratched: Pinehurst.

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Epicenter Exits Runhappy Travers in Fine Shape

Winchell Thoroughbreds' Epicenter (Not This Time) was in fine shape Sunday morning, a day after his emphatic victory in the GI Runhappy Travers S. at Saratoga.

“He's doing beautifully. He's very proud of himself,” trainer Steve Asmussen said. “The race went beautifully and it was everything we hoped for. We're very proud of his win and excited about who he is.”

The Travers was the first Grade I win for Epicenter, who was runner-up in the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Preakness S.

“We wanted it for him and for his fans,” said Asmussen. “We got so many congratulations and the respect for him–you enjoy that so much. To win the Travers here at Saratoga with the fans that are here is an extremely proud thing for us.”

Of Epicenter's possible route to the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, Asmussen said, “We'll discuss it. It all depends on how he's training. We're very confident to train him up to the Classic with how well he ran sharp in the Jim Dandy when fresh.”

Asmussen's Saturday at Saratoga also included runner-up finishes in the GI Forego S. with Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music) and GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial S. with Gunite (Gun Runner).

“He came out of the race in excellent shape. Never defeated, just second-place,” Asmussen said, with a laugh, of Jackie's Warrior's first loss at Saratoga. “He is an unbelievable horse to be around. You have no control over how the other guy runs and Cody's Wish ran a phenomenal race.”

Jackie's Warrior is still on target for the Nov. 5 GI Breeders' Cup Sprint at Keeneland before retiring to stud at Spendthrift Farm.

As for Gunite, also owned by the Winchells, Asmussen said, “We're so proud of him,” said Asmussen. “He's such a tough horse. I don't know what's next, we still have to decide. All of our conversations last night were about Epicenter.”

Stonestreet Stables Clairiere (Curlin) exited her disappointing last-place effort in Saturday's GI Personal Ensign S. with a cut tongue, according to Asmussen.

“Clairiere had a significant cut on her tongue that we're going to doctor,” Asmussen said. “We'll get that healed up and resume training. I don't imagine [the cut] helped.”

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Gunite Game in Amsterdam Victory, Corniche Fades to Last

While all eyes were on returning champion Corniche (Quality Road) who faded to last, Gunite (Gun Runner) completed a big weekend at Saratoga for Winchell Thoroughbreds and trainer Steve Asmussen with a gritty victory in the GII Amsterdam S. in upstate New York Sunday. Sent off at 7-1, last year's GI Hopeful S. winner battled Pinehurst (Twirling Candy) through fractions of :21.78 and :44.60, while Corniche sat in stalking position behind the dueling leaders. As the champ backed up on the turn, Gunite strode to the lead into the lane before bravely holding off Accretive (Practical Joke) to win by a neck while completing the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:15.75.

“It's just nice to come back to where he won his Grade I last year and have another win in a Grade II,” said owner Ron Winchell. “He was training great. He was training like he wanted to go on from his 2-year-old year and do exactly what he did. Sometimes, you never know if they move on and continue to win graded stakes, but he got it done today.”

Of Corniche, jockey Luis Saez said, “He broke good and was in a good position. He was right there. He probably needed the race.”

Winchell Thoroughbreds was in the Saratoga winner's circle Saturday with GII Jim Dandy S. winner Epicenter (Not This Time), while Asmussen made the trip with both Epicenter and GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. winner Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music).

“We've been blessed with some extremely nice horses and they make it all possible,” Asmussen said of his Spa weekend.

Gunite, who captured his maiden at Churchill Downs last June, finished second in the Aug. 14 GII Saratoga Special before romping home by 5 3/4 lengths in the Sept. 6 GI Hopeful S. He went to the sidelines following a fifth-place effort in the Oct. 2 GI Champagne S., but showed he had improved with the time off when he returned to action with a runner-up effort in a Churchill optional claimer June 3. He prepped for this return to graded action with another gritty victory in the July 3 Maxfield S. in Louisville last time out.

