Gun Runner works strong five furlongs in Whitney prep

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - After a couple of disappointing afternoons to begin the Saratoga meet, trainer Steve Asmussen needed a pick-me-up. He got just that Sunday morning when Gun Runner worked a strong five furlongs in 59.86 seconds over the main track in preparation for his start in the Grade 1, $1.2 million Whitney Stakes on Aug. 5.

Working just after 6 a.m. Sunday, Gun Runner started about a length behind workmate Gotham News. Gun Runner, under regular rider Florent Geroux, quickly caught up to his partner after a quarter in 24.04 seconds. Gun Runner continued at a swift pace, getting three furlongs in 35.53 seconds and coming home his final quarter in 24.33. Gun Runner galloped-out six furlongs in 1:12.71 and seven eighths in 1:26.14.

“I’ve been impressed all year and it was more of the same,” Asmussen said. “He’s been working like that all year, he really has. I think he looks really good. He had a little blow, his recovery was excellent and he seems himself in his stall.”

That was Gun Runner’s fourth work since arriving at Saratoga about 10 days after his seven-length victory in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs on June 17. Prior to that, Gun Runner finished second to Arrogate in the Dubai World Cup in March. Arrogate, on Saturday, finished a well-beaten fourth in the San Diego Handicap at Del Mar.

“I feel very happy that we have our first race off the World Cup out of the way because of what we all witnessed yesterday,” Asmussen said. “You just never know.”

It’s been a tough start for Asmussen at Saratoga. He has lost with the first 10 starters he sent out, including out-of-the-money finishes with two starters in both the Grade 3 Schuylerville and Grade 3 Sanford.

Gun Runner will have one more workout next week over the Oklahoma training track before the Whitney.

Meanwhile, Asmussen’s Kentucky Derby runner-up, Lookin At Lee, worked five furlongs in 1:01.46 Sunday over the Oklahoma training track in company with an unstarted 3-year-old named Swayze.

Asmussen is pointing Lookin At Lee to the Grade 3, $750,000 West Virginia Derby on Aug. 5 at Mountaineer.

“I felt we needed another week,” Asmussen said.

Asmussen said Hence, the Iowa Derby winner, was scheduled to work Monday at Churchill Downs in preparation for a start in the Grade 1, $1 million Haskell Invitational next Sunday at Monmouth Park.