Well, this is embarrassing. During the last four months, I profiled a dozen potential candidates for the Longines Kentucky Oaks (USA-G1). Eventual third choice and race winner Always a Runner wasn’t among them, proving once again that handicapping is not my forte. Nevertheless, she is a worthy winner of the lilies, and all the more so in that she was able to pull a Classic win off in just her third lifetime start. Having overcome the serious illnesses that kept her from racing at 2 and limited her action going into the Oaks, Always a Runner has shown remarkable tenacity already, and the best may be yet to come as she continues to develop.
Always a Winner led a 1-2 sweep for 2017 American Horse of the Year Gun Runner, who also sired second-place Meaning. The premier stallion of Three Chimneys Farm is currently third on the American general sire list by both progeny earnings (US$8,250,243) and number of stakes winners (10). His other stars of the spring include Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (USA-G1) winner Further Ado, Grade 2 winners Life of Joy and Paladin, and Grade 3 winners Disruptor and Perfect Shot. A good 3-year-old during his own racing days, Gun Runner came into his best form at age 4 and retired early in 2022 having won five straight Grade 1 races.
Three Chimneys bred Always a Runner from its homebred mare Always Carina. Designated as a Thoroughbred Daily News “Rising Star” after blowing away an optional claimer field by nearly 10 lengths in her second start, Always Carina went on to run a good second in the 2021 Mother Goose Stakes (USA-G2) in her third lifetime outing but was nagged by injuries afterward and retired after three more starts without finishing in the money. Always a Runner is her first foal, and she has since produced three more foals by Gun Runner, including an unraced 2-year-old filly that has not been named after failing to make her reserve on a US$850,000 bid at the 2025 Keeneland September yearling sale. The most recent of Always a Runner’s siblings, a filly, arrived on April 19, just 12 days before her big sister’s heroics.
Always Carina is by the successful Seattle Slew son Malibu Moon, who had an even shorter racing career as he scored an impressive maiden win but then suffered a career-ending injury in his second start. He was probably lucky to get to the races at all, for his dam stepped on him when he was just a few days old and inflicted significant injury to a hind leg. Given a chance at stud in Maryland thanks to an excellent pedigree and the talent he had flashed, he made the most of it, leading the American general sire list in 2010 according to Arion Pedigrees and the Daily Racing Form’s 2011 edition of the American Racing Manual. The sire of 2004 American champion 2-year-old male Declan’s Moon, 2018 Canadian champion female sprinter Moonlit Promise, and 2013 Kentucky Derby (USA-G1) winner Orb, Malibu Moon typically sired big, strong, attractive horses but was suspect as a transmitter of soundness, though his daughters generally withstood training better than his sons.
A half sister to 2019 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (USA-G1) winner Structor (by Palace Malice), Always Carina is out of the winner Miss Always Ready, a full sister to 2010 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (USA-G2) winner More Than Real (dam of Australian listed stakes winner and multiple Group stakes producer Miss Debutante, by Fastnet Rock). The sisters’ sire, More Than Ready, won the 2000 King’s Bishop Stakes (USA-G1) and was an international success at stud, leading the juvenile sire list in both Australia and the United States. Best at distances up to a mile himself, he was a versatile stallion who was recently named a Brilliant/Classic chef-de-race by Dr. Steve Roman.
Miss Always Ready was produced from multiple listed stakes winner Miss Seffens, whose sire, Dehere, was the American champion 2-year-old male of 1993. Miss Seffens, in turn, is out of Canadian restricted stakes winner Noise Enough (by 10-time Canadian champion sire Bold Ruckus), a full sister to 1992 Equipoise Mile Handicap (USA-G3) winner Katahaula County.
Given this family’s history of success on turf, Always a Runner could well have potential on that surface also, but given the success she has had already on dirt, she is unlikely to ever see grass except as something to eat. As it is, she gives the distinct impression that she has yet to reach her full potential. She has improved from start to start in her brief career, taking a maiden race at Tampa Bay Downs and the Gazelle Stakes (USA-G3) at Aqueduct before her Oaks win, and although her margin in the last-named race was not huge (1¼ lengths), she won with complete authority. She is Saratoga bound now with a summer campaign in mind, and barring misfortune, we should hear plenty more from a talented filly who thus far is always a winner.
