$1.15M Gun Runner Colt Dominates Rivals at Gulfstream

This column highlights the performances of 3-year-old maidens who have made no more than five starts and who either sold for more than $500,000 at public auction, have siblings that are graded/group winners, or have dams that are graded/group winners. BloodHorse research shows maiden winners, in particular, who meet these criteria are more likely to go on to be graded stakes winners.

Gulfstream Park

A few races before trainer Todd Pletcher and owner Mike Repole unveiled Mindframe for his successful 4-year-old debut in the March 1 Gulfstream Park Mile (G2), the pair teamed up to take a seven-furlong maiden special weight with the good-as-advertised Gun Runner  colt Disruptor.

Repole and Spendthrift Farm signed the ticket for the strapping chestnut for a cool $1.15 million at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Following his purchase, Disruptor would race for an ownership group composed of Repole, Spendthrift, Big Easy Racing, Titletown Racing, Winners Win, Golconda Stable, Ali Goodrich, and Mark Parkinson.

Disruptor, the most expensive of eight foals produced from the Speightstown mare Margate Gardens, continued to turn heads long after he left the sales ring. The colt's winter work tab at Palm Beach Downs caught the eye of several racing pundits, and by the time he made his debut Jan. 25 on Pegasus Day he went to post at a whopping 1-2 odds. Sent to the front, Disruptor pressed testing early fractions before weakening in deep stretch to finish third, beaten two lengths at the wire. 

Brought back on another prominent Gulfstream Saturday of racing, Fountain of Youth Day, the colt performed up to the lofty standards expected of a heavy favorite. This time, he went off at $0.70-1, or a little more than 3-5.

Ridden back by Irad Ortiz Jr., Disruptor tucked in just behind the pace, racing in a striking outside position as the pacesetter drilled through opening splits of :22.30 and :44.58. Launching into gear around the turn, the colt swept by his rivals and coasted home victorious by 9 1/4 lengths.

Disruptor completed the seven furlongs in 1:22.94, accruing a 99 Equibase Speed Figure for the performance.  

His dam, Margate Gardens, is a sibling to four black-type performers, including the mare's full brother, the Pletcher-trained Bridgetown. A $993,700 earner, the son of Speightstown was an accomplished turf sprinter, capturing the 2012 Woodford Stakes (G3T) at Keeneland and twice competing in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T), in 2010 and 2012.