Gun Runner , the 2017 Horse of the Year in the United States, sired his first Japanese winner June 20 when Gran Aplauso, a Kentucky-bred 2-year-old colt, won a newcomers race over 1,200 meters (about six furlongs) on the turf at Sapporo Racecourse on Hokkaido Island.
The third favorite in a field of 16, Gran Aplauso tracked the leader, responded well when jockey Yutaka Take asked him at the top of the home stretch, and drew away to score by one length.
There are three 2-year-olds by Gun Runner registered in Japan and Gran Aplauso, trained by Mikio Matsunaga, is the first starter in the country for his sire.
Gran Aplauso is bred and owned by Koji Maeda of North Hills Co. and is the first foal out of Fiducia, another Kentucky homebred for Maeda. Fiducia, by Medaglia d'Oro and out of Japan's 2003 champion older mare Believe (by Sunday Silence), was sent back to the U.S. from Japan for the 2018 breeding season after she won seven races, including the Shunrai Stakes, and finished second in the Ibis Summer Dash (G3).
Maeda currently keeps eight mares at Lane's End Farm's Oak Tree division in Kentucky, including Heavenly Romance, winner of the 2005 Tenno Sho Autumn (then only a local group 1), and Fiducia, who has a yearling colt by Uncle Mo and weanling filly by American Pharoah . Fiducia is now in foal to Quality Road .
Gun Runner stands at Three Chimneys Farm in Kentucky. His 2021 fee was $50,000.
