TRIVIA question: Which horse carried five shoes to win the Whitney Stakes at Saratoga?

That is not a typo.

The answer is Gun Runner. Trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by Florent Geroux, the four-year-old son of Candy Ride picked up an errant shoe, thrown from pacesetter Cautious Giant, during the $1.2 million stakes at Saratoga last Saturday.

Undeterred, Gun Runner’s strolled to a five and a quarter-length triumph over Keen Ice and Breaking Lucky, all while carrying Cautious Giant’s shoe at the bottom of his chesnut tail.

As Asmussen’s brother, Cash said, “that’s the fastest that shoe ever went.”

Owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds and Three Chimneys Farm, Gun Runner posted nine furlongs in 1m 47.71secs, on his way to his ninth victory in 16 starts.

“He’s just incredible. He does everything so perfect. He always breaks sharp, he always takes a good position. He relaxes off horses. If he wants to go to the lead, he can take it. If somebody wants to go, he is fine. If nobody wants to go, it’s fine,” Geroux said. “Many people say he’s been going on the lead and honestly I’ve ridden him in his last 10 starts I’ve probably ridden him seven different ways. On the lead, off the pace, inside, outside, all kinds of different scenarios.”

Asmussen is awed by the gradual progression of Gun Runner.

“He has incrementally gotten better, which is the best scenario in the world, he was a talented-as-hell two-year-old, a very good three-year-old,” Asmussen said. “Florent said it best, ‘Every time I’ve gotten off him, I’ve gotten off a better horse.’ How awesome is that? That’s what separates them.”