Gunite retired from racing, will stand at Coolmore's Ashford Stud

Multiple Grade 1 winner Gunite has been retired to Coolmore's Ashford Stud in Kentucky, the farm announced Tuesday.

Gunite, from the first crop of Horse of the Year and white-hot young sire Gun Runner, raced as a homebred for Winchell Thoroughbreds, which co-owned his sire. He retires with nine wins from 21 career starts and earnings of more than $2.4 million.

"He was unusual in that he was top class at 2, 3, and 4," Charlie O'Connor, Ashford's director of sales, said in a press release. "He was one of the best sprinters in the country and had top Beyer Figures of 108 at both Saratoga and Churchill. He’s a very good-looking horse, and we can’t wait for breeders to see him.”

Gunite won the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes as a juvenile in 2021 at Saratoga and last year captured four stakes, highlighted by the Grade 2 Amsterdam at Saratoga; he was also Grade 1-placed, finishing second to Jack Christopher in the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial at the same track.

This season, Gunite did not miss the board in eight career starts while engaging in a rivalry with reigning Eclipse Award champion sprinter Elite Power. After opening the year with a stakes win at Oaklawn, Gunite finished second to Elite Power in the Group 3 Riyadh Dirt Sprint. Gunite then finished third, beaten a half-length, in the Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen and won his comeback in the United States in the Aristides Stakes at Churchill Downs.

Gunite was bested just a head by Elite Power in the Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt at Saratoga. He then got the better of his foe with a 1 3/4-length win in the Grade 1 Forego. After a runner-up effort in the Parx Dirt Mile on a sloppy track, Gunite was back with a strong effort in the Breeders' Cup Sprint, finishing second by 1 1/2 lengths to repeat winner Elite Power.

“Like many of the Gun Runners, Gunite got better and better throughout his racing career and gave us many great days,” said Ron Winchell, whose operation also introduced champion Epicenter at stud on the Ashford roster in 2023. “We also raced his first and second dams, and they were both stakes winners at Saratoga. Gunite has retired sound, and I very much look forward to supporting him at stud.”

Gunite's introductory fee has been set at $35,000 as he gives the Coolmore group a son of record-setting young sire Gun Runner back on its roster. Preakness Stakes winner Early Voting debuted there this year as one of the champion's first group of sons to stud, but has been removed from the roster for 2024 as unspecified veterinary problems have led to an inability to breed.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.