Gun Runner romping in the Breeders' Cup Classic, photo credit to ©BenoitPhoto.com
The Horse of the Year finalists for 2017 have been announced. The three worthy finalists for the coveted prize have come down to Gun Runner, Arrogate, and World Approval. Despite the fact that there are three finalists for the Eclipse Award, I see this as a one horse race. There’s no doubt about it that of the three, Gun Runner hands down had the greatest year.
Gun Runner started 2017 the same way he would end it: winning. A track quarantine in Louisiana where he was based caused the copper son of Candy Ride to miss his scheduled start in the inaugural Pegasus World Cup, so Gun Runner made his seasonal debut in the $500,000 Razorback Handicap (G.3). As a three-year-old, Gun Runner was a gutsy, hard-trying colt who always showed up. He was a good colt, but when the starting gates sprung open for his first start as a four-year-old, the first signs of his newfound brilliance were starting to emerge. In 2017, Gun Runner wasn’t just going to be a “good” horse, he was going to be great.
Gun Runner wasted no time in the Razorback Handicap and boldly rolled right up to the lead. He took it to his competition, making every stride a winning one as he soared through solid fractions. When Gun Runner made the turn for home, it was clear the race was over. He opened up on his challengers, giving them no chance. With astonishing ease, Gun Runner romped over the wire by nearly six lengths. His final time of 1:40.97 for the 1 1/16 miles event was a mere two-fifths of a second off the stakes record. And the scary part was, Gun Runner didn’t even look like he was trying.
Gun Runner traveled all the way to Dubai for his next start, to compete in the Dubai World Cup. A field deep with talent assembled for the prestigious event. Bitter wind and rain that evening made the weather less than ideal for the horses, but as always, Gun Runner took it all in stride. The plucky, red colt ran the race of his life, but in the final stages of the race he got run down by his fellow American runner, Arrogate. Gun Runner was well clear of the rest of the field, but had to settle for second behind the big, gray beast. However, it would be the last time that Gun Runner let anyone pass him, including Arrogate.
Gun Runner returned to America and got right back to business. He made his next start in June, in the Grade 1, $500,000 Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs. It quickly became obvious that his long journey to the desert and back took nothing out of the gallant horse because when he launched out of the starting gate, he showed no mercy. Gun Runner went right to the lead and never looked back, flaunting his speed and strength with every powerful stride. It was as if he knew that he was better than his rivals as he dashed around the track with unyielding energy. When Gun Runner reached the stretch, he decided to turn things up even more. With a swift and decisive kick of his legs he launched forward with breathtaking acceleration, increasing his lead farther and farther until he was all alone by seven lengths. His winning margin stands as a new record for the race.
Gun Runner traveled to Saratoga next, to compete in the Grade 1, $1.2 million Whitney Stakes. Saratoga is a track that is famous for being unkind to the favorites. In fact, it is so well known for its shocking upsets that it has been dubbed as the “Graveyard of Champions”. But nobody told Gun Runner that, because he just kept winning. And if there is some mysterious force that has a way of jinxing the favorites at Saratoga, I guess Gun Runner was able to outrun that the same way he outran his rivals because some strange things took place in the 2017 edition of the Whitney, but it still wasn’t enough to falter Gun Runner.
A horse by the name of Cautious Giant was entered in the Whitney for the sole purpose of trying to make things harder for Gun Runner. You see, Cautious Giant was entered as a “rabbit” to set a rapid pace in hopes of tiring out Gun Runner, and setting the race up for War Story, the stablemate of Cautious Giant, so that he would have a better chance at winning with his late, closing kick. The connections of War Story were hoping that their plan would be the undoing of Gun Runner, but like every challenge before, Gun Runner simply shrugged it off and ran his race.
As expected, Cautious Giant bolted to the front when the gates opened and set the pace. Gun Runner confidently tracked him in second, wisely avoiding getting into a speed duel with the speedy long shot. Some critics thought that Gun Runner couldn’t win without having the early lead, but that was a theory that would soon be proved wrong.
