Gun Runner's yearlings showing first-crop sires the way home at Keeneland

Even in uncertain economic times wrought by Covid-19, Three Chimneys Farm's sales and bloodstock team headed into the Keeneland September Yearling Sale with confidence in the first crop by their 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner.

Their confidence was rewarded during Keeneland's Book 1 and Book 2 sessions that produced a $294,792 average from 24 yearlings by Gun Runner sold.

The son of Candy Rideowned a slim lead by average among the first-crop yearling sire class through Friday, with Gun Runner's average $2,887 higher than Juddmonte Farms' late sire Arrogate, who had a $291,905 average from 21 sold.

"Our team - Rebecca Nicholson and Tom Hamm and Doug Cauthen - went around and looked at a lot of horses, so we felt good about Gun Runner carrying on with what he accomplished with his weanlings," said Chris Baker, the chief operating officer at Three Chimneys.

"A commonality is a big shoulder, deep girth, and good length and neck combined with athleticism. I came away feeling really good about these individuals as we move away from the sale side and into the performance side."

Gun Runner and Arrogate were also the class leaders at last year's mixed sales, attracting weanling averages of $344,375 and $311,250 respectively. These two sires commanded the highest entering-year stud fees as well, with Arrogate standing for $75,000 and Gun Runner for $70,000.

Among the Book 1-2 yearlings by Gun Runner sold, five went for more than $500,000. His top seller was a bay colt out of Grade 1-placed winner Sweet Shirley Mae that Mayberry Farm bought for $775,000 from Baccari Bloodstock. The colt was bred in Kentucky by Breeze Easy.

As well as Gun Runner's first yearlings sold, Baker said he felt a little "what if" about the tumultuous marketplace that was nearly devoid of key international buyers.

"I'd like to think Gun Runner's offspring with their athleticism and their movement would have had great appeal to the international buyers, too," he said. "Even though he ran his best here, I wouldn't exclude him from getting runners on turf. I am glad to see them in a lot of different hands; spread it around and increase your chances."

Arrogate, a four-time Group/Grade 1 winner and North America's richest racehorse with $17,422,600 in earnings, was represented by three that sold for $500,000 or more, with his top seller a colt out of Crosswinds going to Yuji Hasegawa for $750,000 from breeder/consignor Hinkle Farms.

Arrogate at Juddmonte Farms in Lexington, Kentucky in November 2018Credit: Edward Whitaker

Two other first-crop yearling sires have Book 1-2 averages above $200,000 - Coolmore Stud's Caravaggio, who stands in Ireland for €40,000, and Ashford Stud's Practical Joke, who entered stud at $30,000.

Yearlings by Caravaggio, a multiple Group 1-winning son of Scat Daddy, generated a $236,250 average from four sold. The sire's top seller was a $400,000 filly out of Mundus Novus that Gainesway sold to Stripes Stable/Susan Moulton. Stripes Stable as agent also bought Caravaggio's second-highest-priced yearling, a $300,000 colt out of Swept Away.

Practical Joke, a three-time Grade 1 winner, had his nine Book 1-2 yearlings sold generate a $214,111 average. His top seller was a colt out of Numero d'Oro that consignor Rosilyn Polan's Sunday Morning Farm sold for $575,000 to West Bloodstock on behalf of Repole Stable and St Elias Stable.

Among all leading Book 1-2 stallions, Darley's Medaglia D'Oro commanded the top spot with a $631,471 average from 17 sold. The sires with Book 1-2 averages above $350,000 were Spendthrift Farm's Into Mischief($517,333 from 45 sold), Gainesway's Tapit ($475,000, 18 sold), Lane's End's Quality Road($399,615, 26 sold), and Hill 'n' Dale Farms' Curlin($383,000, 25 sold).

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