Many people are quick to call a talented horse great. Some of them really do live up to that lofty title, but many fall short. Some horses have great moments, but average careers. Others only get greater as their careers go on. Few horses can claim to have carried their talent and consistency through multiple seasons, always competing at the highest level and always taking on the best competition there is. Those are the rare ones. The truly great ones. The ones that have been there all along, steadfastly working their way into an elite class of their own. They are the ones who fought their way to the top and stayed there. A horse that falls into this rare category is Gun Runner. He started his career as a decent, hard-knocking racehorse who always gave his best, but often got overlooked. However, he's ending it as a horse who has forever engraved his name into history.
Gun Runner has had a remarkable career that started in 2015, when he was a plucky two-year-old, out on a journey to make a name for himself. He then raced at ages three, four, and now five, in what will be his only start for this season. Throughout his career, Gun Runner has been a model of consistency. He has battled through some of the most competitive and prestigious races in the sport, always managing to hold his own. In 18 career starts, he has marched to undisputed victory 11 times, and has hit the board five times, each one with a herculean effort. Five of his triumphs have come in illustrious Grade 1 races, the highest level there is in the sport. Gun Runner’s class and heart has carried him to success at six different racetracks, at distances ranging from one mile to 1 ¼ miles, and has also earned him two coveted Eclipse Award titles as Champion Older Dirt Male, and Horse of the Year.
Gun Runner is a durable horse that you can always count on to show up and run. He has proved his versatility countless times, gallantly running with pure determination and valor. When Gun Runner’s in flight, there is no denying his brilliance. He is a true racehorse that will run as far and as hard as he needs to, regardless of where he is or who takes him on. He has never dodged his competition or faltered at the hands of confrontation. Shying away has never been an option in this valiant stallion's mind. Win or lose, Gun Runner always runs his race. There isn’t much that can trip this unflappable colt up. Like the true champion that he is, he takes everything in stride.
With the Risen Star Stakes, the Louisiana Derby, the Matt Winn Stakes, the Clark Handicap, the Razorback Handicap, the Stephen Foster Handicap, the Whitney Stakes, the Woodward Stakes, and the Breeders’ Cup Classic to his name, Gun Runner has already went above and beyond what any of his peers can claim to have done. He has repeatedly taken on world-class competition and swiftly turned them away, romping to glory time and time again. With his many accomplishments under his belt, there isn’t much left for this lionhearted champion to do. So, with his well-deserved retirement waiting in the horizon, there is only one final act left for this extraordinary animal.
Gun Runner is set to make his final career start in the $16 million, Grade 1, Pegasus World Cup. He has proven himself as the class of the race, having already soundly defeated several of the other horses in the field. He has been on a roll ever since 2017, winning his races in romping style and racking up Grade 1 victory after Grade 1 victory. He has been training up to his final start like a monster, putting the same enthusiasm and gusto in his workouts as he does in his races.
There is a highly contentious field lining up for the Pegasus World Cup, which includes the likes of Stellar Wind, West Coast, Sharp Azteca, and Collected, to name a few. There is a lot of money and a lot of prestige on the line, which means that these horses and their jockeys won’t go easy on each other. As the horse to beat, Gun Runner will no doubt have a target on his back when he breaks out of the gate. Every one of his rivals will be trying to trip him up and take him down.
Gun Runner towers over his rivals in terms of talent and ability, but he does face a pretty significant disadvantage in this race. Gun Runner drew post ten, a post that you do not want at Gulfstream Park. Winning from an outside post at this track is an immensely difficult task and there’s no doubt that Gun Runner’s rivals will try to get the jump on him as soon as those starting gates spring open. However, as his record proves, Gun Runner is not your average horse. He is a horse that has been gifted with blazing speed and a sublime turn of foot. He possesses an uncanny amount of confidence and ability. Gun Runner is definitely not the type of horse that will back away from the competition solely because of a poor post position. In fact, it would be an insult to think that a horse of his caliber couldn't overcome this. I expect him to handle this obstacle with the same grace and ease that he has handled all of his other challenges with. I think that he will use his speed and agility to his advantage and charge his way to the front to establish a good position early in the race.
When Gun Runner won the Breeders’ Cup Classic the way that he did, it validated the fact that he is something special. He took on the best dirt horses in the world, got pressed without relent through rapid fractions on a track that wasn’t playing to speed, and still pulled away to win. Every rival in the race had their chance to take him down, but none of them could even get close in the stretch. There was simply no stopping him. Gun Runner had accomplished more than enough at that point. If he would have retired then, there would have been little doubt in my mind that he retired as something very special and very rare. But his journey didn’t stop there, and if Gun Runner goes on to add the world’s richest race to his name as well, no one can ever deny the fact that he truly is a great horse, and truly is one of a kind.
Even if Gun Runner were to lose on Saturday, it would take absolutely nothing away from his awe-inspiring and remarkable career. He has danced every dance, risen to every challenge, and has achieved elevated heights of glory that some can only dream of. I think part of what makes this horse so remarkable is the fact that he didn't start out as the best. He wasn't always at the top. Instead, he worked his way there through nothing but perseverance and the undeniable will to win. He is living proof that as long as you are willing to give your best and run your race, each and every time, you can achieve greatness. I strongly believe that we will see Gun Runner rise to the top once again on Saturday. It’s true that in horse racing anything can and will happen. It only takes one minor mishap to cut the momentum and ruin the day. Misfortune can strike any horse at any time. But looking back at Gun Runner’s thrilling career, it’s hard to imagine anyone beating him on Saturday. After all, it has been a very long time since anyone has even managed to get close to him at the finish.
Throughout his career, there have been no excuses, no poor efforts, and no halfhearted performances from Gun Runner. He has been nothing but gallant, courageous, consistent, and spectacular. If Gun Runner wins the Pegasus World Cup, it will only solidify the fact that he is in a very rare and elite class of his own. But the way I see it, he has already earned his spot there. Horses like Gun Runner don’t come around very often, so I think it's important that we appreciate him for what he is, and savor what will be his final moments as a racehorse before he sets off to stud duty. Gun Runner possesses every quality that defines what a true racehorse is. He has breathtaking speed, riveting courage, unwavering determination, and above, he has heart. On Saturday, we will get to see that all on full display, one more time.
On Saturday, Gun Runner will answer the call to post, one last time. When the bugle cries out, Gun Runner will parade to post with the same unshakable courage that he has carried through countless victories. But when the dust settles after the race, things won’t quite be the same in the racing world. Gun Runner has spoiled his fans with his consistency and dazzling performances. But with so many foes defeated and with so little left to achieve, the time has come. Gun Runner has earned his retirement, just as he has earned his place in history. On Saturday, we will get to bear witness to the tour de force of Gun Runner, as he charges into the fray, one last time.
All photo credit goes to Eric Kalet
Thank you to Eric Kalet for the beautiful pictures of Gun Runner!
You can find more of his photography at this link http://erickalet.zenfolio.com/
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