The August 4-5 Saratoga Yearling sale yielded exceptional results for Gun Runner, with five juveniles surpassing the $1 million mark, topped by a $2.9 and $2.7 million colts and a $2.6 million filly. No other sire had more seven-figure horses.
Gun Runner’s average price for the two days was also the highest for any sire represented at the sale, finishing at $1,581,250 from eight lots sold.
Gun Runner’s top colt was hip No. 179 who was consigned by Four Star Sales, agent and purchased by Donato Lanni on behalf of Zedan Racing and trainer Bob Baffert.
The gray/roan colt, who was bred by Three Chimneys, is out Dueling Grounds Oaks winner Princesa Carolina, who is also the dam of Demoiselle S. (G2) winner Muhimma.
“He was an unassuming horse, but he was impressive when he started moving,” said Lanni. “He was always automatic. The past three or four days, he just had a good attitude about everything. He looks like a racehorse. And he looks like he will go the distance and could get us to the [Kentucky] Derby. He’s a Derby type of horse. Bob liked him and Amer [Zedan] likes to come here and buy horses. We got lucky.”
Stone Farm, agent offered hip No. 37, a colt that went to Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC for $2.7 million, which ultimately was the session-topper on Aug. 4. Out of the graded-winning filly America, the bay colt is a half-brother to multiple graded winner First Captain and was bred by B. Flay Thoroughbreds.
“She gives a really athletic-looking yearling,” said Lynn Hancock, Stone Farm’s Director of Racing and Sales, of the colt’s dam. “This colt came up here and never stopped showing himself. He’s been super straight forward since the day he was born. He has a huge walk on him and he’s so well bred.”
Gun Runner’s top filly of the sale was hip No. 175, consigned by Lane’s End, agent for Tranquility Lake Farms, with Love/Linton, agent for Boyd Racing the buyer for the $2.6 million buy who ended up the top-priced filly of the two-day auction.
The regally-bred filly is out of Santa Anita Oaks (G1) winner Paradise Woods and hails from the family of champion Street Sense. The bay filly was bred by Pam & Martin Wygod and Oliver & Emily Bushnell.
“We loved her physically,” Billy Love said. “From the start, she caught our eye and obviously her pedigree is very strong. She is bred to be a Kentucky Oaks horse. We loved everything about her from her nose to her tail to her feet. Everything is perfect about her.”
