Gun Runner Colt Romps by 20 Lengths in Keeneland Maiden

This column highlights the performances of 2-year-old maidens who have made no more than five starts and who either sold for more than $500,000 at public auction, have siblings that are graded/group winners, or have dams that are graded/group winners. BloodHorse research shows maiden winners, in particular, who meet these criteria are more likely to go on to be graded stakes winners.

Keeneland

Further Ado announced his arrival on the racing scene loud and clear Oct. 10 at Keeneland, demolishing a field of 2-year-olds by a whopping 20—yes, 20—lengths in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight. The sensational performance sent speed figure pundits into a frenzy last Friday, and once the hysteria had subsided and everyone could take a deep breath, Further Ado was saddled with a 114, the highest ESF of any 2-year-old runner this year.

There is no question that Further Ado was bred to a star. The strapping chestnut son of sire sensation and 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner  is a third-generation homebred for prominent Kentucky breeder John Oxley. Further Ado's female family traces back to the brilliant Oxley-campaigned Beautiful Pleasure, a six-time grade 1 winner and the recipient of the 1999 Eclipse Award for champion older mare. Beautiful Pleasure's daughter, To Dream About (sired by Oxley's 2001 Kentucky Derby winner Monarchos), produced grade 1 winner Dream Dancing as well as Further Ado's dam, the graded stakes-placed Sky Mesa mare Sky Dreamer. Five of the six foals to race out of Sky Dreamer have been winners, with multiple Dubai group stakes victor Kimbear (Temple City) leading the charge. 

Further Ado went through the ring twice before ultimately selling for $550,000 at this year's Ocala Breeders' Sale Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training to Spendthrift Farm. Joining trainer Brad Cox's Keeneland string in the spring, the colt was then shipped to Saratoga Race Course for an ambitious summer campaign. Despite the high expectations, he turned in two mediocre efforts sprinting around one turn, finishing fifth and third. Cox's son, assistant Blake Cox, told Keeneland publicity: "We were scratching our heads after his first two starts. He had been working too well, and he was working with older horses and putting them away."

Back at the Lexington oval for the fall meet, Further Ado sprouted wings in his first start around two turns. Tracking in second down the backstretch, the chestnut disposed of the pacesetter turning for home and skated to a 10-length advantage at the quarter pole. Without a challenger in sight, jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. hand rode Further Ado to the wire and the pair hit the wire in a final time of 1:43.52 for the 1 1/16 miles on a fast main track.

Spendthrift has sent out a stellar six winners from six starters through the first eight days of the 17-day Keeneland fall meet.