Gun Runner 's full brother Fortune Ticket will stand his first season at stud in 2022 at Anchor & Hope Farm near Port Deposit, Md., Climax Stallions announced. Gun Runner recently broke the first-crop progeny earnings record set by Uncle Mo in 2015, who broke Tapit 's 2008 record.
Four-year-old Fortune Ticket was initially raced by his breeder, Three Chimneys Farm, where Gun Runner will stand in 2022 for $125,000, stands and nurses. Fortune Ticket was a multiple winner at 3 who ran a 7 on Thoromanager.
"Fortune Ticket is an exciting prospect for the great state of Maryland. He is the only son of Candy Ride in Maryland and is a full brother to a burgeoning superstar at stud, Gun Runner" said Climax Stallions president Sean Feld.
Fortune Ticket will stand for an advertised fee of $2,500, stands and nurses—just 2% of Gun Runner's advertised 2022 stud fee.
"Grace and I are excited to have a horse with this type of pedigree on our farm," said Louis Merryman of Anchor & Hope Farm. "Not only is he a full brother to Gun Runner but he is from the family of Horse of the Year Saint Liam. Fortune Ticket is correct and athletic which are keys to a stallion's success."
Fortune Ticket made seven starts on the track and collected a record of 2-1-1. He was a determined front-running winner of a maiden special weight at Lone Star Park at 3 for Three Chimneys and trainer Steve Asmussen, prevailing by a head as he completed a mile in 1:39.41. That season he also captured a one-mile allowance race at Remington Park, where he rallied from fourth and held off a late-running rival by a neck in 1:38.40.
Asmussen also trained Gun Runner for Three Chimneys and Winchell Thoroughbreds. Gun Runner collected six grade 1 victories (five consecutively) and earned nearly $16 million. He was named Horse of the Year and champion older dirt male of 2017. The Three Chimneys resident currently leads the first-crop sire rankings with nearly $3.8 million in progeny earnings. He has sired six black-type winners, four of which are graded winners, and two of which have captured a grade 1 event, including his unbeaten daughter and NetJets Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) heroine Echo Zulu.
Both Fortune Ticket and Gun Runner are produced from the grade 2-winning Giant's Causeway mare Quiet Giant. The mare is a half sister to 2005 Horse of the Year and champion older horse Saint Liam, as well as 2018 United Nations Stakes (G1T) victor Funtastic .
Fortune Ticket will join Climax Stallions' Editorial , a War Front half brother to Uncle Mo , who also stands for $2,500 at Anchor & Hope Farm.
