Guns Loaded backed up his explosive maiden score with a front-running victory in the Jan. 4 $122,250 Mucho Macho Man Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
Trained by Jose D'Angelo for Morplay Racing, Joey Platts, and Lady Sheila Stable, the highly touted Guns Loaded landed South Florida's first Kentucky Derby (G1) prep of the year in the one-mile Mucho Macho Man. Unlike in his maiden win, where he surged home unchallenged, Guns Loaded fought tooth and nail to the wire this time around, prevailing by a neck over a fast-finishing Treaty of Rome.
Lightning-quick out of the barrier for jockey Luis Saez, Guns Loaded streaked to the front and raced unopposed through early fractions of :24.54, :47.61, and 1:12.75 with the field tightly bunched behind him.
"The trip was perfect," Saez said. "We were concerned about (Macho Music). He has a lot of speed, but he missed the break and we ended up on the lead and we took it. He was traveling pretty great. Pretty comfortably. When we came to the top of the stretch, I was trying to save as much horse as I could."
As the field rounded for home and most of the horses peeled off, only the Chad Brown-trained stablemates remained in contention to threaten the leader's advantage. Repelling Septarian midway down the stretch, Treaty of Rome closed with resilience after Guns Loaded in the final furlong, just missing as the wire arrived too soon.
Stretching out from six furlongs for this effort, Guns Loaded ($4.60) clocked the mile in 1:38.87 over a fast main track. Treaty of Rome, exiting a maiden win at Aqueduct Racetrack last time out, was runner-up over Septarian in third.
"I was pretty sure that he was going to be on the lead. I was just afraid that he would go too fast because it was his first time going the mile and from the No. 1 (post) you have to ask a little bit from the gate, but everything worked perfect," D'Angelo said. "I worked a little this week at the gate with him ... because you have to go in before everybody, wait, and break sharp, and that's what happened."
Guns Loaded became the first stakes winner of the new year for sire sensation Gun Runner , who wrapped up 2024 as the second-leading stallion in the country behind the inimitable Into Mischief . Gun Runner will stand the 2025 breeding season at Three Chimneys Farm in Kentucky for $250,000.
Bred in Kentucky by John Oxley, Guns Loaded was acquired for $800,000 by Hartley/DeRenzo on behalf of Morplay Racing at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He is out of the multiple graded stakes-placed Bernardini mare Sky My Sky.
Although D'Angelo admitted Guns Loaded raced greenly in the lane, lugging in towards the rail during the stretch run, he was encouraged by the colt's strong gallop out and confirmed the Feb. 1 Holy Bull Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream would be the next target. The $250,000 Holy Bull offers Road the Kentucky Derby points on a 20-10-6-4-2 scale to the top five finishers.
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