Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Gun Runner fires off bullet drill for Pegasus
Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Gun Runner put in a major work at his Fair Grounds base Sunday as he continues preparations for the $16 million Pegasus World Cup on Jan. 27 at Gulfstream Park.
Also working at Fair Grounds for the Pegasus was Clark Handicap winner Seeking the Soul. The Grade 1 Pegasus is a 1 1/8-mile race.
Gun Runner drilled six furlongs in company in a bullet 1:10.60, with Fair Grounds clockers catching him galloping out seven-eighths in 1:24.40 and a mile in 1:39.20.
“He worked amazing,” trainer Steve Asmussen told Gulfstream publicity Sunday. “Time to pick it up with him, and obviously he’s very willing. He looked wonderful and cooled out great.”
Gun Runner worked under regular exercise rider Angel Garcia on a track rated fast and went in company with Gettysburg, according to a press release from Fair Grounds. Clockers had Gun Runner in splits of 12.40 seconds for his opening eighth of a mile, 24 for a quarter, 35.20 for three-eighths, 47.60 for the half-mile, and 58.20 for five-eighths. The move was the fastest of six at the distance Sunday at Fair Grounds.
Asmussen said the strong drill was designed in part to hold Gun Runner over with freezing temperatures expected in the coming days.
“We have a little pending weather coming, and we’re most likely going to miss a couple of days,” he told Gulfstream. “I really wanted him to get something out of this in case the weather lingers around. So, we did ask him to pick it up today.”
Asmussen told Fair Grounds his intent, weather permitting, is to work Gun Runner twice more in New Orleans the next two Sundays before shipping to Gulfstream. The horse is scheduled to fly to south Florida on Jan. 18, according to a press release from Gulfstream.
Gun Runner widely is considered the front-runner for Horse of the Year following his 2 1/4-length victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic in his last start Nov. 4 at Del Mar. It was his fourth consecutive Grade 1 win in a streak that started in June in the Stephen Foster and continued in the Whitney and Woodward. The son of Candy Ride races for Winchell Thoroughbreds and Three Chimneys Farm.
Seeking the Soul worked after the renovation break Sunday, breezing a half-mile in 48 seconds under exercise rider Emerson Chavez, according to Fair Grounds officials. The move was the fourth-fastest of 93 at the distance Sunday at Fair Grounds.
“Galloped out a minute and change, so I feel good about it,” trainer Dallas Stewart told Gulfstream. “I just wanted him to be sharp. He’s been galloping sharp, and I figured the work would be sharp. He’s getting there, and I’m very happy with him.”
Stewart told officials Seeking the Soul is scheduled to fly to south Florida on Jan. 24. The horse races for Charles Fipke.