Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Spice Runner

Spice Runner joined the 2025-26 Road to the Kentucky Derby as early as possible, claiming victory in the series-opening Iroquois (G3) at Churchill Downs.

Spice Runner raced greenly down the homestretch of the one-mile race, drifting around the track while pursuing heavy favorite Comport. But in the final strides, he got up to win by a head.

Now an important question looms: Does Spice Runner have the pedigree to handle the testing 1 1/4-mile distance of the Kentucky Derby (G1)?

Bred and owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds, Spice Runner is a son of Winchell color-bearer Gun Runner, the third-place finisher from the 2016 Kentucky Derby. Gun Runner was an accomplished three-year-old, but he peaked at ages four and five, when he rattled off five straight Grade 1 wins, including the 1 1/4-mile Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1). Unsurprisingly, he earned 2017 Horse of the Year honors.

Gun Runner has since developed into a top-tier stallion. He’s sired a bevy of Grade 1 winners over a wide variety of distances. Some have starred over classic trips; Sierra Leone handled 1 1/4 miles with aplomb when winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic and finishing second in the Kentucky Derby, while Early Voting stretched his speed over 1 3/16 miles to win the Preakness (G1). Also, Locked made headlines with a runaway triumph in the 1 1/4-mile Santa Anita H. (G1).

But other sons and daughters of Gun Runner have proven best as sprinters and milers, such as champion two-year-old filly Echo Zulu, multiple Grade 1 winners Gunite and Society, and Derby City Distaff (G1) heroine Vahva.

Gunite in particular is worthy of our attention because he was produced by the Cowboy Cal mare Simple Surprise, who is likewise the dam of Spice Runner. This means Gunite and Spice Runner are full brothers, and if Spice Runner follows the example of his older sibling, sprints will wind up as his strong suit.

After all, Gunite was a pure sprinter who scored his signature wins dashing seven furlongs in the Forego (G1) and Hopeful (G1). In fact, all eight of his stakes wins came dashing seven furlongs or less. On three occasions, he tried stretching out over one mile, but each time he was defeated—he finished fifth in the Champagne (G1), fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1), and second as an odds-on favorite in the Parx Dirt Mile.

Gunite may owe his speed to Simple Surprise. Speed was the name of the game for Simple Surprise, who scored all four of her wins sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs or less. Her biggest triumph came in the Bolton Landing S. on turf at Saratoga.

Simple Surprise’s dam, Simplify, was similarly speedy. She scored her lone stakes win in the Loudonville S., racing six furlongs at Saratoga.

Simple Surprise’s sire, Cowboy Cal, was bred to excel over classic distances and ran second in the 1 1/4-mile Hollywood Derby (G1) on turf. But he failed to finish better than eighth in three other tries over 1 1/4 miles, including when ninth in the 2008 Kentucky Derby. Overall, Cowboy Cal was more comfortable over shorter trips, winning half a dozen stakes over distances from one mile to 1 1/8 miles.

At stud, Cowboy Cal is best known as the sire of Fear the Cowboy, a five-time stakes winner. Like Cowboy Cal, Fear the Cowboy managed to place at the Grade 1 level running 1 1/4 miles, finishing third in the Santa Anita H. But Fear the Cowboy was beaten 12 1/2 lengths in that race, and all five of his stakes wins came racing 1 1/8 miles or less, so Fear the Cowboy displayed distance capabilities similar to his sire.

All told, the progeny of Cowboy Cal have compiled a speed-oriented average winning distance of 6.8 furlongs. There is, however, a notable bright spot in his stud record. Cowboy Cal’s daughter Cashmere is the dam of Rombauer, a son of Twirling Candy who achieved a classic win in the 1 3/16-mile Preakness.

Generally, though, the bottom half of Spice Runner’s pedigree is focused on sprints and short routes, suggesting his distance capabilities may top out between one mile and 1 1/8 miles.