If you think you have seen this ownership group, trainer and jockey head to the Kentucky Derby (G1) before, you would be right.
PALADIN (Gun Runner), owned by Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Peter Brant, Brook Smith and Summer Wind Equine, trained by Chad Brown and ridden by Tyler Gaffalione. won the February 14 Risen Star Stakes (G2) at Fair Grounds, earning 50 points.
Two years ago, the same team won the Risen Star with Sierra Leone, who went on to just miss winning the Derby that year.
Over a track that favoured horses on or near the lead, Paladin broke sharply and tracked race leader Chip Honcho, who was hustled to the front after breaking a touch slow. Chip Honcho set an opening fraction of :23.81 before posting a half-mile in :47.49. Paladin advanced to second midway down the backstretch and continued to pressure the leader in the far turn. Chip Honcho dug in and led deep into the stretch, but as he began to tire, Paladin surged past in the final strides for the victory.
Paladin covered 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.14, beating Chip Honcho by a half-length. He earned a 93 Beyer Speed Figure. Lecomte Stakes winner Golden Tempo was just over five lengths back in third, netting 15 Derby points, bringing his total to 35. Universe made one run for fourth, adding 10 points for a new total of 23. After breaking on top, Carson Street stalked from the pocket but faded in the stretch, holding fifth to add 5 points for a total of 11.
Paladin was placed first in a maiden race in October at Aqueduct when Renegade was disqualified. He then beat that rival in the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes in December. Renegade opened up his three-year-old season on Feb. 7 with a big win in the Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs.
“It was an incredible performance today,” co-owner Brook Smith said. “He dug in late to get by (Chip Honcho). He’s an incredibly talented horse. Hopefully, we’ll have him back in Kentucky in April then onto the Derby a month later.”
Paladin was bred by Summer Wind Farm, which sold the colt for $1.9 million at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale.
Sent off as the odds-on favourite, Paladin paid $3.40, $2.80 and $2.10.
Plans call for Paladin to head to the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) in April for his final run before the Derby.
Pedigree Notes
Gun Runner has simply become one of the top stallions in the world. From six crops of racing age, he has sired 55 black-type winners and 35 of those are graded winners. Gun Runner, by Candy Ride (Arg), stands for $250,000.
Paladin’s dam is SECRET SIGH, by the great Tapit. Secret Sigh did not race and she has produced two other foals to race and one is a winner.
Second dam, INDIA, won the Cotillion Breeders’ Cup Handicap (G2) and Azeri Breeders’ Cup Stakes in 2006. India is a daughter of MISTY HOUR, who raced for Canada’s Sam-Son Farms and she won the 1997 Glorious Song Stakes.
India produced Group 1 winner MOZU ASCOT in Japan.
More quotes from Fair Grounds media:
Luis Saez, jockey of second-place finisher Chip Honcho: “He went fast to get to the front, but I had him on the lead where I wanted. He just got a little tired late. I feel like he’s going to be a really nice horse.”
Jose Ortiz, jockey of third-place finisher Golden Tempo: “He made a pretty good run out of the turn. The track played to the speed today, but those top two are very nice horses. My horse ran about the same (as in the Lecomte), but still, it was a solid effort.”
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