Gun Runner: Risk It Worth a Wager in Derby Prep at Fair Grounds; Odds, Picks

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen has used the Fair Grounds as a proving ground for quite a few of his 3-year-olds that went on to run in the Kentucky Derby (G1).

Among them was champion Gun Runner, who won the 2016 Risen Star (G2) and the Louisiana Derby (G2) at the New Orleans track enroute to a third-place finish in the Derby. He went on to a brilliant career, closing it out with a five-race, Grade 1 winning streak – the 2017 Stephen Foster, the Whitney, the Woodward, the Breeders’ Cup Classic, and the 2018 Pegasus World Cup. He was voted 2017 Horse of the Year.

In 2021, the Fair Grounds created the Gun Runner Stakes for 2-year-olds in a salute to the horse who earned nearly $16 million. The race was included as a points qualifier for the Derby, less than five months away.

On Saturday, Asmussen sends out a pair of 2-year-olds in the third running of the $100,000 Gun Runner – 7-2 second choice Track Phantom and 5-1 Risk It. Naturally, Asmussen-trained Epicenter won the first edition of the Gun Runner, and that colt went on to win the 2022 Risen Star and Louisiana Derby, then ran second in the Derby and Preakness (G1) and won the Travers (G1).

Breakdown of Gun Runner Stakes: Notable Contenders and Recent Results

A field of eight was entered for the 1 1/16-mile Gun Runner, including a pair trained by Brad Cox, 7-5 favorite Nash and 5-1 Catching Freedom. Cox won last year’s race with Jace’s Road, who made it to the 2023 Derby and ran 17^th.

Track Phantom pulled away for a 4 ¾-length victory at Churchill Downs on Nov. 25 for his maiden win in his third start. On the same day, Risk It — a son of? Gun Runner! — had a tough time settling and ran fourth in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2). The chestnut colt won in his debut and finished second in the Iroquois (G3) on Sept. 13.

Nash, a Godolphin-owned colt purchased for $1.05 million, has a maiden win in two starts. But that win was by 10 ¼ lengths at the Gun Runner distance of 1 1/16 miles

The Gun Runner, the final early road to the Derby qualifier of 2023, has a points scale of 10-5-3-2-1 to the top five finishers.

We’re in Gun Runner mode here:

The picks: 1 Risk It 2 Nash 3 Snead

The field for the $100,000 Gun Runner Stakes, from the rail out, with jockey, trainer, odds:

1 Next Level (David Cohen, Keith Desormeaux), 20-1
2 Catching Freedom (Corie Lanerie, Brad Cox), 5-1
3 Risk It (Joel Rosario, Steve Asmussen), 5-1
4 Neat (Reylu Gutierrez, Rob Atras), 12-1
5 Footprint (Brian Hernandez, Ken McPeek), 20-1
6 Nash (Florent Geroux, Brad Cox), 7-5
7 Snead (Jareth Loveberry, Brendan Walsh), 6-1
8 Track Phantom (Cristian Torres, Steve Asmussen), 7-2