Siena Farms and WinStar Farms must have given a lot of thought Gun Runner colt to name World record about him, and his first victory on May 27 at Churchill Downs may have confirmed that they were right to have high expectations.
The gun runner, 2017 Horse of the Year and soon-to-be Hall of Fame inductee has continued his remarkable stud success through 2024. Was the top sire of the crop’s third year 2023, Gun Runner is currently third on the national leaderboard for 2024 with 60 winners, eight stakes winners, six graded stakes winners and three Grade 1 winners. Three Chimneys Farm’s breed could have another World Record star on its hands.
World record removed Exceed and Excel mare Marwa . Although the dam was removed in her four starts in England, she carries strong bloodlines as a three-time Grade 2 winner and Grade 1 Miss Isella and winner of Arkansas Derby (G2) Sir Cherokee.
Consigned by Hidden Brook at the November 2018 Keeneland Stud Sale, Marwa was sold to Magna Carta Bloodstock for $180,000 as a foal to Speightstown. Her first foal was a winner Handsome ticket .
World Record, Marwa’s third racing-age foal, was purchased as a weanling by Maverick Racing for $410,000 at the November 2021 Keeneland Stud Sale from the Runnymede Farm consignment. Runnymede bred the colt with Falguieres Bloodstock, Gestut Zur Kuste AG, et al.
Marwa’s fourth foal, bred by the same team as World Record, is a 2-year-old filly. Violence Daughter love you foreverwho was purchased by Joel Politi for $80,000 at the September 2023 Yearling Sale at Keeneland.
Trained by Rodolphe Brisset, the 3-year-old World Record attracted a lot of attention after his morning workout. Launched on April 26, the closing day of KeenelandAt the spring meeting, the Gun Runner colt was bet on as the second choice at 5-2.
Quickly out of the gate, World Record initially challenged for the lead before being overtaken in the six-furlong sprint, dropping to fifth place while four lengths behind after half a mile. However, the colt did not give up and put his legs underneath him for the long stretch. He narrowed the margin and completed the upcoming third while being hit in the neck.
The experience proved fruitful for the World Record, as did a further stretch in his second start on Monday. At 8-5 favourites, the World Record broke quickly and immediately cleared the field from the rails as they exited the Churchill Downs chutes and entered the backstretch. Looking much more comfortable, he cleared fractions of :22.40 and :44.92 before leaving his rivals well clear of the stretch.
In the halter section, the World Record was 6 1/4 lengths in front while completing seven furlongs in 1:22.71 under the finish of jockey Florent Geroux.
