Gun Runner’s 3-year-old filly Running Away earned her first points towards a starting spot in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) with a 2 ¼-length victory in Saturday’s $125,000 Busanda S. at Aqueduct.
The Stud TNT homebred was making her first stakes start following a five-length maiden win in her main track debut Nov. 30 at Churchill Downs.
Sent away as the 3-2 favorite in the 1 1/8-mile contest, Running Away recovered very quickly from a hesitant start to take the early lead. She set sensible fractions of :48.50 and 1:13.54 with My Sherrona her closest pursuer. She picked up the pace after turning for home and pulled clear to win smartly in 1:52.23 on a fast track.
“She’s a nice filly,” trainer Wesley Ward said. “As soon as we fell into the turn and we had the lead and I saw her prick her ears, I knew that we were in really good shape. The weather here in Kentucky has been compromised to train a route horse like this. It’s been a while since her last start and she wasn’t cranked as much as I’d like, but her ability got her there as well as the track played in our favor.”
Ward said that either the Gazelle S. (G3) at Aqueduct Apr. 5 or the Ashland S. (G1) at Keeneland Apr. 4 are potential spots for the filly as she makes her way to the Oaks.
Running Away is the 37th lifetime stakes winner for Gun Runner, who finished 2024 ranked second on the General Sire list with over $22.2 million in progeny earnings.
