Gun Runner led for most of the race and scored a comfortable victory, likely wrapping up Horse of the Year honors.
[3] After returning to North America, Arrogate finished a distant fourth in the San Diego Handicap at Del Mar Racetrack, leaving questions about whether he liked the surface or if he was no longer at peak ability.
[4] By contrast, Gun Runner had steadily improved in the summer of 2017, easily winning both the Stephen Foster Handicap and Whitney Stakes.
To avoid getting trapped in traffic, jockey Mike Smith announced that he would ride the colt aggressively from the starting gate.
[6] Trainer Bob Baffert had a record four horses in the field – Arrogate, Collected, West Coast and Mubtaahij – all of whom were given strong chances to win.
Gun Runner ran a fast opening quarter, then moved easily around the first turn and down the backstretch as jockey Florent Geroux kept him on a loose rein.
"[2][9] The performance solidified Gun Runner's bid for American Horse of the Year honors, based on his record of five wins and a second from six starts during 2017.