page_title: Gun Runner (horse)
section_title: 2016: three-year-old season
hierarchical_section_title: Gun Runner (horse) / Racing history / 2016: three-year-old season
caption_attribution_description: English: Gun Runner preparing for the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. Jockey Florent Geroux. Trainer Steve Asmussen on the right
context_page_description: Gun Runner is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the 2017 American Horse of the Year after winning four Grade I races at age four. He retired with earnings of nearly $16 million.
  As a three-year-old, he became one of the early favorites for the 2016 Kentucky Derby after winning both the Risen Star Stakes and Louisiana Derby. Following a third-place finish in the Kentucky Derby, he won the Matt Winn Stakes and Clark Handicap, and was second in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and Pennsylvania Derby.
  As a four-year-old in 2017, he finished second in the Dubai World Cup, then went on to win the Stephen Foster Handicap, Whitney Stakes, Woodward Stakes, and Breeders' Cup Classic. His performance in the Whitney earned him a rating of 127 in the August 2017 update of the World's Best Racehorse Rankings, ranking him in third place worldwide. His Woodward win earned him a Timeform US rating of 142, the highest ever achieved. Prior to retiring to stud as a five-year-old, he also won the 2018 Pegasus World Cup.
context_section_description: Gun Runner won four of nine starts at age three, plus two second-place finishes and two thirds. He was part of a competitive three-year-old crop that included Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist, Preakness winner Exaggerator and the late developing Arrogate, winner of the Travers and Breeders Cup Classic.
  Gun Runner began his three-year-old campaign on February 20, 2016 in the Grade II Risen Star Stakes at the Fair Grounds Race Course. With new jockey Florent Geroux, Gun Runner settled in fourth then started his move around the final turn. He hit the lead at the head of the stretch, then held off a late run from Forevamo to win by half a length. "He's a very nice horse. We're very lucky to have him," said trainer Steve Asmussen. "I thought Florent gave him a beautiful trip with how the track was playing. He's shown talent the whole time and it's definitely good to see him in the winner's circle in a race like this."
  On March 26, Gun Runner returned in the $1 million Louisiana Derby, also at the Fair Grounds, where he was the third betting choice at odds of just under 4–1. He was close behind a slow early pace, then drew away in the stretch to win by ​4 ¹⁄₂ lengths in a dominant performance. "The good thing is he's very easy to manage," said Geroux. "He has so many gears. He settles really nicely, and when you ask him to go, he has a nice turn of foot."
  Gun Runner earned 151 points and ranked first on the 2016 Road to the Kentucky Derby, a series of races through which horses qualified for the 2016 Kentucky Derby. In the Derby, he was the third betting choice behind the two-year-old champion Nyquist, who had also won the Florida Derby, and Exaggerator, who had won the Santa Anita Derby. Gun Runner broke well and raced with Nyquist just behind a fast early pace set by Dazzling Candy. As they rounded into the stretch, Gun Runner made his move and took the lead. Nyquist then responded and started to draw away. From far behind, Exaggerator made a strong run down the stretch to finish second, with Gun Runner holding on for third.
  With his connections opting to pass the final two legs of the Triple Crown, Gun Runner returned to action on June 18 in the Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs. He led from wire-to-wire, winning by ​5 ¹⁄₄ lengths while setting a stakes record. His time of 1:41.12 for ​1 ¹⁄₁₆ miles was just 0.02 seconds off the track record.
  His next start saw him face Nyquist and Exaggerator once again in the 2016 Haskell Invitational Stakes. On a sloppy track, he ran an uncharacteristically off the board race finishing fifth. He rebounded with a third-place finish in the Travers Stakes, though well behind the winner, Arrogate, who set a track record for 10 furlongs with a final time of 1:59.36. "We ran into a freak today," Asmussen said. "I thought 2:02 would win it."
  On September 24, Gun Runner again faced off with Nyquist and Exaggerator in the $1.25 million Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing. Gun Runner settled into fourth behind a fast early pace, then swung wide around the far turn to move into second. Meanwhile, Connect made his move along the rail and reached the lead in mid-stretch, then stood off Gun Runner's rally to win by half a length.
  After finishing second in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, Gun Runner ended his three-year-old season on November 25 against a strong field of older horses in the Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs. When the expected pacemaker Noble Bird broke poorly, Gun Runner took control of the race and led from wire-to-wire for the first Grade I win of his career. "I'm so proud of him," said Asmussen. "Walking him over, the horse has such confidence about him. He's kept his strength and his weight with the thousands of miles he's traveled this year on the stages that he's been on."
caption: Gun Runner before the 2016 Breeders' Cup
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