Gun Runner (KYD)- $100.000 Purse
FG- For Two Year Olds
One Mile and One Sixteenth on the Dirt
December 21, 2024

There are a couple of big races down at FG for two-year-olds this weekend, and here we will take a look at the fourth running of the Gun Runner. It offers a $100.000 purse, which is nice, but the more important thing is the 10 KYD points that are available for the winner. Last year, the race was won by Good Knights, for Our Athletes, and the horse continued to run very well into his three-year-old season and made the KYD. It wasn’t a career highlight performance, but it did not stop him from running in the BC last month, in the Dirt Mile. In fact, all three winners of this race in the past have ultimately made it into the KYD. Can this year’s winner make it four? Let’s get that winner first! Here’s the field:

1- Harmonic Stride (Mb Stables, ridden by R L Moore)- A new addition to the barn of Mb Stables, as the trainer picked him up recently in the auction for $77.780. He’s bounced around a couple of times already in his young career, despite winning three of his four career starts. Last time out, he ran at KEE in a $32.000 claimer and won by two lengths. Mb Stables has bigger plans for him, as seen by this placement.

2- Ashurbanipal (Jerry Garcia Racing, ridden by M Pedroza Jr)- The maiden enters this race hoping to build on a fourth-place effort at CD last month where he came from way off the pace. Purse-wise, this race isn’t much different than the maiden races that he has been in, but he is certainly up for a challenge. I have to see him win first.

3- Link Wray (South Shore Stables, ridden by A R Rodriguez)- Took a little while to get rolling, but the trainer never stopped believing in him by continuing to enter him in high priced NY-bred races. He eventually came around and now comes into the Gun Runner on a two-race win streak. Went wire to wire in a CD allowance last month, and this is a great step forward for him.

4- Rubbing Is Racing (Alydar Stables, ridden by G Corrales)- For now, he’s not going to be the intimidator in this field. Just six weeks ago, he was claimed for $5.000 in a maiden claimer and is now being elevated all the way into this. He works well, and regardless of whether or not he gets a piece of this purse, Martyparty will be regretting letting this one get away for that price.

5- Tudor Vate (Blue Ridge Racing, ridden by D Cabrera)- In five starts, Tudor Vate has won three times, and has never failed to hit the board. All of his races are in overnights, and his best win to this point is his last effort: an allowance at DED. I wish I could see recent dirt works on him, as all the recent public works are on the grass, a surface he hasn’t actually run on yet.

6- Cross Traffic (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by J Lezcano)- Recently, Cross Traffic has predominantly been running on the grass, and has been seen in the some pretty big races. In September, he ran in the $750.000 KD Juvenile, but was outclassed that day. He’s been a lot more competitive in the smaller stakes that he has been in and narrowly missed a win in the $100.000 Tyro Stakes at MTH. He’s been fine when on the dirt.

7- Ref You Def (Night Rider Stables, ridden by E J Zayas)- Won on debut, and was immediately entered into ungraded stakes afterwards. While he was fine in the KY Juvenile, once more competition started trying races like that, Ref You Def did not run quite as well. He’d be gelded in September and has bounced back with a couple of good runs in overnights. Now, he’ll try the stake level again.

8- Barn Breath (Our Athletes, ridden by J R Velazquez)- Looking to get the trainer his second win a row in the Gun Runner, and he should have a good shot. After all, he comes here off of running in the BC, being fifth in the Juvenile Turf Sprint and within a length of the win. This is neither a sprint nor on the turf, but you’re doing something right if you’re in the race. Long dirt works are solid, and he’ll be fine switching things up.

9- Checkered (Mb Stables, ridden by R M Hernandez)- A lightly raced horse to this point, with just two starts to his name. After a decent debut in the slop at FL, the Tactical colt made his way to AQU and took the checkered flag at a mile, leading every lap. I’m very interested in seeing how this one runs here, because he has excellent works and has the general look of star that Mb Stables is now unleashing into stakes competition.

10- Magadonia (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by F Geroux)- It’s been over last three months since Magadonia last ran, which was in the KD Juvenile Sprint. The weather did not cooperate, and he was beaten by three lengths in that. Prior to that, he also lost by three in the Bashford Manor. Rest can be a good thing, and the colt will now run at least a mile for the first time, hoping to justify the faith the trainer has in him.

11- Total Stud (Mo Mentum, ridden by A Cedillo)- Once you name a horse like this, you should be locked in to never gelding him, but that was the case for Total Stud after he ran fifth while starting from the outside in the KD Juvenile. While not the worst effort, it was not good enough for Mo Mentum Farm. Ran as a gelding for the first time in an allowance at CD, using a different tactic, and no bute, and was third. Perhaps running at FG will help out this LA-bred, as well.

12- Food Man (Williams9, ridden by Mar Garcia)- Three weeks ago, Food Man took on strong company in the Grade 2 KY Jockey Club, and after running on the lead, found himself passed by quite a few, and settled for eighth. He’s been an experienced graded runner to this point, with decent efforts in those three races. Also, at the ungraded level, he won the $175.000 ELP Juvenile. Hasn’t been over-raced in general, so I’m fine with the short rest. Food Man just has to find a way to finish out a race a little stronger.

Prediction: 9-5-3-6

— NS

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded