Red Run  became the first winner for freshman sire and 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner   when he scored gamely at first asking May 9 in a $99,058 maiden special weight at Churchill Downs.

Sent off as the heavy 3-5 favorite in his debut, Red Run rated in third off splits of of :22.25 and :46.30 before collaring the leaders in deep stretch. Under Ricardo Santana Jr., the chestnut colt finished 1 3/4 lengths clear at the wire and clocked the five furlongs in :59.22 over a sloppy main track.

Gun Runner was a consistent and brilliant performer on the racetrack. The son of Candy Ride  won six grade 1 races, including the 2017 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) and 2018 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1), and retired with $15,988,500 in earnings. Out of a half sister to Horse of the Year Saint Liam, he stands at Three Chimneys Farm in Midway, Ky., for a fee of $50,000.