The influence of second-crop sires in the American classics expanded May 21 when Early Voting became the first classic winner for Three Chimneys Farm's Gun Runner in the 147th Preakness Stakes (G1).
Gun Runner, a six-time grade 1 winner and Horse of the Year and champion older male of 2017, was already on a heady trajectory. The 9-year-old son of Candy Ride was last year's leading freshman sire by a wide margin, with $4,315,980 in progeny earnings to second-ranked Practical Joke 's earnings of $2,184,295. He also led his sire class by number of winners (31), number of graded stakes winners (four), and number of grade 1 winners (two).
Early Voting became Gun Runner's fifth career grade 1 winner in the Preakness, following three-time grade 1 winner and 2021 champion 2-year-old filly Echo Zulu; Arkansas Derby (G1) winner Cyberknife ; Runhappy Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner Taiba ; and, last year's Hopeful Stakes (G1) winner Gunite .
Three Chimneys bred Early Voting out of the Tiznow mare Amour d'Ete, who farm chairman Gonçalo Borges Torrealba bought for $1.75 million at the 2013 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The filly commanded a premium because she is out of the Storm Cat stakes winner and Canadian champion Silken Cat, the dam of champion sprinter and prominent sire Speightstown.
"She was just a magnificent specimen, an Amazon and truly as good as they get," recalled Doug Cauthen, owner of Doug Cauthen Thoroughbred Management and a Three Chimneys board member and adviser. "She also has a great family, so her value in building up a broodmare band was a big part of the interest."
Expectations were high about what Amour d'Ete might do at the racetrack, but she never started primarily due to a fungal infection that nearly cost her an eye midway through her 2-year-old year. She would go right into the broodmare band and nearly get away from the farm. The mare was offered at the 2016 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale in foal to Super Saver but her final bid of $725,000 did not meet her reserve.
The 2017 racing year would secure Amour d'Ete's place at Three Chimneys when her full brother Irap won the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2), Ohio Derby (G3), and Indiana Derby (G3). The colt also finished second in the Pennsylvania Derby (G1) and third in the Travers Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1).
Her first foal, a Distorted Humor filly named Shocking Fast, further enhanced Amour d'Ete's value by breaking her maiden by 5 1/2 lengths at Oaklawn Park with trainer Steve Asmussen. Injury sidelined Shocking Fast's racing career and she also is now part of the Three Chimneys broodmare band.
Early Voting is the only colt Amour d'Ete has produced from five foals, which to date include three winners from as many to race. He was offered at the 2020 Keeneland September sale where trainer Chad Brown and owner Seth Klarman bought him for $200,000 under the name Triphammer Farm from the Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency consignment
"Early Voting was not at the tip-top but he was in Book 2 and a horse that everyone liked," said Cauthen. "It was the COVID-19 year so the market was a bit depressed and he looks pretty inexpensive now at $200,000, but all the credit goes to Chad for making a great buy. Early Voting was well-balanced and a nice walker, though somewhat immature. He just continued to fill out and he's a great-looking horse now, especially when he's in the front at the end of a grade 1 classic."
Tom Hamm, director of stallion nominations at Three Chimneys, said he sees a couple of reasons the mating with Gun Runner worked with Amour d'Ete.
First, is the influence of now-pensioned Tiznow. The two-time Horse of the Year for 2000-01 and prominent sire has a growing reputation as a broodmare sire. His daughters have produced 54 stakes winners so far, including 29 graded/group winners. He became the broodmare sire of an American class winner when Tiz the Law won the 2020 Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1). Tiz the Law also was runner-up in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1).
Second, is the influence of Storm Cat, the sire of Gun Runner's broodmare sire Giant's Causeway.
"Storm Cat is proving to be very successful with Gun Runner," said Hamm, noting that Storm Cat is the sire of Silken Cat. Both the dams of grade 1 winners Echo Zulu and Gunite are also by sires who are grandsons of Storm Cat—Menifee, and Cowboy Cal, respectively.
"To come off a record-year as a freshman sire (by progeny earnings) and then come back and get a classic winner, we are so fortunate and so grateful and so blessed to have a stallion like Gun Runner," Hamm continued.
After the initial success of his progeny, Gun Runner's stud fee at Three Chimneys rose from $50,000 in 2021 to $125,000 this year.
"Gun Runner was always very athletic and game. He gave it his best effort every time. We got to see that from Early Voting today. When he came out of the turn, I knew it was going to be tough to get by him and proved that to be true."
