Friday, May 14, 2021

Gun Runner, already the leading First-Crop sire of 2021, got his second winner in the past five days on Friday when Pappacap scored by nearly three lengths at Gulfstream Park.

The Rustlewood Farm, Inc. homebred was making his debut in Friday’s five-furlong maiden special weight affair, and was keen to go right from the outset. He took the lead immediately and was pressed by Whiskeyonhislips through a very fast quarter-mile in :22.71. Pappacap shook clear of his challenger and the top of the stretch and easily held off Merlin’s late charge to win by 2 3/4-lengths in :58.40 on a fast track.

Pappacap is trained by Mark Casse and is out of the Grade 3-placed Scat Daddy mare Pappascat. The deep female family has 10 stakes horses under the first four dams.

Horse of the Year Gun Runner has been a star at the sales since his weanlings were first offered. He’s been the leading Freshman Sire with each successive crop, and currently tops the 2-year-old auction list for sires with more than one horse sold, with an average of $372,000 from his nine lots to sell.