A flashy son of leading first-crop juvenile sire Gun Runner surpassed expectations Sept. 18 when the hammer fell at $775,000 on the first day of Book 3 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
"I think that's a record for us in Book 3—I can't think of us ever having a better result than that (at this stage of the sale)," said Conrad Bandoroff of Denali Stud, which consigned the colt as Hip 1254 on behalf of breeder Three Chimneys.
Trainer Kelsey Danner signed the ticket on the colt for owner John Williams of J & J Stables, the breeder of multiple grade 1 winner Jackie's Warrior.
Gun Runner stands at Three Chimneys, where his 2021 fee was advertised as $50,000.
"The entire team at Three Chimneys did an amazing job," Bandoroff said of the colt. "He was a standout in our consignment, he was a standout in this book. He was incredibly popular, had all the right people on him. I'm thrilled for Kelsey Danner, that's fantastic that she got him, and it's a tremendous sale."
Danner said she appreciated the physical attributes of the colt, who is out of the unraced Indian Charlie mare Sapucai.
"Good size, correct, athletic look," she summarized. "We kind of expected he was going to go high. Gun Runner's hot."
Gun Runner, by Candy Ride , was represented by two grade 1 winners, two grade 2 winners, and 12 maiden winners through Saturday morning.
Sapucai is out of the Smart Strike mare Smart Surprise, a full sister to Weekend Strike, the dam of grade 2 winner and 2018 champion female sprinter in Canada Moonlit Promise. The colt's third dam is Weekend Storm, a full sister to Summer Squall and a half sister to A. P. Indy, and the dam of grade 1 winner Court Vision.
Danner said the colt will go to Eddie Woods for early lessons before he returns to join her string. She is based in Kentucky and winters in Florida at Palm Meadows Training Center.
Also on Saturday, Danner signed the ticket on Williams' behalf for a $200,000 Speightstown colt consigned as Hip 1158 by Denali. Bred in Kentucky by Baron Thoroughbreds, the colt is the first foal out of the Malibu Moon mare Malibu Treasure, from the family of grade 2 winner Choctaw Nation and black-type winner, grade 3-placed Treasured Up. This is also the family of 2017 Alfred G. Vanderbilt (G1) winner El Deal and, further down the page, grade 2 winner Her Temper.
Danner said Williams is in pursuit of colts that can win classic route races.
"He's sold some, so he's buying some," she said.
