Gun Runner’s first yearlings lived up to lofty expectations at the recently concluded Sept. 9-10 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Showcase sale, averaging $331,429, nearly five times his stud fee.
The former Horse of the Year had six lots bring at least $250,000, with a top filly for $500,000 and colt for $420,000.
Both the colt and filly were offered and sold on Thursday.
The filly, hip No. 570, was consigned by Gainesway, agent and purchased by Fortune Farm/All About The Girls. The gray/roan filly is out of Divine Dawn, who is a full sister to Grade 2 winner Divine Miss Grey. The yearling was bred by Oussama Aboughazale’s International Equities Holdings.
“The first time that Travis [Durr] and I saw her, she just gave us the impression that she was a nice filly,” trainer Jeremiah Englehart, bidding on behalf of Fortune, said. “She was later in the sale, so we had some other horses that we were looking at. But it worked out that we were able to buy her. I was a little nervous that she might go a little higher.”
The colt, hip No. 430, was consigned by Birdie Harrison on behalf of Peter Blum Thoroughbreds. He was purchased by Centennial Farms. Already named Fast Gun, the dark bay is the first foal out of the Bodemeister mare Truthful, who is a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Hello Don Julio.
“I’ve liked what I’ve seen so far from Gun Runner,” Englehart added. “He was one of my favorite racehorses, just watching him. I liked how he developed from early on his career to later on, he ended up being much better as a 4 and 5-year-old then he was as a 3-year-old. I’d like to see my horses develop like that, too.”
With an overall 2020 yearling average of $331,428, Gun Runner has the best average of all First-Crop yearling sires. His next offerings will come at the Keeneland September sale, where he has 67 lots in the catalog.
