Gun Runner captures Breeders’ Cup Classic

There’s a new king in horse racing and it’s Gun Runner.

The 4-year-old colt won the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic by 21/4 lengths Feb. 4, sending rival Arrogate to a third straight careerending defeat at Del Mar.

Gun Runner ran 11/4 miles in 2:01.29 and paid $6.80, $4.40 and $3.20.

Collected returned $5.60 and $4, while West Coast was another 11/4 lengths back in third and paid $3.60.

Arrogate finished in a dead-heat for fifth with Gunnevera, done in once again at the seaside track north of San Diego. It was the scene of two losses during the summer.

“He just doesn’t seem to get a hold of this racetrack, for whatever reason,” jockey Mike Smith said. “I hate to blame it on the track, but he’s shown it time and time again. I keep trying to talk myself into it, that he’s going to like it one day, but he just never did.”

Arrogate hasn’t been the same horse since his dominant wins in the $12 million Pegasus World Cup and the $10 million Dubai World Cup earlier this year that made him the sport’s richest thoroughbred with over $17 million in earnings.

Tennis

PARIS MASTERS UPSET

» Qualifier Filip Krajinovic reached the Paris Masters final after upsetting John Isner 6-4, 6-7 (2), 7-6 (5) on Feb. 4.

Isner was also playing for a berth in the elite eight-man ATP Finals, and that ended, too.

Krajinovic slid onto his back and sobbed, his arms raised, after sealing victory on his first match point. The Serb then knelt and kissed the court.

“When I served for the match my hand was shaking,” Krajinovic said. “It was tough to control the emotions. Best day in my life but the tournament is not over yet.”

Golf

BREEZY DAY IN LAS VEGAS

» Beau Hossler and J.J. Spaun shared the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open lead Saturday after another breezy day at TPC Summerlin.

The 22-year-old Hossler birdied the par-4 15th and 18th holes for a bogey-free 5-under 66 — the best round of the day in the difficult conditions.

“It was one of those days you couldn’t get ahead of yourself at all,” Hossler said. “As soon as you do that, you get yourself in trouble. I just tried to keep the ball on the fairway and keep it below the hole as much as possible and manage my game. To get out of there bogeyfree is kind of a miracle, to be honest.”

The 27-year-old Spaun, the leader after the completion of the second round in the morning, bogeyed the par-3 17th and saved par with a 10-footer on the 18th for a 73.

“I just was trying to get comfortable out there,” Spaun said. “I was really uncomfortable considering the conditions and the position I was in. But, yeah, I kind of kept things together. Those last five holes were pretty brutal. So, to not really give too many shots back on those holes, it’s not so bad as it looks.”