With a half- mile left to run in the Whitney, things took a bizarre and unexpected turn. A horseshoe came flying off of Cautious Giant and somehow managed to land in Gun Runner’s tail. Miraculously, instead of slipping through his tail and landing on the track, it remained tangled in his hair for the remainder of the race. But Gun Runner didn’t seem to care. He had one thing on his mind and that was to win. A rogue shoe and a rabbit weren’t enough to put a halt to his glory, and Gun Runner decided then to take over. Making a daring early move, Gun Runner propelled himself forward and shut down Cautious Giant’s attempt to spoil the show.
Gun Runner roared down the stretch like a freight train, rising to a 5 ¼ length lead. He stopped the clock in 1:47.71, making it the fastest Whitney Stakes since Lawyer Ron in 2007. And Gun Runner’s tour de force at the Graveyard of Champions didn’t end there. A month later he entered the historical, Grade 1 Whitney Stakes where he absolutely devastated his competition.
Gun Runner took command in the Woodward going around the final turn. From there he proceeded to turn the race into a runaway. The overwhelming momentum that Gun Runner carried into the stretch made it clear to jockey, Florent Geroux, that nobody was catching them, and he began glancing over his shoulder as he and Gun Runner began to disappear. With chilling ease, Gun Runner began going faster and faster, dramatically increasing his margin as he bounded down the stretch. He filled the Grandstand with wonder and awe as he ran his rivals off their feet. Winning a Grade 1 race like the Woodward isn’t supposed to be easy, but for Gun Runner, it was just another stroll through the park.
Gun Runner sailed home to a jaw dropping 10 ¼ length victory in a blazing final time of 1:47.43. Of the twelve editions of the Woodward Stakes that were ever run at Saratoga, Gun Runner’s was now the fastest. It was almost scary to think that a horse can be so dominating without even trying. At this point, it was very clear that Gun Runner was a different kind of horse. He was in a league of his own against his peers.
Gun Runner made his way to Del Mar for a showdown in the Grade 1, $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic. It would be his final start of 2017, and despite his ruthless style of racing and hot winning streak, some people still had their doubts. People questioned his ability to go the 1 ¼ mile distance of the race. Others questioned whether he could finally take down Arrogate, the only foe to have passed him that year. But Gun Runner was a different horse than he was in Dubai. He had found his true power, and just like in his races before, Gun Runner was going to leave everyone in awe.
One of the deepest fields in history assembled for the 2017 Breeders’ Cup Classic. The race was loaded with talented horses that would not go easy on each other. But Gun Runner loaded into the gate, as fearless as ever, ready to show the world what he was made of. When those starting gates broke open, Gun Runner would take no prisoners.
Gun Runner shot from the starting gate like a rocket and charged brazenly to the lead. A stampede of fired up thoroughbreds were hot on his trail, but he was not dismayed. Gun Runner was fully prepared to take this field all the way around.
One of the toughest horses in the field, Collected, got after Gun Runner early, pushing him through blazing fractions and never giving him a chance to breathe. Collected was determined to make Gun Runner work for every step, but his relentless challenges would not be enough. Gun Runner stormed into the stretch, still going strong. Despite his desperate efforts, Collected could not get by Gun Runner. In fact, no one could get by him. Gun Runner just kept going until he flew over the finish line by a widening 2 ¼ lengths, in a solid final time of 2:01.29. Gun Runner’s bold act of taking the field gate to wire made him the only horse the entire Breeders’ Cup weekend to set the pace and win over the quirky surface of Del Mar.
Gun Runner’s victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic proved just how rare and amazing of an athlete that he really is. People questioned whether he could go the distance, people questioned whether he could take down Arrogate, and Gun Runner showed everyone just how great he really is. The Breeders’ Cup Classic is one of the most important and illustrious races in the world. It is a race where the best there is comes together to clash in epic battle to decide once and for all who the best truly is. It is a race that everyone wants to win. And Gun Runner did it.
There’s no question. Gun Runner accomplished more than anyone did in 2017, matching and setting records as he went along, engraving his name into history. In six starts, he won five of them, his only loss being a very game second. This gallant horse won at four different tracks, proving that he is an iron horse that will run wherever he’s asked and as far as he’s asked. No matter the competition or distance, Gun Runner showed up. He competed in the highest level of racing and came out on top all but once. He took down four consecutive Grade 1 races, winning all of them by daylight and in lightning fast times. And to top it all off, he took on all of his peers in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, and left them all behind as he romped to glory.
