Zedan’s Derby desire leads him to Gun Runner Weanling

Amr Zedan and his Zedan Racing Stables have had their share of success in thoroughbred racing. But one notable absence from the resume is a victory on the sport’s biggest day: the Kentucky Derby (G1). The motivation to erase that void is what led Zedan through Donato Lanni, agent, to go for $2.2 million for the Rifle runner weanling foal shipped as Hip 146 on the opening day of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale on November 4.

“Amr, he wants to win the (Kentucky) Derby,” Lanni said. “This is that type of horse, from Gun Runner. He looks like he’s going to run all day. I think he’s the kind of horse that probably would have brought double that in September. It’s a lot of money, don’t get me wrong, but he’s a special looking horse. You just don’t see horses like this in November.”

“I’m glad we saw him and glad they were offered to sell. And I thought we should buy him and race him.”

The colt goes to trainer Bob Baffert.

The brown colt, signed by Denali Stud, is out of the Scat Daddy mare Nickname winner of the 2015 Frizette Stakes (G1). She is the mother of four foals of racing age, two of which are winners, including the winner of group 3 Ides of March (Wootton Bassett).

Lanni said his impression when he saw the colt for the first time was that he exuded class. He said if you want to win races like the Derby, this colt fits the profile of what you want to buy.

“We just take him home, take good care of him and raise him… (He is) by Gun Runner, one of the most productive stallions today, and he certainly gives you a classic horse,” Lanni said.

Gun Runner, of course, is the Hall of Famer who has six Grade 1 wins to his credit, including several at the sport’s top days: the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) and the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1).

Zedan has never won a Classic or a Breeders’ Cup race, coming up short several times by several seconds and third-place finishes.

Normally he does not buy weanlings for Zedan, but yearlings and two-year-olds. Lanni said the key isn’t eliminating the flexibility to go in a less common direction.

“We just have to be open-minded with every sale if you see one that fits the profile, so we adapted. … But this guy showed up and (we) thought he should play in (Zedan’s) band.”