Gun Runner provided with first winner as Red Run obliges at Churchill Downs

Red Run became the first winner for first-season sire and 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner when he struck in a maiden special weight at Churchill Downs on Sunday.

Sent off the 3-5 favourite in his debut, Red Run raced in third before collaring the leaders in deep stretch under Ricardo Santana Jr.

Red Run is owned and bred by Winchell Thoroughbreds and trained by Steve Asmussen, sharing the same connections as his champion sire, who was also co-owned by Three Chimneys Farm.

Gun Runner was a consistent and brilliant performer on the racetrack, winning six Grade 1 races, including the 2017 Breeders' Cup Classic and 2018 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes, and retiring with $15,988,500 in earnings.

Out of a half sister to Horse of the Year Saint Liam, he stands at Three Chimneys Farm in Midway, Kentucky, for a fee of $50,000.

A son of Gun Runner was the second highest selling juvenile at this year's The Gulfstream Sale, Fasig-Tipton 2-year-olds in training sale in Florida, selling for $1.7 million to Gary Young on behalf of Zedan Racing.

Red Run is the first foal out of the unraced Tapit mare Red House, a full sister to 2014 champion three-year-old filly and Breeders' Cup Distaff victress Untapable.

Red House has a yearling full-brother to Red Run and was covered by Copper Bullet this year.

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