Runhappy turned in a stellar performance in Saturday’s $500,000 King’s Bishop S. (G1) at Saratoga, setting a stakes-record of 1:20.54 for the seven furlongs, which is just 0.34 seconds off the track record at the historic New York oval.
Runhappy is Super Saver’s second Grade 1 winner this month at Saratoga, with Embellish the Lace capturing the $600,000 Alabama S. (G1) a week ago. Super Saver is third on the Second-Crop Sire list with nearly $2.3 million in progeny earnings and is the only second crop sire with more than one Grade 1 winner in his first two crops.
Runhappy, who came into the King’s Bishop off a pair of victories at Indiana Downs and Ellis Park, broke from the outside in the field of 11. The bay colt got away good and battled to narrow lead after a quarter mile in :22.43 seconds. Flying through a half-mile in :44.54, Runhappy extended his lead to a length and a half.
The bay colt continued to pour it on in the stretch despite the rapid pace, widening his lead in the lane to win by four lengths over Limousine Liberal.
“We were pretty confident going in,” trainer Maria Borell said. “He couldn’t have been training any better and we wouldn’t have spent the money to come up here if we thought he couldn’t win. I was a little nervous at the early fractions but I knew he could do it. We really prepared him well at home. I knew he was good, but that was really good.”
Bred in Kentucky by Wayne Lyster, Gray Lyster & Bryan Lyster out of the Broken Vow mare Bella Jolie, Runhappy improved his record to four wins from five starts with earnings of $331,300. He was a $200,000 purchase from the 2013 Keeneland September Yearling sale.
“I’m overwhelmed,” Borell, who has trained Runhappy for his last three starts, all wins, said. “I knew he was a good horse or we wouldn’t have bought him up here. I’m just so lucky to have this opportunity now with this horse. I’d like to thank (owner) James McIngvale and his racing manager Laura Wohlers. He’s just an amazing horse.”
