Gun Runner (horse)

Gun Runner was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was named the 2017 American Horse of the Year. Bred in Kentucky by Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC, he was foaled on March 8, 2013, and was trained by Steve Asmussen.

Gun Runner was known for his versatility, competing effectively at distances ranging from one mile to 1 1/4 miles. He showed precocity early in his career, winning the Grade 2 Saratoga Special Stakes as a two-year-old.

As a three-year-old in 2016, he contested the Triple Crown, finishing third in the Kentucky Derby and second in the Preakness Stakes. He continued to excel throughout his three-year-old season, winning the Grade 1 Clark Handicap.

In 2017, Gun Runner had a dominant year, marked by multiple Grade 1 victories. These included the Stephen Foster Handicap, Whitney Stakes, Woodward Stakes, and the Breeders' Cup Classic. His performance in the Breeders' Cup Classic, in which he defeated Collected, secured his Horse of the Year title.

After retiring from racing at the end of 2017, Gun Runner began his career as a stallion at Three Chimneys Farm in Kentucky. He quickly established himself as a successful sire, with several of his offspring achieving graded stakes wins.

Gun Runner was owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC and Three Chimneys Farm. His progeny continue to compete at the highest levels of Thoroughbred racing.