Gun Runner earns second straight Grade 1 with victory in Whitney Stakes at Saratoga

The Steven Asmussen-trained horse was an easy winner and picked up his second straight Grade 1 victory after coming in five and three-quarter lengths in front of Keen Ice in second and Breaking Lucky.

The Whitney offers a fees-paid berth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic as part of the ‘Win and You’re In’ Challenge, but Gun Runner does not require it as he already holds a guaranteed spot in the $6m contest after an equally impressive seven-length victory in the Stephen Foster in June.

On this latest outing, the four-year-old assumed control under Florent Geroux as they exited the back straight before powering to an authoritative victory despite a late run from Keen Ice, who never got close enough to mount any sort of challenge.

“My horse broke super sharp today from the gate,” said winning rider Florent Geroux.

“I could’ve gone to the lead if I wanted to, but I just stayed cover until the five-eighths pole and from there the race was pretty much over.

“My horse was just on cruise control from all the way from there and then I just gave him a tap to make sure he stayed focused but there was not even a need for that.”

Asmussen added, “He’s spoiling us, he really is.

“He went about his business and Florent gave him a flawless ride. We talked about the pace scenario with a possible rabbit, but we wanted him to wait and not take away from what got him here.

There’s a lot of pressure under those circumstances when there’s a horse entered for pace for him.”

The Whitney is renowned as being the traditional focal race for older horses and the race at the 149th Saratoga Race Course meet was supported by Longines as Official Timekeeper.

The Swiss watch brand presented elegant watches to the winning connections of both the Whitney Stakes and also the Grade 1 Longines Test Stakes, a race for three year old fillies, which was claimed by American Gal.

Run over a distance of seven furlongs, victory in this second feature race on the card was a notable success for former Newmarket-based trainer Simon Callaghan.

With Jose Ortiz at the helm, American Gal burst clear from the other nine runners in the field to win the $500,000 contest by an impressive four lengths from Faypien in second and Tequilita in third who was a further half of a length back.