Gunmetal Back for More in Saratoga’s Amsterdam Stakes

The Gun Runner Colt Emerges as the Top Choice Despite a Lackluster Effort in the G1 Woody Stephens Stakes

Quality Action Kicks Off Friday at Saratoga / ADAM COGLIANESE / NYRA

SARATOGA SPRINGS, New York (Special for Turf Diario).- China Horse Club Inc. and WinStar Farm are hoping Gunmetal (Gun Runner) can rediscover his best form Friday in the G2 Amsterdam Stakes at Saratoga. The $200,000 race, contested over 6 1/2 furlongs, is restricted to 3-year-olds.

Trained by two-time Eclipse Award winner Brad Cox, Gunmetal comes off a disappointing effort in the G1 Woody Stephens Stakes on June 7, where he finished last of ten behind stablemate Patch Adams (Into Mischief). In that outing, Gunmetal hit the gate at the start, tracked in sixth early, and failed to fire down the lane.

“He’s doing fine, but obviously he didn’t get the result we were looking for in the Woody Stephens,” Cox said. “He was entered at Monmouth [for the Jersey Shore Stakes] but drew the rail, so we decided to wait and run him out of his own stall here.”

Gunmetal debuted impressively at Fair Grounds in December under Florent Geroux, earning a strong 96 Beyer Speed Figure. He then finished third in the Swale Stakes (L) at Gulfstream Park before returning to the winner’s circle with an authoritative allowance optional claiming victory at Keeneland, a race flattered when third-place finisher Retribution came back to win the Chick Lang Stakes (L) at Pimlico.

A $410,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase in 2023, Gunmetal has posted five works at Saratoga since the Woody Stephens, including a half-mile in :49.77 last Friday. “His debut was really good, and in his second start he may have been too close to a strong pace,” Cox noted. “He was very good at Keeneland. The Stephens wasn’t what we wanted, but he still has plenty of potential.” Luis Saez will ride from post 6.

His rivals include T Kraft (Connect), who finished fifth in the Woody Stephens and will break from post 4 with Jose Lezcano aboard. Trained by Bill Mott, he had won three straight prior to that, including the Jimmy Winkfield Stakes, while trying seven furlongs for the first time. “He’s doing well,” Mott said. “He’s not the kind of horse that really impresses you in the mornings, so we’ll see what he gives us in the afternoon.”

Another contender is Macho Music (Maclean’s Music), trained by Rohan Crichton, who will break from the rail under Irad Ortiz Jr. Winner of the G2 Pat Day Mile, he set hot fractions in the Woody Stephens before fading late. His decisive 11-length romp at Tampa Bay Downs and 97 Beyer at Churchill Downs make him a dangerous foe.

From post 2, Garamond (Uncle Mo) returns to sprinting for trainer Chad Brown after trailing the field as the heavy favorite in the Pegasus Stakes (L). Bred by Juddmonte, he previously captured an allowance optional claiming over a mile at Aqueduct with a 99 Beyer. Flavien Prat retains the mount.