Arrogate is the next finalist we’ll discuss. Arrogate had a strong start to the year, but wasn’t able to carry his momentum throughout the entire season. In 2017, Arrogate raced five times, and took home two wins.
Arrogate, photo credit to ©BenoitPhoto.com
Arrogate looked like a monster when he sprinted home to win the Grade 1, $12 million Pegasus World Cup by nearly five lengths in his first start of 2017. His track-record time of 1:46.83 for the 1 1/8 mile race caused everyone to believe that this would be his year. The big, strapping gray had dominated his rivals so easily that people were already praising him as the best horse around.
Arrogate set off to the Dubai World Cup for his next start, on a mission to become the richest horse in the world. It was a title that the young horse would receive, but this time it wouldn’t be a cake walk for Arrogate. This time his win was going to have to be earned.
Arrogate broke slowly when the starting gates opened in the Dubai World Cup and he immediately found himself stuck behind a wall of horses. It looked hopeless for Arrogate as he trailed behind the field in last. Things may have looked over from the start, but Arrogate had other plans. After all, he didn’t travel all this way just to lose because of a slow break.
One by one, Arrogate began picking off his rivals as he swept his way closer to the front. With the stretch drive ahead, he began charging by at an even faster pace, catapulting himself forward with each tremendous and determined leap. Amazingly, Arrogate rolled into the stretch to declare that he wasn’t done yet. With tremendous force he blew by everyone in the stretch and opened up, claiming victory by 2 ¼ lengths, in a final time of 2:02.23 for the 1 ¼ mile race.
Watching Arrogate go from last to first with such startling ease left all who witnessed it in a state of shock and amazement. It didn’t seem possible for a horse to recover from a bad start and make up that much ground in a race as competitive as the Dubai World Cup. But somehow he found a way. Not only did Arrogate manage to win, but he managed to do it in style. It was a move so crushing and valorous that his trainer, Bob Baffert, drew comparisons to one of the greatest horses to have ever graced the track. After the race, a choked up Baffert stated that he believed that Arrogate was the “greatest horse since Secretariat”.
However, Arrogate was no Secretariat. And his races would soon show that. Despite his incredibly dominating start to the year, Arrogate would never win another race.
Arrogate took a short break after returning from Dubai. He returned to the races at the end of July, in the Grade 2, San Diego Handicap. Nobody could have guessed that a massive upset was looming ahead when the horses loaded into the starting gate.
Accelerate stole the show from heavily favored Arrogate, but shockingly, Arrogate didn’t run second or even third. He finished fourth, beaten by over 15 lengths. The only horse that Arrogate managed to stay in front of was El Huerfano, who stumbled very badly coming out of the gate, causing his jockey to lose the stirrups for the majority of the race.
It was a shocking and disappointing sight to see a horse that was once so powerful stagger home defeated. For whatever reason, Arrogate could not pick up his feet that day. Some people summed it up to the trip to and from Dubai taking too much out of him. However, more time passed and Arrogate was training like him old self, so his connections entered him in the Grade 1, $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar, hoping that his poor effort before was simply a fluke.
Arrogate ran better than he did in the San Diego Handicap, but he still didn’t win. This time he closed in to be second. As hard as he tried he just couldn’t find a way to breeze by Collected, who was on a hot winning streak of his own. Arrogate no longer looked like the same horse that had once crushed his foes without even having to try. For whatever reason, he just couldn’t find the talent that he once possessed.
In the weeks leading up to the Breeders’ Cup Classic, Arrogate was training like a beast. He was showing all the right signs, giving his connections confidence and hope that the old Arrogate was back and ready for action. In fact, Arrogate was doing so well that many bettors were picking him to win the $6 million Classic.
In the end, Arrogate was no match for Gun Runner. He could do no better than fifth place while he watched Gun Runner roll out of sight. People didn’t know what to make of Arrogate’s lackluster ending to his career. Excuses ranged from Dubai ruining him, to claiming that he couldn’t handle the track at Del Mar. But I think the explanation may be simpler than that. I think that people were forcing Arrogate to be something he wasn’t. Arrogate had some pretty incredible moments early in his career which started a premature hysteria that caused people to develop unrealistic expectations of him. And if you ask me, that wasn’t fair to the horse.
