Douglas Scharbauer and Three Chimneys Farm's Always a Runner (Gun Runner) collared the pacesetting Pashmina (Constitution) late to win Saturday's GIII Gazelle at Aqueduct. In victory, the Chad Brown-trainee secured the maximum allotment of 100-50-25-15-10 Kentucky Oaks points on offer to the top-five finishers.
“She looks good this morning,” said Brown on Easter Sunday. “I'll speak to the owners later [Sunday]. I'm inclined to go on to the Oaks with her. She only ran twice, but she looks super this morning. You deal with 14 horses instead of 20, I just don't think there's a whole lot of risk running her in that type of race.”
He continued, “She's very talented and it keeps me on a schedule with her for the summer. I don't see an alternative race that's 'safer for her.' If she comes out of this and trains well, I will ship her over to Churchill. She will have one local work here in about two weeks, and then she'll ship over.”
Named a 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' while powering clear to a 6 1/2-length victory in a one-mile and 40-yard maiden at first asking on Feb. 6 at Tampa Bay Downs, she subsequently missed some time due to a temperature.
“I expected her to run well,” Brown said. “I only worked her three times [since her win], three-eighths, two halves, and she won. She is really talented, this horse. I'd say she was 75% fit.”
Runner-up Pashmina picked up 50 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points in the Gazelles to bring her total to 63–good for the 14th and final spot in the starting gate on the first Friday in May at Churchill Downs.
“It's a tough way to get beat. You lead the whole way; you put some more separation like you took off again and then you get nailed,” trainer Rob Atras said. “The way I look at it–the big picture–she ran an awesome race and stepped up and ran the race we thought she could run. I couldn't be prouder of her.”
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