Owner John Guarnere said he loved his horse, Howgreatisnate, heading into Sunday’s $100,000 New Castle showcase for Delaware certified three-year-olds and up.

One race later, the betting public sure loved Guarnere’s two-year-old filly Jumping the Gun, making her the overwhelming 1-9 favorite in the $100,000 Small Wonder Stakes for Delaware certified two-year-old fillies.

When all was said and done, both runners brought Guarnere to the same place: the winner’s circle.

Howgreatisnate ran down Haileysfirstnotion on the money to win by a nose, while Jumping the Gun simply overwhelmed her rivals, winning by nearly four lengths while geared down.

Jumping the Gun, by Gun Runner, improved to three-for-three for Guarnere, who races as Imaginary Stables, and trainer Andy Simoff.

“I kind of hate being 1-9 because you win or you’re disappointed,” Guarnere said. “Especially after winning [the prior race with Howgreatisnate], that just felt a little bit more pressure, like winning both of them.”

He needn’t have worried. Jockey Julio Hernandez had Jumping the Gun up close and outside leader Sweet Shenanigans early, and they glided up to and past the leader by the five-sixteenths, kicking away smartly to win by 3 ¾ lengths in 1:11.42 for six furlongs on a fast main track.

Doc’s Miracle and Thirst for Hope rallied for second and third, respectively. Jumping the Gun paid $2.20 to win.

Jumping the Gun is a homebred for Guarnere out of the stakes-placed Quality Road mare Breaking Bread. With Gun Runner seasons costing $250,000, Jumping the Gun is evidence of Guarnere’s efforts to upgrade his stock.

“I got into the breeding game about four or five years ago,” Guarnere explained. “I paid the money for stallions.”

He sure did. Guarnere said he has offspring of Gun Runner, Justified, American Pharoah, and Tiz the Law on the way from his six-member broodmare band.

Before Guarnere moved into the breeding game, Howgreatisnate was the stable’s standard-bearer. On Simoff’s advice, Guarnere paid $67,000 to buy the son of Speightster as a yearling, giving him to Simoff to train.

In Simoff’s barn Howgreatisnate rattled off four consecutive wins to start his career, including wins in the First State Dash and Parx’s Future Stars. He entered today, however, with just one win in his 10 subsequent starts and none in his last seven.

Back in Simoff’s barn after eight starts for others, and back on a track on which he’d won three of four starts, Howgreatisnate immediately rediscovered his winning ways.

Guarnere said that he expected that a lively pace would take its toll on the leaders, setting it up for Howgreatisnate’s late kick. That’s how it played out, too: fifth and last early, and still three lengths back in third with a furlong to go, Howgreatisnate and Hernandez surged to nip Haileysfirstnotion on the wire.

“I personally think he’s a better sprinter,” said Simoff, who had cross-entered Howgreatisnate in a two-turn race. “He just has that sprint closing kick.”

Either way, he was happy to get the four-year-old back in the barn.

“He’s my favorite horse I’ve ever had,” the veteran trainer said. “Just because, you know, you buy him as a baby and watch him do what he does, you know?”

Especially when what he does, for the most part, at least in Simoff’s barn, is win races.

As for the future, Guarnere said he’s turned down offers for Jumping the Gun. Given her breeding, and the facile way in which she won today, more offers are likely forthcoming.

“I’m in this game for this for the big races,” Guarnere said. “If you get in this game to try to make money, you’re crazy. Now they say you should take some offers. But I want to be in big races. I want to win a big race with a trainer like Andy Simoff.”