After today's Hopeful Stakes (USA-G1) at Saratoga, there is no doubt about the identity of the hottest freshman sire in North America. Spinaway Stakes (USA-G1) winner Echo Zulu and Hopeful Stakes winner Gunite swept Saratoga's venerable Grade 1 fixtures for juveniles on behalf of Gun Runner, now the sire of four graded stakes winners from 26 runners of 2021.
Sired by Lane's End stalwart Candy Ride, Gun Runner (who stands at Three Chimneys) belongs to an intriguing branch of the Mr. Prospector line that took a detour through Argentina before returning to Kentucky. On the dam's side, the stallion boasts equally fine credentials, as he traces back to the great Gallorette via a family developed primarily by Edward Evans.
The American champion handicap mare of 1946, Gallorette was a rough, tough Amazon who made 72 starts, winning 21 and placing another 33 times. Along the way, she knocked heads with a vintage group of male handicap horses that included 1947 American Horse of the Year Armed, 1946 American Triple Crown winner and Horse of the Year Assault, 1945 American champion handicap male Stymie, and the world record setter Lucky Draw. The great mare was also a success as a broodmare, though she did not have a particularly long career in the paddocks. From seven foals, she produced four daughters (two of them stakes winners) that had some impact on future generations.
Gun Runner's branch of the family descends through Courbette (by Native Dancer), a multiple stakes winner in Ireland and the dam of Dancing Moss (by Ballymoss). While little known in North America, Dancing Moss won the 1967 Jockey Club Cup (which became an English Group 3 race when the Pattern race system took effect in 1971) and became the champion sire of 1973 in Argentina, hinting at the future of this female line as an above-average source of stallions.
The female line continued through Dancing Moss's stakes-placed half sister Flight Dancer, whose sire Misty Flight (by Princequillo) won the 1957 Remsen Stakes winner Misty Flight and was one of the nine stakes winners produced by the remarkable matron Grey Flight. Flight Dancer, in turn, produced 1986 Irish champion 2-year-old filly Minstrella (by The Minstrel; dam of three stakes winners, two at Grade 3 level) and Grade 2 winner Misty Gallore (by Halo), whose son Silver Ghost (by Mr. Prospector) set a Belmont track record for 6.5 furlongs and sired 49 stakes winners.
Flight Dancer also produced Misty Dancer (by Lyphard), dam of Fog Dance (by Unbridled's Song), whose son Rolling Fog (by Posse) won the 2012 Del Mar Futurity (USA-G1). More importantly, Misty Dancer produced Quiet Dance (by Quiet American). Grade 2-placed at 2 and a restricted stakes winner at 3, Quiet Dance produced five stakes winners, headed by 2005 American Horse of the Year Saint Liam. A son of Saint Ballado, Saint Liam died after one year at stud but left nine stakes winners from 98 named foals, among them 2011 American Horse of the Year Havre de Grace.
Quiet Dance is also the dam of 2018 United Nations Handicap (USA-G1) winner Funtastic (by More Than Ready), whose first foals will come to the races in 2022, and of 2011 Hill 'n' Dale Molly Pitcher Stakes (USA-G2) winner Quiet Giant (by Giant's Causeway). The last-named mare, in turn, produced Gun Runner as her first foal and has two other winners to her credit; her most recent foals are the unraced 2019 Curlin colt Brazilian Soul and a 2021 filly by Quality Road. Three of Quiet Giant's daughters are now young broodmares, and with the quality of the opportunities they are receiving, it should be only a matter of time before they come up with something noteworthy.
Gun Runner was distinctly better at 3 than at 2, and at 4 than at 3, so the fact that his first crop is showing marked ability so early is a good sign indeed for his stud career. In the meantime, everything he has accomplished thus far simply adds luster to the family of one of the greats of the American turf.
Sired by Lane's End stalwart Candy Ride, Gun Runner (who stands at Three Chimneys) belongs to an intriguing branch of the Mr. Prospector line that took a detour through Argentina before returning to Kentucky. On the dam's side, the stallion boasts equally fine credentials, as he traces back to the great Gallorette via a family developed primarily by Edward Evans.
The American champion handicap mare of 1946, Gallorette was a rough, tough Amazon who made 72 starts, winning 21 and placing another 33 times. Along the way, she knocked heads with a vintage group of male handicap horses that included 1947 American Horse of the Year Armed, 1946 American Triple Crown winner and Horse of the Year Assault, 1945 American champion handicap male Stymie, and the world record setter Lucky Draw. The great mare was also a success as a broodmare, though she did not have a particularly long career in the paddocks. From seven foals, she produced four daughters (two of them stakes winners) that had some impact on future generations.
Gun Runner's branch of the family descends through Courbette (by Native Dancer), a multiple stakes winner in Ireland and the dam of Dancing Moss (by Ballymoss). While little known in North America, Dancing Moss won the 1967 Jockey Club Cup (which became an English Group 3 race when the Pattern race system took effect in 1971) and became the champion sire of 1973 in Argentina, hinting at the future of this female line as an above-average source of stallions.
The female line continued through Dancing Moss's stakes-placed half sister Flight Dancer, whose sire Misty Flight (by Princequillo) won the 1957 Remsen Stakes winner Misty Flight and was one of the nine stakes winners produced by the remarkable matron Grey Flight. Flight Dancer, in turn, produced 1986 Irish champion 2-year-old filly Minstrella (by The Minstrel; dam of three stakes winners, two at Grade 3 level) and Grade 2 winner Misty Gallore (by Halo), whose son Silver Ghost (by Mr. Prospector) set a Belmont track record for 6.5 furlongs and sired 49 stakes winners.
Flight Dancer also produced Misty Dancer (by Lyphard), dam of Fog Dance (by Unbridled's Song), whose son Rolling Fog (by Posse) won the 2012 Del Mar Futurity (USA-G1). More importantly, Misty Dancer produced Quiet Dance (by Quiet American). Grade 2-placed at 2 and a restricted stakes winner at 3, Quiet Dance produced five stakes winners, headed by 2005 American Horse of the Year Saint Liam. A son of Saint Ballado, Saint Liam died after one year at stud but left nine stakes winners from 98 named foals, among them 2011 American Horse of the Year Havre de Grace.
Quiet Dance is also the dam of 2018 United Nations Handicap (USA-G1) winner Funtastic (by More Than Ready), whose first foals will come to the races in 2022, and of 2011 Hill 'n' Dale Molly Pitcher Stakes (USA-G2) winner Quiet Giant (by Giant's Causeway). The last-named mare, in turn, produced Gun Runner as her first foal and has two other winners to her credit; her most recent foals are the unraced 2019 Curlin colt Brazilian Soul and a 2021 filly by Quality Road. Three of Quiet Giant's daughters are now young broodmares, and with the quality of the opportunities they are receiving, it should be only a matter of time before they come up with something noteworthy.
Gun Runner was distinctly better at 3 than at 2, and at 4 than at 3, so the fact that his first crop is showing marked ability so early is a good sign indeed for his stud career. In the meantime, everything he has accomplished thus far simply adds luster to the family of one of the greats of the American turf.
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