It was round two of their first match-up, and this time Paladin (Gun Runner–Secret Sigh, by Tapit) came home best over Renegade (Into Mischief) to score not just his first black-type, but also secure 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby in the 112th running of the GII Remsen Stakes.
The pair was last seen Oct. 17 at this venue when they brought their battle down to the wire in a maiden special weight contest, and Renegade officially crossed the line first by a head. He was later disqualified and placed second behind Paladin after stewards deemed that their late contact had costed his rival a better placing–in his case, the win.
The 9-5 favorite when the gates opened, Paladin was content to track the opening pace as longshots Balboa (Not This Time) and Day One Starter (Upstart) led the field through an opening quarter in :23.32 and a half in :47.47. With placings largely unchanged after six panels in 1:12.25, Renegade made the first move from the outside as Day One Starter tried to tough it out along the rail.
Paladin matched strides with that rival and the pair swamped the early leaders as they spun into the lane. Balboa refused to call it quits from third, but the battle was between 'the boys' inside the final sixteenth. Finally getting the best of Renegade, Paladin strode home to win with air to spare. The final time was 1:50.97.
“I was just hoping [Paladin] had enough to hold up the runner-up,” said Chad Brown. “Last time, he put his head in front and sort of waited on that horse. We had a little bump and then the DQ [of Renegade], so I didn't want him to come back on our horse.”
“Flavien [Prat] kept him to task and away from the other [runner], which is good because it didn't embolden him [Renegade] to come back. I think he just showed a lot of class in only his second start and his first start around two turns to gut it out. He lost [a] front shoe somewhere in the race, so there's that to deal with and consider for his effort overall, which really goes to show you how much perseverance and class he has at such a young age.”
Brown continued, “I like the fact that not only did we secure some Kentucky Derby points today, we also got a good education. The horse sat in the pocket and took dirt for most of the way. He was able to pause and move around horses and get that two-turn race into him as a 2-year-old. I think that's going to serve him well for the future.”
“He's going to go down to Payson Park, our winter base, and let him get over this. It looks like he's got a cut on one of his hind pasterns pretty good, and then he lost [a] front shoe, so I'm going to have to let him get over that and get him down there.”
Trainer Todd Pletcher, who had three entries here, reported that the runner-up and fourth-place finisher ran well for their various circumstances. “I would think [Renegade will] gain a lot from this and it's good experience for him, and hopefully he keeps moving forward. I was encouraged.”
“I thought Courting [finishing fourth] ran sneaky good also. He got pinballed leaving the gate and got banged around, lost his action behind, and came away further back than we hoped. I thought he put in a couple good moves and still showed some interest in the end. I think he's still putting things together and there's room for improvement, but I thought it was a move forward.”
Paladin campaigns for the same connections–barring the addition of breeder Summer Wind Equine to this partnership–as Gun Runner's recently retired multiple Grade I-winning son Sierra Leone. That 'Rising Star' had to settle for second in the 2023 edition of the Remsen after GI Belmont Stakes winner Dornoch (Good Magic) rerallied to beat him on the line.
Paladin wins the G2 Remsen Stakes worth 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby! 🌹 pic.twitter.com/BShe1fALj8
— Kentucky Derby (@KentuckyDerby) December 6, 2025
Pedigree Notes:
Paladin is the most recent to the races for Secret Sigh, and is her first black-type offspring. The mare, a half-sister to Japanese multiple Group 1 winner Mozu Ascot (Frankel {GB}), has since produced a yearling colt by Into Mischief named Golden Rebellion. Her 2025 Elite Power foal died.
As a half-sister to the aforementioned elite winner turned sire, Secret Sigh is a daughter of MGSW India (Hennessy)–herself a half-sister to Pilfer (Deputy Minister). Said sibling's claim to fame was through her son, Cigar Mile winner MGISW To Honor and Serve (Bernardini) and his full-sister GISW Angela Renee. Pilfer also produced GISP Elnaawi (Street Sense) and the dam of MGISW La Cara (Street Sense). This is also the immediate female family of French group-placed Coetzee (Frankel {GB}).
Gun Runner has enjoyed yet another sensational season, thanks in part to Sierra Leone and Locked, both of whom recently joined the breeding ranks for 2026. Counting those two, he had four elite-level winners this year–juveniles GI Del Mar Futurity victor 'Rising Star' Brant and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies heroine Super Corredora are near the top of the rankings in their respective classes. In addition to the above, Gun Runner's 13 graded performers in 2025 included Vahva, Gun Song, Further Ado, Mercante, Running Away, Hall of Fame, Spice Runner, Recharge, and Red Route One.
Saturday, Aqueduct
REMSEN S.-GII, $250,000, Aqueduct, 12-6, 2yo, 1 1/8m, 1:50.97, ft.
1–PALADIN, 118, c, 2, by Gun Runner
1st Dam: Secret Sigh, by Tapit
2nd Dam: India, by Hennessy
3rd Dam: Misty Hour, by Miswaki
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($1,900,000 Ylg '24 FTSAUG). O-Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Peter M. Brant, Brook T. Smith, and Summer Wind Equine, LLC; B-Summer Wind Equine LLC (KY); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Flavien Prat. $137,500. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $184,250. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Renegade, 118, c, 2, Into Mischief–Spice Is Nice, by Curlin. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($975,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP). O-Robert Low, Lawana L. Low, and Repole Stable; B-Robert Low & Lawana Low (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $50,000.
3–Balboa, 122, c, 2, Not This Time–Tap of War, by War Front. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($875,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP). O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Golconda Stable, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan; B-Albaugh Family Stables LLC (KY); T-Brittany T. Russell. 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' $30,000.
Margins: 2, 1HF, 3HF. Odds: 1.88, 2.97, 29.93.
Also Ran: Courting, Grittiness, Igniter, I Did I Did, Day One Starter, Talkin, Chambersville, Concarneau. Scratched: Probably Dreaming.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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