Less than 24 hours after Winchell Thoroughbreds and Three Chimneys Farms' Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}) galloped to an emphatic seven-length victory in the GI Stephen Foster H. at Churchill Downs, trainer Steve Asmussen was pleased with what he has seen in his charge thus far, and was enthused regarding what lay ahead for the remainder of the season.
“There's not more I can say then this horse is simply the real deal,” extolled Asmussen. “We'll look at races at Saratoga for his next start, possibly the Aug. 5 [GI] Whitney S., but the big relief is already getting him a spot in the [GI] Breeders' Cup Classic [at Del Mar [Nov. 4].”
Also back at work Saturday morning, jockey Florent Geroux–who has partnered Gun Runner in 12 of his 15 lifetime starts–offered the highest praise for the two-time Grade I winner.
“You know, going back and thinking about the race, it's very rare as a jockey that you can feel a horse never getting tired in a 1 1/8-mile Grade I,” Geroux admitted. “He's a pretty phenomenal horse.”
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