Winchell Goes to $2.7 Million for Son of Gun Runner

The same man who campaigned the 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner went to $2.7 million for one of his sons at the Aug. 4 opening session of The Saratoga Sale, Fasig-Tipton's select yearling sale. Hip 37 inspired a lively bidding war, with Ron Winchell prevailing when the hammer dropped. “He’s a replica of Gun Runner,” Winchell said. “Gun Runner is who we saw when we looked at him,” said Steve Asmussen, who also trained Gun Runner. WATCH: $2.7M Gun Runner Tops Session 1 at F-T Saratoga The bay colt is out of the A.P. Indy mare America, a grade 3 winner whose 2018 colt by Curlin sold at this sale for $1.5 million. That colt, later named First Captain, went on to land the 2021 Dwyer Stakes (G3) and 2022 Pimlico Special Stakes (G3), and place in the 2022 Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1) and Suburban Stakes (G2). America is also the dam of $2 million yearling Sedona, and her most recent foal to race, a $1.2 million yearling named Americathegreat, finished fourth in the June 29 Debutante Stakes at Churchill Downs in her second career start. The mare herself failed to meet her reserve three times: as a yearling for $725,000 at the 2012 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and twice as a broodmare, in 2019 bringing a final bid of $3.1 million, and in 2023 at $1.2 million, both at Fasig-Tipton's The November Sale. “That mare is really a gift. She just gets an athletic foal,” said Lynn Hancock, vice president of Stone Farm, which foaled, raised, and consigned the colt. “She’s been a real producer on the track and at the sale. We’re fortunate to bring a colt like him up here and get a result like that.” The colt was bred by Bobby Flay, who also bred and raced America. “He’s been super straightforward at the farm from the day he was born,” Hancock said. “He has a huge walk on him, and he’s obviously so well bred.” Asmussen admitted that they had to go beyond what they’d planned to spend on the colt. “It makes no sense,” Winchell said of the strong market at the sale. Asmussen added, “We’re not so much trying to make sense as to acquire what we like the most. We owe it to Gun Runner.” Gun Runner stands at Three Chimneys Farm, which also campaigned Gun Runner, near Midway, Ky., where he commanded a fee of $250,000 for the 2025 season. With just five crops to race, Gun Runner sits second on the general sires list with more than $11 million in progeny earnings through Aug. 3, trailing only Into Mischief.