Three Chimneys announced Oct. 16 that homebred Gun Pilot , one of Gun Runner 's 13 millionaires and 10 grade 1 winners, will take up stud duty at Three Chimneys near Midway, Ky., alongside his sire, Gun Runner, for the 2025 breeding season.
A five-time stakes performer, Gun Pilot's crowning achievement came this year at Churchill Downs on the May 4 Kentucky Derby (G1) undercard where he drew off to win the $1 million Churchill Downs Stakes (G1) by 2 1/2 lengths, through a half in :44.87 and a final time of 1:21.95. Gun Pilot will be making his final start in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) at Del Mar Nov. 2, coming off a runner-up performance in the $500,000 Forego Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course Aug. 24.
"I would describe him as brilliant and beautiful," said trainer Steve Asmussen. "He's unbelievably talented and has a lot of the physical and personality traits of Gun Runner that we love, but he's a much bigger version. I chased the Kentucky Derby with him last year, but he has proven he is at his best going one turn—he's extremely fast for a big horse."
Three Chimneys chairman Gonçalo Torrealba added, "We strongly believe Gun Runner will be a sire of sires and are thrilled to have his grade 1-winning son, Gun Pilot, return home and stand alongside his sire for the upcoming breeding season. We will support him with plenty of quality mares from our broodmare band."
"He is a big, powerful, scopey horse with a strong shoulder and a great hip," said Three Chimneys board member Doug Cauthen. "He will add size, length, and strength to mares, and I think breeders will really like him. Sprinter/milers make good stallions and the grade 1 Churchill Downs Stakes has been won by important stallions Distorted Humor and Speightstown, and recently by exceptional runners Cody's Wish, Jackie's Warrior, and Mitole. It's a real stallion-making race."
Gun Pilot is out of the unraced Smart Strike mare Bush Pilot, a half to grade 2 winner Global View, by Galileo. He broke his maiden on debut at Churchill Downs in November of his 2-year-old year going seven furlongs on dirt. To date, he has a 5-4-1 record from 13 starts, with earnings of $1,117,575.
A stud fee will be announced following his final start. Breeders can contact Rebecca Nicholson at 859-873-7053 for further details.
