Gun Runner, who won the 2017 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Del Mar, also the site of this year’s renewal, will be represented by four stellar individuals in the championship series on Saturday.
Highlighting the quartet is Sierra Leone in the $7 million Classic (G1). A win in the 1 ¼-race would likely clinch the 3-year-old championship honors for the dark bay colt. Sierra Leone has never been worse than third in six starts this year, winning both the Blue Grass S. (G1) and Risen Star (G2) and finishing second by a nose in the Kentucky Derby (G1). Sierra Leone, in post 11 of 13, is owned by Peter M. Brant, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg & Brook Smith and was bred by Debbie Oxley.
In the $2 million Sprint (G1), Gun Pilot, a homebred colt who will join Gun Runner at Three Chimneys in 2025, is in post 2 in the 11-horse field. Gun Pilot got his Grade 1 win on Derby Day at Churchill Downs this year in the Churchill Downs S. (G1).
Gun Runner has a strong two-pronged attack in the Filly & Mare Sprint (G1), with Society and Vahva. Both Grade 1 winners this year, Society and Vahva have faced each other on multiple occasions this year. Society, in post 6, bested Vahva in her most recent start, the Aug. 24 Ballerina S. (G1) at Saratoga, while Vahva, post 4, topped Society on Derby Day at Churchill Downs in the Derby City Distaff (G1).
Society is owned by her breeder Peter Blum Thoroughbreds. Vahva is owned by Belladonna Racing LLC, Lynne Hudson, Edward Hudson, Jr., West Point Tbreds, Nice Guys Stables, Twin Brook Stables, S. Hornstock, LBD Stable LLC, Manganaro Bloodstock & Runnels Racing and was bred by Woodford Thoroughbreds.
The Breeders’ Cup can be seen on Saturday on several streaming platforms, breederscup.com and NBC-TV.
