Gun Runner staked his claim for leadership in the handicap division after drawing away to an eye catching  10 1/4 length victory over Rally Cry and three other overmatched rivals in Saturday's Grade 1 Woodward.   Neolithic, who set a torrid early pace, finished a distant and tiring third.

Gun Runner, with regular rider Florent Geroux aboard, stalked the surprisingly fast early pace set by Neolithic, moved readily to the lead near the quarter pole then steadily increased his advantage despite switching to his left lead inside the eighth pole and back again in the shadow of the wire. Rally Cry passed the tiring Neolithic in late stretch to finish second while never threatening the winner.

The vicotry was the third in a row and fifth in the last six starts for Gun Runner, whose only setback during that period came in the Dubai World Cup when he finished second behind Arrogate.  Four of those five wins have been in Grade 1 races including the two premier races for older horses at Saratoga, the Whitney and Woodward.  

Gun Runner, is trained by Steve Asmussen for the partnership of Winchell Thoroughbreds and Three Chimneys Farm. His final time of 1:47.63 for a mile and one eighth was less than a second off the track record. He paid $2.70.