Fappiano Line Continues in Gun Runner's Stakes Winners

The last week was quite a remarkable one in both Europe and North America for sires with first-crop 2-year-olds. On Aug. 3, Galileo Gold (GB) (Paco Boy (IRE)) was represented by the Prix Six Perfections Sky Sports Racing (G3) winner Oscula (IRE); on Aug. 6, the Sorrento Stakes (G2) fell to Elm Drive, from the first crop of Mohaymen (Tapit); on Aug. 7, the Prix de la Vallee d'Auge fell to the U.S.-trained Twilight Gleaming (IRE), who is by National Defense (GB) (Invincible Spirit (IRE)), the Tyro Stakes was taken by Her World (IRE), a daughter of Caravaggio (Scat Daddy), and Gun Runner (Candy Ride (ARG)) was represented by his first stakes winner, Pappacap, victorious in the Best Pal Stakes (G2); and on Aug. 8 two horses completed doubles for the week with Galileo Gold son, Ebro River (IRE) landing the Keeneland Phoenix Stakes (G1), and Gun Runner's Wicked Halo capturing the Adirondack Stakes (G2). Of all the above freshman, Gun Runner was the horse who probably retired to stud with the highest overall expectations, but probably the least expectation of getting early sprinting 2-year-olds. He didn't debut at 2 until September, when he won a maiden special weight over a mile at Churchill Downs, before going on to take an allowance event and finish fourth in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2). Continuing to progress through a demanding 3-year-old campaign, Gun Runner won or placed in eight of nine starts at that age, all of which came in graded stakes. Four of those races were victories, most notably in the Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2), and at the end of the year, the Clark Handicap (G1), in which he defeated such notable older horses as Shaman Ghost, Hoppertunity, Effinex, and Noble Bird. His placings included a second in the Las Vegas Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) and thirds in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) and Travers Stakes (G1). At 4, Gun Runner was second to Arrogate in the Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline (G1), but went 5-for-5 at home, four of his wins in grade 1 events, including the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). Slated to begin his stud career at Three Chimneys Farm at 5, Gun Runner made one more start before changing roles, taking the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1). Not surprisingly, Gun Runner was in demand as soon as his stock hit the market, and he was leading first-crop sire by both weanling and yearling average. Now, with nine winners from 22 starters, and the two weekend stakes winners, he's assumed top spot on the leading freshman sire table. Gun Runner's son, Pappacap, now boasts a 2-for-2 record after taking the Best Pal by 4 3/4 lengths. He is out of the Scat Daddy mare, Pappascat, who won four times, and earned black-type with a second in the Cardinal Handicap (G3T). The granddam, Redmeansgo, was black-type placed and is a half sister to three stakes winners, including Al Qasr, Horse of the Year in Peru. Redmeansgo has an unusual pedigree as she's by a mare by one son of Roberto, Red Ransom, out a mare by another, Dynaformer. The Dynaformer mare in question, Majestic Dy, was twice a stakes winner at defunct Calder Race Course and is a half sister to Cowdin Stakes (G3) winner Boston Bull. The family goes back to a half sister to Dancer's Image's son, Godswalk, champion sprinter in the UK and champion 2-year-old colt in Ireland. Pappacap has an interesting pedigree pattern. Gun Runner is a Fappiano line horse, who is inbred to Fappiano, and his dam is out of a mare by a son of Fappiano. Scat Daddy is by Johannesburg, a grandson of Storm Cat, out of a mare by Ogygian (whose dam is a half sister to the dam of Fappiano) and his dam is by Mr. Prospector, the sire of Fappiano. Wicked Halo is out the Tapit mare, Just Wicked, who preceded her daughter as an Adirondack Stakes scorer. A full sister to the Gazelle Stakes (G2) winner My Miss Lilly, Just Wicked is out of Wicked Deed, a stakes-winning daughter of Harlan's Holiday. Like Pappacap, Wicked Halo has a pedigree that duplicates Storm Cat, and adds to Gun Runner's Fappiano background, as her broodmare sire, Tapit, is out of a mare by Fappiano son, Unbridled.