I am by no means saying that Arrogate wasn’t a good horse. In fact, he managed to accomplish a lot of big things in a very short amount of time, and not many horses can claim to have done that. But I think that’s part of the problem. When he won the 2016 Travers the way that he did and proceeded to follow it up with a score in that year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic, and then the Pegasus World Cup and Dubai World Cup in 2017, it truly made him look like a freak of nature. The colt was on a hot winning streak that made him appear unbeatable. People thought that Arrogate was absolutely invincible, when in reality, he wasn’t. He is a horse that had some brilliant moments, but couldn’t carry that brilliance throughout his entire career. When he fell short of the massive expectations that his fans set for him, it became hard for people to accept the facts. But the truth was plain and simple. This horse was not the best of all time, and he was not the best since Secretariat. He was Arrogate, and he had his own story to tell.
I think that instead of making excuses or complaining about what Arrogate didn’t do, he should be loved the way he is. We may never fully know why a horse that once won so easily trailed off as fast and as bad as he did. Maybe his peers simply improved and caught up to him? I know Gun Runner certainly improved with age. Or maybe the hype that surrounded him made it hard to accept that he wasn’t as great as people wanted him to be. Truly great horses are supposed to win even when nothing goes right, and that is exactly what Arrogate did in Dubai, so that’s why I have a hard time buying into the excuse that he couldn’t handle the dirt at Del Mar. If Arrogate was really as great as Secretariat, he would have steamrolled the competition in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, regardless of the surface. Arrogate was a good horse, but with only two wins in five starts in 2017, he is by no means Horse of the Year material.
The last candidate for Horse of the Year is World Approval. This gray, turf star raced six times in 2017, winning all but one of those starts, when he finished fifth in the Woodford Reserve Manhattan Stakes.
World Approval, photo credit to ©BenoitPhoto.com
World Approval started off the year by claiming victory in the EG Vodka Turf Classic Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. That win was followed by yet another victory, this time in the Longines Dixie Stakes at Pimlico. His winning streak was then cut short in the Woodford Reserve Manhattan Stakes, but the gallant gelding picked himself back up and went right back to his winning ways. For the rest of the year, no one could catch him.
World Approval rose to glory in the Grade1, Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga, flashing signs of brilliance with each mighty stroke of his legs. He then traveled all the way to Canada for a start in the prestigious, Grade 1, Woodbine Mile.
A salty field lined up for the Woodbine Mile, but they were no match for World Approval. He boldly competed near the pace and carried his speed the entire way around, drawing off to win by nearly three lengths. The gelding was on top of the world when it came to the turf, and next he would travel to Del Mar to prove that once and for all in the Breeders’ Cup Mile.
World Approval took on the best turf milers the world had to offer, and soundly defeated them all in the Breeders’ Cup Mile. His 1 ¼ length score in the esteemed event earned him his third Grade 1 victory of the year, as well as his third consecutive win in a row. It was the perfect way to end the year for a very determined and classy horse.
World Approval after his Breeders' Cup win, photo credit to ©BenoitPhoto.com
All three of the Horse of the Year finalists achieved big things in 2017, but there’s no question about who did the most. Gun Runner took home five wins in six starts, including four Grade 1 wins. World Approval comes in second with five wins in six starts, and three Grade 1 wins. Arrogate only took home two wins out of his five starts, with both of those wins being Grade 1s. Gun Runner claimed more Grade 1 victories than his fellow Horse of the Year finalists and carried his consistency, blazing speed, and heart throughout the entire racing season. He took down several of the major races in his division with grace and ease, answering every challenge and question thrown at him, and boldly taking on every rival that dared to challenge him. There were no excuses or poor efforts from Gun Runner in 2017. He showed up and ran his race at each and every asking. Gun Runner has undoubtedly earned his place in history as the 2017 Horse of the Year.
Gun Runner marching to victory in the Breeders' Cup Classic, photo credit to ©BenoitPhoto.com
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