Further Ado lifted Gun Runner: 50 stakes winners now for Candy Ride’s best son

The colt’s victory in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs allowed the stallion to break through a major milestone with remarkable speed

Gun Runner, the premier heir to Candy Ride / THREE CHIMNEYS FARM

By Diego H. Mitagstein

Gun Runner’s genetic machinery added yet another milestone on Saturday, further cementing his status as one of the premier stallions standing in the United States—and, unmistakably, as the most powerful torchbearer of Candy Ride’ssire line. Standing at Three Chimneys, the impeccable chestnut has now reached 50 stakes winners, an extraordinary figure considering he has only six crops of racing age. The milestone came courtesy of the resolute victory by 2-year-old Further Ado in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs, historically a key stepping stone toward the 2026 Kentucky Derby (G1).

For Gun Runner, every weekend seems to produce a new highlight. He doesn’t just sire quality: he sires precocity, stamina, consistency, and durability—the four cornerstones of a true leading sire. And Further Ado, at just two years old, offered precisely that profile, handling the 8.5 furlongs like a polished professional and showing the maturity of a far more seasoned horse.

Trained by Brad Cox—one of the conditioners who best understands the Gun Runner blueprint—the colt settled behind the pace, launched with conviction, and powered clear with authority. Beyond collecting valuable Derby qualifying points, he reminded observers that when a Gun Runner wins at Churchill Downs, it is rarely by accident.

Pedigree sheds light on the trajectory. From his very first crop, Gun Runner emerged as a reproductive phenomenon, carrying the weight of the legacy built by the unbeaten Argentine-bred Candy Ride, the stallion who reshaped the American industry. First came Twirling Candy and Sidney’s Candy; then the explosion of Gun Runner; and now his sons and daughters threaten to take that line into realms even Candy Ride could not have imagined.

The numbers are staggering: in only a few years, Gun Runner has already produced champions such as Echo Zulu, Gunite, Taiba, Early Voting, Society, Locked, Wicked Halo, among many others. His progeny win at a mile, excel on dirt, handle turf, fire at two, and sustain their form at four and five. This is not a fashionable stallion—this is a generational one.

Further Ado may not yet be the brightest star of the Gun Runner battalion—but he has what so many of his sire’s offspring possess: projection. His running style, his long stride, his strong finish, his imposing physique—all point toward the possibility that the 10 furlongs of the Derby could be within reach.

For the American industry, reaching 50 stakes winners signals that Gun Runner is operating at another level. For South America, the achievement carries a special resonance: every new stakes winner is another stamp of the genetic legacy of Candy Ride, the Argentine-bred phenomenon who quietly revolutionized 21st-century racing.

In 2025 alone, Gun Runner has added the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) with Super Corredora; the Del Mar Futurity (G1) with Brant; the Whitney (G1) with Sierra Leone; the Santa Anita Handicap (G1) with Locked—and the list keeps growing.

Years ago, a son of Candy Ride competing at the elite level seemed improbable. Today, his grandsons are expected to win. And Gun Runner—with 50 stakes winners already—is authoring, with authority, a story that is only just beginning.