Zedan's Derby Desire Leads Him to Gun Runner Weanling

Amr Zedan and his Zedan Racing Stables have had their share of success in Thoroughbred racing. But one glaring absence from the résumé is a win on the sport's biggest day: the Kentucky Derby (G1). The motivation to erase that void is what prompted Zedan via Donato Lanni, agent, to go to $2.2 million for the Gun Runner weanling colt consigned as Hip 146 on the opening day of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale Nov. 4. "Amr, he wants to win the (Kentucky) Derby," Lanni said. "This is that type of horse, by Gun Runner. He looks like he'll go and run all day. I think it is the kind of horse that in September would probably have brought double. It's a lot of money, don't get me wrong, but he's a special-looking horse. You just don't see these kinds of horses in November. "I'm happy that we saw him and happy they were offered to sell. And I thought we needed to buy him and take him and race him." The colt will go to trainer Bob Baffert. Consigned by Denali Stud, the bay colt is out of the Scat Daddy mare Nickname, winner of the 2015 Frizette Stakes (G1). She is the dam of four foals of racing age, two winners, including group 3 winner Ides of March (IRE) (Wootton Bassett). Lanni said his impression when he saw the colt for the first time was that he exuded class. He said if you want to win races like the Derby, this colt fits the profile of what you look to buy. "We're just going to take him home and take good care of him and raise him... (He's) by Gun Runner, one of the most prolific sires today, and he certainly gets you a classic horse," Lanni said. Gun Runner, of course, is the Hall of Famer who has six grade 1 wins to his name including some on the sport's top days—the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) and the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1). Zedan has never won a classic or a Breeders' Cup race, having come up short several times with multiple seconds and thirds. Not usually buying weanlings for Zedan but yearlings and 2-year-olds, Lanni said the key is not eliminating the flexibility to go in a less common direction. "We just got to be open-minded at every sale when you see one that fits the profile, so we adjusted. … But this guy showed up and (we) thought he needed to be in (Zedan's) band."