Gun Runner Pursues a legendary Stud career

In all sports, athletes and teams are often faced with a long-standing legend of the sport that seems to have sealed off the playing field. Until they didn’t.

Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls needed to get past the two-time National Basketball Association champions Detroit Pistons before they could begin a reign that would win six titles in eight years.

Three-chimney farm Gun Runner Look up BloodHorse’s general leading sire list to see into mischief , who is 8 years older than him, is firmly at the top of the rankings. The spending farm’s leading sire is only just beginning his run to the top as Gun Runner’s first crop takes off in 2021. Yet here is Gun Runner fourth in the latest edition of The List This.

The son of Candy cart ride has steadily risen through the ranks of North American studs and has done so while matching standards only achieved by Uncle Mo since 2000. But if the current rankings hold true for 2024, Gun Runner will do what no other king has done this century.

Gun Runner, like Uncle Mo before him, began his stud career as the first, second and third crop lead male. But the similarities don’t end there.

Uncle Mo debuted on the overall leading sires list at number 63 in 2015 with progeny earnings of $3,670,354. Gun Runner made his debut as a freshman finishing 64th with $4,278,641. Adjusted for people’s preferences—inflation—Uncle Mo earned $4,196,137 in 2024 dollars.

In his sophomore stallion campaign, Uncle Mo made a big jump—60 places—to third place overall with earnings of $12,355,871. Gun Runner, in 2022, continues to increase 59 places to 5th place thanks to earnings of 14,667,829 USD. Again, accounting for inflation for Uncle Mo, the winnings are a lot closer: $15,066,258 for Uncle Mo.

But in year three (2023), Gun Runner, who earned $250,000 at Three Chimneys near Midway, Ky., outpaced Uncle Mo as he moved into third place overall with earnings of $17,532,118. Uncle Mo’s third crop grossed $8,008,691 in 2017. The impact of inflation didn’t close that gap much, just over $800,000.

This year alone, Runner Gun got to meet his son Sierra Leone pocketed nearly $1 million with wins in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) and Risen Star Stakes (G2), with the Kentucky Derby (G1) coming up. Red Route One who ran in the Preakness Stakes (G1) and Belmont Stakes (G1) a year ago, won the New Orleans Classic (G2) on March 23.

His offspring’s roll call reads like a participant in Thoroughbred racing over the past three years: Zulu Echoes , gunfire , taiba , electronic knife , Society , Vote early And Evil aura to name a few.

Good magic rely on the power of Muth The Arkansas Derby (G1) win and Society Man’s second win in the Wood Memorial Stakes (G2) rocketed from unranked ground to ninth. The remaining major climber is justification who jumped eight places from 15th to 7th place. President won the Appalachian Stakes (G2T), Just one touch finished second in the Blue Grass Stakes, Just letting you know placed second in the Ashland Stakes (G2) and Steel only finished second in the Arkansas Derby (G1).

As he sat on the sidelines looking at the Top 25, cow bow had a good few weeks and finished 35th. Tuz won the Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) and Youalmosthadme finished third in the Beaumont Stakes (G2) at Keeneland. It will be worth watching to see if Awesome Again’s son can make it to The List.