“In his last race, he wasn't away cleanly and it put him in a different position,” Asmussen said. “I thought that was a similar race to the horse we ran here last year, just handy and in a good spot, tenacious to the wire. Extremely good win and obviously we're on to the [Aug. 27 GI] Allen Jerkens from here.”

Pedigree Notes:

Gunite was one of three first-crop juveniles by Gun Runner to win graded stakes at Saratoga last summer and is one of the Three Chimneys sire's five Grade I winners to date. The stallion was represened last weekend by GI Haskell S. winner Cyberknife and runner-up Taiba.

Gunite is the first foal out of Winchell homebred and stakes winner Simple Surprise, who has an unraced 2-year-old full-sister to Gunite named Surprise Attack who sold for $400,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale. The mare also has a yearling filly by Copper Bullet and a weanling filly by Tapiture. She was bred back to Gun Runner this year.

Winchell Thoroughbreds also bred and campaigned Gunite's second dam, stakes winner and graded placed Simplify.

Sunday, Saratoga
AMSTERDAM S.-GII, $200,000, Saratoga, 7-31, 3yo, 6 1/2f, 1:15.75, ft.
1–GUNITE, 122, 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. $110,000. Lifetime Record: GISW, 9-4-3-1,
$548,099. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Accretive, 118, g, 3, Practical Joke–Mallory Street, by Street
Sense. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($180,000
Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.; B-Falcon Wood
Partners (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. $40,000.
3–Runninsonofagun, 119, g, 3, Gun Runner–Golden Artemis, by
Malibu Moon. ($16,000 2yo '21 KEEJAN). O-The Estate of Scott
Zimmerman; B-Dattt Farm LLC (KY); T-John T. Toscano, Jr.
$24,000.
Margins: NK, 4 1/4, 2HF. Odds: 7.40, 2.95, 56.25.
Also Ran: Pappacap, My Prankster, Hoist the Gold, Surfer Dude, Pinehurst, Corniche.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Corniche Returns in Amsterdam

Champion Corniche (Quality Road) makes his highly anticipated return to the races and first start for trainer Todd Pletcher Sunday in Saratoga's GII Amsterdam S.

The 'TDN Rising Star' spent some time at WinStar after his championships season and, with Bob Baffert serving his suspension, was sent to Pletcher in May with an eye on the late season sophomore highlights. (Click here for Pletcher's thoughts in Mike Kane's Saturday feature).

“We're hoping that with the good fortune we had with his sire Quality Road and him making his debut for us in the Amsterdam, which produced a track record performance, that hopefully some of that good fortune will follow through here,” said Pletcher, who seeks his fifth Amsterdam win.

While he will be the favorite, he won't have it easy. Corniche is joined by Grade I winner Gunite (Gun Runner) and graded stakes-winning fellow Pletcher trainee My Prankster (Into Mischief), who finished one-two in Churchill's Maxfield S. last out July 3. The champ also faces one of his former shedrow mates from the Baffert barn in GISW Pinehurst (Twirling Candy).

Also on tap at Saratoga Sunday is the GII Bowling Green S. for turf marathoners. Grade I winners Arklow (Arch) and Rockemperor (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}).

Juju's Map Headlines Monmouth Oaks

Never worse than second in a juvenile campaign that included a win in the GI Darley Alcibiades S., Juju's Map (Liam's Map) looks to return to winning ways Sunday in the GIII Monmouth Oaks. Making her seasonal debut with a dominant optional claimer score on the GI Kentucky Oaks undercard, the dark bay checked in third as the favorite last out in Belmont's GII Mother Goose S. June 25.

She will be made to work for it though with the presence of Meydan sensation and 'TDN Rising Star' Shahama (Munnings), who receives Lasix for the first time Sunday. The $425,000 OBSAPR acquisition was second in the Mother Goose after rallying for sixth in the Oaks.

A pair of Gun Runner fillies look to add to their sire's stakes success at Monmouth last weekend in SW Shotgun Hottie and GSP Runaway Wife.

Sunday's graded action wraps at Del Mar with the GII Eddie Read S., where GII Charles Whittingham S. top two Beyond Brilliant (Twirling Candy) and Masteroffoxhounds (War Front) top the field.

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