Lanigan Stays Until End for Gun Runner Filly

Agent David Lanigan was lying in wait Sept. 18 for a Gun Runner filly consigned as Hip 1495 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, and when the filly ran through the ring toward the end of the night, he stepped up to take her home for Heider Family Racing to the tune of $625,000. Bred by Winchelll Thoroughbreds out of the Sky Mesa mare Happy Mesa, the filly will stay in the U.S., Lanigan said. "We are delighted to get her," he said. The filly showed out of the Gainesway draft in Barn 2, never putting a foot wrong, said Lanigan, recounting what drew him to her: "Her temperament. It's been hard to get fillies this week, and she was our number one pick today. Scott (Heider) liked her pedigree." Lanigan hopes to purchase more horses as Book 3 continues Sunday, but is a bit uncertain with how the activity has shaped up in the pavilion. "With the way the week and yesterday have been going, we knew it would take that much to get her," he said. "It's been tough to buy anything, so we will see how the week goes." Although many Heider horses are in Ireland with Joseph O'Brien, this filly will head to Steve Asmussen. "Currently, we have two yearlings going over to Europe this year, and (Scott Heider) wanted to have a yearling to have as a 3-year-old over here for America," Lanigan said. Happy Mesa was a multiple stakes winner on the turf, taking the 2016 Selima Stakes and finishing second in the Surfer Girl Stakes the same year. She returned in her 3-year-old season to win the Hilltop Stakes and place second in the Sanibel Island Stakes and Kentucky Downs Ladies Sprint Stakes. The mare was purchased in 2018 at the Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale from Bluewater Sales' consignment for $300,000 and sent to Gun Runner her first year. Winchell Thoroughbreds bred the now 2-year-old colt, which has not started to date. Leading first-crop juvenile sire Gun Runner stands at Three Chimneys; in 2021 he stood for an advertised stud fee of $50,000. The son of Candy Ride (ARG) is represented by two grade 1 winners, two grade 2 winners, and 12 maiden winners through Saturday morning. Under the third dam, Rumors Are Flying, is a half sister to Pin Oak Stable's grade 1 winner Missed the Storm, winner of the 1993 Test Stakes (G1) and 1992 Astarita Stakes (G2) and Personal Ensign Stakes. Her other half sister Green Means Go, by Green Dancer, took the 1995 Hill Prince Stakes (G3) and Lexington Stakes (G3). Rumors Are Flying is the dam of stakes winner No Use Denying, who later produced the grade 1 stakes-winning filly Perfect Alibi, by Sky Mesa, for breeder Pin Oak Stud.