The new Wasabi broodmare Itgetsgreaterlater gets her latest shot in the breeding shed with the gorgeous, multiple G1-winning Gunite as part of his first book at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud in 2024.
Gunite was a precocious, fast, and high-class racehorse for Ron Winchell and trainer Steve Asmussen from 2YO through 4YO, and Asmussen has described himself as “a walking infomercial for Gunite“. His accomplishments are indeed impressive, as is his pedigree given that he’s a son of the historically successful young stallion Gun Runner from a solid Winchell female family. He also possesses one of the best physicals of this year’s intake of freshman stallions — though he gave the impression while racing of being a compact, Quarter Horse-y type, in the flesh he is actually a long, leggy, elegant horse with loads of scope. As such, we believe that he offers excellent value at his first-year fee of $35,000, and think he has a big shot to make it as a stallion. And since Itgetsgreaterlater is pregnant for her first foal to a proven (and still ascendant) stallion in Practical Joke, she is one that we’re eminently comfortable sending to a first-year horse for her second shot.
We like Gunite for Itgetsgreaterlater because she is a daughter of Justify, and Gun Runner has sired the G2W and multiple G1-placed Pappacap out of a mare by Scat Daddy (sire of Justify) in his first crop, while two other sons of Candy Ride (sire of Gun Runner) have produced SWs out of mares by Johannesburg (sire of Scat Daddy) from limited attempts. And the broader cross of Gun Runner with Storm Cat-line mares has been successful, too: Gunite himself is out of a mare by the Giant’s Causeway son Cowboy Cal, while Champion Echo Zulu is out of a mare by Storm Cat’s grandson Menifee, G2W Vahva is out of a mare by Storm Cat’s grandson Harlan’s Holiday, Preakness winner Early Voting has a second dam by Storm Cat himself, and multiple G2W Wicked Halo has a second dam by Harlan’s Holiday.
Additionally, Gun Runner has had plenty of success with mares by Tapit, who is the sire of Itgetsgreaterlater’s own dam Sotto Voce (a $2.7 million yearling buy as a full-sister to G1W and stallion Cupid). Tapit is a son of Pulpit, and Itgetsgreaterlater is actually inbred to Pulpit 4×3, while Gunite’s own second dam is by Pulpit — meaning the foal from this pairing will have Pulpit 4x5x4. Inbreeding to Pulpit has been sparingly tried so far (only one foal inbred to him 4×4 has raced), but given his brilliance and the strength of his pedigree, we think it could wind up being a powerful pattern.
Physically, Itgetsgreaterlater is a tad average-sized, and she ought to really benefit from the infusion of leg and length that Gunite will bring to this equation — and will hopefully produce a big, pretty, commercial foal in 2025 that lights it up on the track down the road!