GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner and leading 2017 Horse of the Year candidate Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}) had his final major workout for the Jan. 27 $16 million GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational Sunday afternoon, working six furlongs in 1:11 flat at the Fair Grounds. Working in company with regular workmate Gettysburg (Pioneerof the Nile), Gun Runner was clocked galloping out seven furlongs in 1:23.40 and the mile in 1:37 flat under jockey Florent Geroux as they prepare for the Jan. 27 World Cup. The Fair Grounds clockers timed his interior splits as 12.30 seconds, 24.20, 36.10, 48.10 and 59.20. Gun Runner started off a little more than a length behind Gettysburg, pulled alongside on the turn and drew off in the stretch.
“That was great,” said David Fiske, Winchell's longtime racing and bloodstock manager, in a post-workout interview with TVG. “That was kind of a typical two-weeks-before-the-race Asmussen work. Usually that's a big work, kind of sharpen them up. He'll get another easy half-mile when he gets to Gulfstream, probably next Monday or something. But man, he looked pretty sharp to me.”
Gun Runner is slated to fly to Fort Lauderdale Thursday.
Back in Florida, Stellar Wind continued to impress trainer Chad Brown with her preparation for the Pegasus, breezing five furlongs in 1:00.80 at Palm Meadows. The breeze was the 6-year-old mare's sixth workout since joining Brown's stable shortly after being purchased for $6 million by the Coolmore partners at Keeneland November.
“She worked a very strong five-eighths and galloped out a very strong three-quarters,” Brown said. “She seems to be doing very, very well. Each week her breezes get a little bit stronger. She hasn't missed a beat since she's been in the barn.”
Brown said training the mare has been relatively straightforward due to her class and easy temperament.
“She's all class–we're not trying to reinvent the wheel here. We're just trying to keep her happy and she's been a real sound horse since arriving,” Brown said. “She was obviously well taken care of her whole career. She's been just a real pleasure to have in the barn. She's a terrific addition to our stable.”
Also on Sunday, MGISW West Coast (Flatter), considered the favorite to win the Eclipse Award for 2017's champion 3-year-old male, worked six furlongs from the gate handily in a bullet 1:12 flat at Santa Anita for trainer Bob Baffert. The colt worked in company with Cat Burglar, who was clocked in 1:12.20.
“He worked well,” said trainer Bob Baffert, who had Drayden Van Dyke aboard for the drill. “I'm happy about it. He needed company, because he's sort of a lazy work horse.”
Baffert said West Coast will work once more in Arcadia next week before shipping to Florida.
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