Gunnevera

Gunnevera made his racing debut on June 10, 2016, in a maiden race at Gulfstream Park, finishing second behind future stakes winner Three Rules. He finished fourth in his next start, again behind Three Rules, in the Birdonthewire Stakes. On July 16, he broke his maiden by making a late rally in a maiden special weight race at Gulfstream. Sano then moved him up to graded stakes company in the Saratoga Special Stakes on August 14, which he won with a last-to-first move. "Everything worked out great, we had a perfect trip," said jockey Javier Castellano. "Long term, he is going to be a really nice horse.".[12]

Gunnevera finished fifth behind eventual two-year-old champion Classic Empire in the Gr.I Breeders' Futurity Stakes. In his final start as a juvenile, he found the winner's circle in the Delta Downs Jackpot Stakes.[13]

Gunnevera made his three-year-old debut in the Grade II Holy Bull Stakes on February 4, 2017, finishing second behind Irish War Cry but ahead of favorite Classic Empire, who finished third. Gunnevera then won the Fountain of Youth in his next start, defeating multiple Gr.I winner Practical Joke, Three Rules, and Irish War Cry. The win marked Gunnevera as one of the early favorites on the 2017 Road to the Kentucky Derby. In his final prep race for the Derby, he finished a distant third behind rising star Always Dreaming in the Florida Derby, despite a closing drive.[14]

For the 2017 Kentucky Derby, Gunnevera was installed at 15-1 odds in a field of 20 horses. With Javier Castellano aboard, he finished seventh after getting caught in traffic at several points in the race. In his next start, the 2017 Preakness Stakes, Gunnevera was ridden by Mike E. Smith after Castellano opted to ride Cloud Computing, who won the race. Gunnevera finished fifth[15][16] but came out of the race with bleeding in his left hind leg and did not start in the Belmont Stakes.

Given a brief layoff to recover, Gunnevera returned on August 6 in the Tangelo Stakes at Gulfstream Park. He rated behind a slow early pace, then moved to the lead as they moved into the far turn. Under a hand ride, he drew away to win by five lengths. "My horse is back 100%," said Sano. "The race was very easy for him today. He's gained weight, he's very happy, and now we'll go to the Travers."[10]

On August 26, Gunnevera made his next start in the Grade I Travers Stakes at Saratoga. He was widely dismissed at odds of 20-1 on the morning line in a field of nine graded stakes winners, including the winners of the three Triple Crown races.[17] After being bumped hard at the start, Gunnevera dropped well back for the first half mile before beginning a sustained run on the backstretch. He circled wide on the final turn and moved into contention in mid-stretch while bearing in and bumping with Irap, who finished third. Gunnevera finished second behind West Coast, then withstood a stewards' inquiry into the interference with Irap.[18]

In the Breeders' Cup Classic held at Del Mar on November 5, Gunnevera faced older horses for the first time in a field that featured Horse of the Year candidates Gun Runner and Arrogate.[19] He raced far back for the first three-quarters of a mile, then closed to finish in a dead-heat with Arrogate for fifth place.[20]