Gun Runner’s 3-year-old filly Running Away, who has a pair of listed stakes wins to her name, added a graded stakes to her resume with her victory in Saturday’s $250,000 Monmouth Oaks (G3).
The chestnut filly is the seventh graded stakes winner this year for her top-three sire.
Normally found on the front end, Running Away settled just off of Paris Lily, who led the field through a half-mile in :47.18. Entering the far turn, Running Away could wait no longer and closed in on Paris Lily. Running Away took over outside the quarter pole and extended herself through the stretch to win by 1 ¼-lengths in 1:46.26 for the 1 1/16-miles on a fast track.
“He rode a very patient race, sitting off that early pacesetter with Paco Lopez (aboard Paris Lily),” said trainer Wesley Ward of jockey Victor Espinoza. “I didn’t know how it was going to end up. On paper, and also training her, when she is in front she gets kind of brave. This time she was in a beautiful stalking position and when he called on her she responded. I was really proud of the filly.”
Winner of the Busanda S. and Horseshoe Indianapolis H. earlier this year, Running Away is now 4-1-1 in seven starts and has earned $416,250 for owner/breeder Stud TNT.