Always a Winner led a 1-2 sweep for 2017 American Horse of the Year Gun Runner, who also sired second-place Meaning. The premier stallion of Three Chimneys Farm is currently third on the American general sire list by both progeny earnings (US$8,250,243) and number of stakes winners (10). His other stars of the spring include Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (USA-G1) winner Further Ado, Grade 2 winners Life of Joy and Paladin, and Grade 3 winners Disruptor and Perfect Shot. A good 3-year-old during his own racing days, Gun Runner came into his best form at age 4 and retired early in 2022 having won five straight Grade 1 races.
Three Chimneys bred Always a Runner from its homebred mare Always Carina. Designated as a Thoroughbred Daily News “Rising Star” after blowing away an optional claimer field by nearly 10 lengths in her second start, Always Carina went on to run a good second in the 2021 Mother Goose Stakes (USA-G2) in her third lifetime outing but was nagged by injuries afterward and retired after three more starts without finishing in the money. Always a Runner is her first foal, and she has since produced three more foals by Gun Runner, including an unraced 2-year-old filly that has not been named after failing to make her reserve on a US$850,000 bid at the 2025 Keeneland September yearling sale. The most recent of Always a Runner’s siblings, a filly, arrived on April 19, just 12 days before her big sister’s heroics.
Always Carina is by the successful Seattle Slew son Malibu Moon, who had an even shorter racing career as he scored an impressive maiden win but then suffered a career-ending injury in his second start. He was probably lucky to get to the races at all, for his dam stepped on him when he was just a few days old and inflicted significant injury to a hind leg. Given a chance at stud in Maryland thanks to an excellent pedigree and the talent he had flashed, he made the most of it, leading the American general sire list in 2010 according to Arion Pedigrees and the Daily Racing Form’s 2011 edition of the American Racing Manual. The sire of 2004 American champion 2-year-old male Declan’s Moon, 2018 Canadian champion female sprinter Moonlit Promise, and 2013 Kentucky Derby (USA-G1) winner Orb, Malibu Moon typically sired big, strong, attractive horses but was suspect as a transmitter of soundness, though his daughters generally withstood training better than his sons.
A half sister to 2019 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (USA-G1) winner Structor (by Palace Malice), Always Carina is out of the winner Miss Always Ready, a full sister to 2010 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (USA-G2) winner More Than Real (dam of Australian listed stakes winner and multiple Group stakes producer Miss Debutante, by Fastnet Rock). The sisters’ sire, More Than Ready, won the 2000 King’s Bishop Stakes (USA-G1) and was an international success at stud, leading the juvenile sire list in both Australia and the United States. Best at distances up to a mile himself, he was a versatile stallion who was recently named a Brilliant/Classic chef-de-race by Dr. Steve Roman.
Miss Always Ready was produced from multiple listed stakes winner Miss Seffens, whose sire, Dehere, was the American champion 2-year-old male of 1993. Miss Seffens, in turn, is out of Canadian restricted stakes winner Noise Enough (by 10-time Canadian champion sire Bold Ruckus), a full sister to 1992 Equipoise Mile Handicap (USA-G3) winner Katahaula County.
Given this family’s history of success on turf, Always a Runner could well have potential on that surface also, but given the success she has had already on dirt, she is unlikely to ever see grass except as something to eat. As it is, she gives the distinct impression that she has yet to reach her full potential. She has improved from start to start in her brief career, taking a maiden race at Tampa Bay Downs and the Gazelle Stakes (USA-G3) at Aqueduct before her Oaks win, and although her margin in the last-named race was not huge (1¼ lengths), she won with complete authority. She is Saratoga bound now with a summer campaign in mind, and barring misfortune, we should hear plenty more from a talented filly who thus far is always a winner.
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