Runninsonofagun breaks through in Bold Ruler victory
When Eastern Bay charged down the center of Aqueduct’s main track to poke a nose in front in deep stretch, Runninsonofagun looked destined for another tough defeat in a graded stakes. One of just two 3-year-olds in a 10-horse field, Runninsonofagun found some resolve in reserve and battled back to record a nose victory in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Bold Ruler Stakes at Aqueduct.
The win was the first in a stakes for Runninsonofagun, a son of Gun Runner who was claimed last Dec. 31 for $40,000 by John Toscano Jr. With his third win in nine starts this year, Runninsonofagun has earned $341,050 for his connections.
Toscano had claimed Runninsonofagun for owner Scott Zimmerman. Unfortunately, Zimmerman died unexpectedly in June. His wife, Karen, has continued to operate stable.
“I think he would want me to just keep going,” Karen Zimmerman said in a post-race interview with NYRA’s Maggie Wolfendale.
“This one’s for Scotty,” Toscano added.
Though he was taking on older horses for the first time, Runninsonofagun was sent off the 5-2 favorite because of the company he had been keeping. Runninsonofagun finished third to Gunite in the Grade 2 Amsterdam and third to Jack Christopher in the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens this summer at Saratoga. Those horses will be participating in next week’s Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland.
In the Bold Ruler, Kendrick Carmouche had Runninsonofagun in sixth, but only 2 1/2 lengths off the pace set by Meraas, who, after being bumped by Jaxon Traveler and Irad Ortiz Jr. soon after the start., made a clear lead down the backside under Flavien Prat.
Around the far turn, Carmouche began to advance Runninsonofagun out into the clear. He was five wide turning for home and made a short lead inside the eighth pole. But Eastern Bay, under Javier Castellano, followed that move and was charging seven wide in the lane. Eastern Bay stuck his nose in front inside the sixteenth pole, but emboldened by the challenge, Runninsonofagun battled back to get his nose on the wire first.
“He’s been running against tough horses all summer,” Carmouche said. “He finally made the lead with [lesser] horses and he just didn’t know what to do. But once that horse came up to him outside, he really laid down and ran.”
Runninsonofagun covered the six furlongs in 1:10.07 and returned $7.30 to win.
“It’s gratifying,” Toscano said. “We finally got the right race for him and he came through. When he made that move at the three-eighths pole, I knew he would come running. When he got the lead, it was like he was waiting on horses. He started running again when that horse came alongside him.”
Runninsonofagun was the second horse to be claimed for $40,000 to win a graded stakes on Saturday’s Aqueduct card. Double Crown won the Grade 2 Kelso. Double Crown was claimed by trainer/owner Lynn Cash, who trained Eastern Bay, whom he had claimed for $35,000.
Eastern Bay finished second by a half-length over Factor It In. Greeley and Ben was fourth, followed by Drafted, Steinbeck, Jalen Journey, Jaxon Traveler, Repo Rocks, and Meraas.
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