Gun Runner

The families and children who rely on the Backside Learning Center have a GI Kentucky Derby horse to root for. Sierra Leone (Gun Runner), the winner of the GII Risen Star S. at the Fair Grounds, is partially owned by Brook Smith, who is part of a partnership led by Coolmore. Smith has been a generous supporter of the Backside Learning Center and, through the Purses for a Purpose program, donates a portion of his earnings every time a horse of his picks up a check. Smith joined this week's...

Raise your hand if this sounds familiar: a 3-year-old filly in the Godolphin blue captured the GII Rachel Alexandra S. at Fair Grounds to earn 50 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks. So far, Tarifa (f, 3, Bernardini--Kite Beach, by Awesome Again) is following the script laid out last year by Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief) perfectly. Like her year-older fellow Godolphin homebred, she, too, was named a 'TDN Rising Star' on debut. In a replay of last year, she, too, won the Rachel Alexandra for her first graded...

In this continuing series, Alan Carasso takes a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Kyoto and Tokyo Racecourses. Group 1 racing returns to Japan this weekend with Sunday's running of the G1 February S., whose defending champion Lemon Pop (Lemon Drop Kid) swerves the race in favor of next weekend's G1 Saudi Cup....

9th-Fair Grounds, $57,000, Msw, 2-13, 3yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:45.53, ft, 3/4 length. PRETTY ANA (f, 3, Quality Road--Quiet Giant {GSW, $405,389}, by Giant's Causeway), a half-sister to leading young sire Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}), Horse Of The Year, Ch. Older Dirt Male MGISW-USA, G1SP-UAE, $15,988,500, dug down gamely to earn her diploma at second asking here. Pretty Ana was previously third, beaten 5 1/4 lengths, as the even-money favorite after an eventful trip over this same course and distance on debut Jan. 18. Favored at that same price...

A halter worn by Triple Crown winner Justify is one of the items available during the 2024 Bourbon and the Bayou online silent auction, which benefits CASA of Lexington. Also available are halters worn by champions Gun Runner and Monomoy Girl. Bidding on the halters is open at bandb2024.givesmart.com. CASA of Lexington is a non-profit organization that provides advocacy for hundreds of abused and neglected children in central Kentucky every year. The auction, which concludes with an in-person gala, closes at 9:45 p.m Feb. 23. Buyers do not have to...

Churchill Downs' ban of Bob Baffert and the decision by his owners to keep their horses with the trainer, even though that means they cannot run at Churchill, will affect not just the Derby. Though Baffert's group of 3-year-old fillies is not as deep or as impressive as his collection of 3-year-old colts, he does have some fillies that, in a normal year, would be Oaks candidates. He has GII Starlet S. winner Nothing Like You (Malibu Moon). But his best filly may be Kinza (Carpe Diem), who rocketed to...

LEXINGTON, KY - The Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale defied what has appeared in recent months to be a weakening sales market with a strong opening session in Lexington Monday. "It was a very encouraging start," said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. "There was lots of activity throughout the day, really from start to finish, at all level of horses and at all price ranges and all types of horses. Yearlings sold very well, mares in foal sold very well, broodmare prospects sold very well. The place was crowded very much...

The TDN's popular annual series 'Mating Plans, presented by Spendthrift,' continues today in a conversation with Mulholland Springs' John Mulholland.   MEAL TICKET (10, Malibu Moon--Rainbow's Song by Unbridled's Song) to be bred to Into Mischief Second in the GII Royal Heroine S. at Santa Anita and the listed Golden Poppy S. at Golden Gate, we purchased this mare privately after her final start of her career. Meal Ticket was bred her first year to Into Mischief and produced an absolutely stunning colt that we sold to BC Stables for...

'TDN Rising Star' and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile third Locked (Gun Runner) will miss an expected start in Saturday's GIII Sam F. Davis S. at Tampa Bay Downs due to a temperature, according to a report from the Daily Racing Form's David Grening. "We felt like if we breezed him and spiked a more significant temperature that could set us back a couple of weeks or so," trainer Todd Pletcher told Grening. "One of the good things about being ready for some of the early preps is it gives you...

Breaking on top despite a slight bobble after the jump, Comparative (Street Sense) was headed only once in the GIII Bayakoa S., but put that rival away in the lane to hold off all comers in a gutsy performance to pick up her first graded win. On a two-race win-streak coming into this contest after another dueled performance in the Ladies S. Jan. 6, and a winner to cap her 2023 season against New York optional claiming company Nov. 25 at Aqueduct, she was given a 6-1 chance by the...

5th-Gulfstream, $72,000, Alw (NW1$X), Opt. Clm ($25,000), 1-31, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16mT, 1:40.88, fm, 1 1/4 lengths. DELAHAYE (f, 4, Medaglia d'Oro--Bella Carina, by War Front) sat a no-cover trip three and four wide on her debut over this course last February, but jockey Javier Castellano lost the crop with judgment day approaching and the filly went down to a narrow defeat behind the future MSP Love Appeals (Speightstown). Away for 8 1/2 months thereafter, the $550,000 Keeneland September yearling raced more prominently in an Aqueduct maiden and shot clear...

Hall of Fame (c, 3, Gun Runner--Flag Day, by Giant's Causeway), a $1.4-million Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling purchase, ran to his lofty purchase price with a 'TDN Rising Star' performance for Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen at second asking at Fair Grounds Saturday. The 4-5 favorite was ridden early while passing the stands for the first time and secured a tracking trip in a joint second through a quarter mile in :23.30. He turned up the heat beneath Joel Rosario while racing on the inside of the leader heading into the...