Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Paladin

A decade after Gun Runner finished third in the 2016 Kentucky Derby (G1), he’s making an impressive impact on the 2025-26 Road to the Kentucky Derby.

Gun Runner’s son, Spice Runner, won the first leg of the series, the Iroquois (G3). Later on, Gun Runner’s Further Ado took top honors in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2). Now Gun Runner is back in the headlines as the sire of Paladin, who triumphed in the Remsen (G2) at Aqueduct.

Paladin relished every yard of the Remsen’s 1 1/8-mile distance, launching a sustained rally from 2 1/2 lengths off the pace to beat a promising field by two lengths. His success as a juvenile bodes well for his long-term prospects, because every element of Paladin’s pedigree suggests he’ll improve with maturity.

Consider Gun Runner. He lost his lone graded stakes start at age two, finishing fourth in the Kentucky Jockey Club. But he improved significantly at age three; in addition to placing in the Kentucky Derby, he won the Clark H. (G1) and recorded top-three finishes in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) and Travers (G1).

Gun Runner peaked at age four, when he earned Horse of the Year honors and won four straight Grade 1 races, culminating with the 1 1/4-mile Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1). For good measure, he won the Pegasus World Cup (G1) in a single start at age five.

The sources of Gun Runner’s late maturity are easy to identify. He’s a son of Candy Ride, who scored his biggest win in the Pacific Classic (G1) at age four. Gun Runner’s dam, Quiet Giant, scored her signature success in the Molly Pitcher (G2) as a four-year-old. Quiet Giant, in turn, is a daughter of Giant’s Causeway (winner of five Group 1 races at age three) and a half-sister to Saint Liam (the 2005 Horse of the Year who won the Breeders’ Cup Classic at age five).

Gun Runner has consistently passed on his late-maturing genetics at stud. His progeny have almost exclusively peaked at ages three and older. Examples include champion three-year-old male and 2024 Kentucky Derby runner-up Sierre Leone, Preakness (G1) winner Early Voting, and the multiple Grade 1 winners Cyberknife and Society.

Even when sons and daughters of Gun Runner shine at age two—like champion two-year-old filly Echo Zulu and Grade 1 winners Locked and Gunite—they’ve maintained and even improved their form as older horses. Echo Zulu, Locked, and Gunite all scored Grade 1 wins at age four.

Similar late-maturing tendencies can be found in the bottom half of Paladin’s pedigree.

Paladin’s dam is Secret Sigh, an unraced daughter of three-time leading North American sire Tapit. Although Tapit came to hand early enough to win the Laurel Futurity (G3) as a juvenile, he peaked at age three with a triumph in the Wood Memorial (G1).

At stud, Tapit has achieved resounding success as a sire of long-winded dirt racers. While some have flourished from an early age, such as champion juveniles Essential Quality, Stardom Bound, and Hansen, many have done their best work as three-year-olds and older horses. Examples include unbeaten Horse of the Year and Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Flightline, champions Untapable and Unique Bella, and 1 1/2-mile Belmont (G1) winners Tonalist, Creator, Tapwrit, and the above-mentioned Essential Quality. The latter colt backed up his championship juvenile campaign by earning champion three-year-old male honors with wins in the Belmont, Travers, Blue Grass (G2), Jim Dandy (G2), and Southwest (G3).

Meanwhile, daughters of Tapit have foaled Horse of the Year and two-time Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner Cody’s Wish, champion and Belmont winner Arcangelo, Dubai World Cup (G1) winner Hit Show, Kentucky Oaks (G1) heroine Pretty Mischievous, and Pennsylvania Derby (G1) conqueror Saudi Crown, to name just a few. All of these runners peaked at age three or older.

Getting specific, the cross of Gun Runner with Tapit mares has previously produced multiple graded stakes winners, Society, Red Route One, Wicked Halo, and Il Miracolo, as well as Matt Winn (G3) winner Disarm, who placed second in the Travers and fourth in the 2023 Kentucky Derby. Again, these five all performed best at age three and beyond, though Wicked Halo—an eight-time stakes winner—did nab the Adirondack (G2) as a two-year-old.

Even though Paladin has found success as a juvenile, his long-term prospects are bright. He has the pedigree to shine racing 1 1/4 miles on the first Saturday in May, but the peak of his power may come even further down the road.