By Steve Sherack
Making just his second start of the season, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm's 'TDN Rising Star' Locked (Gun Runner) made up for lost time with a powerful performance against older horses in a loaded renewal of Saturday's GII Cigar Mile Handicap at the Big A.
It was 1 1/2 lengths back to GI Forego Stakes winner and GI Breeders' Cup Sprint third Mullikin (Violence) in second. The overachieving Maryland-bred Post Time (Frosted), runner-up in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, rallied from the back for third.
One of the early-book favorites for the GI Kentucky Derby following a victory in Keeneland's GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity and third-place finish as the favorite in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile last fall, Locked missed a pair of intended starts earlier this spring, including the GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park Mar. 2. He was subsequently taken out of training by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher due to a knee injury.
Pletcher extended his all-time lead with his seventh Cigar Mile victory. He has won this race in three of the last four editions.
“He came into the year with high hopes and unfortunately, we got sidelined for a little while, but he came back and finished up the year the way he did and proved that very good 2-year-olds turn into really good 3-year-olds as well,” Pletcher said.
“We had a physical setback that we had to give him some time for. It was unfortunate timing because I think that the way some of the Triple Crown races set up this year would have suited him really well, but that's the way it goes sometimes.”
Off as the 2-1 favorite after returning from the shelf with an impressive 7 1/2-length victory–good for a career-high 97 Beyer Speed Figure–going seven furlongs at the Big A Oct. 19, Locked was ridden along in an outside sixth beneath Hall of Famer John Velazquez through fractions of :22.87 and :45.30. He hit the gas rounding the far turn, revved up three deep approaching the quarter pole and came rolling down the center to win with authority.
The Cigar Mile field of 10 also included GI Woody Stephens Stakes winner Book'em Danno (Bucchero) (fifth) and G1 Saudi Cup winner Senor Buscador (Mineshaft), who finished ninth after stumbling at the break. Both were backed at 5-1 odds.
“He showed up today and delivered at a distance that–he's shown he's very versatile, but I think his real strength is going to be getting him back around two turns,” Pletcher said. “He needed the start to get under his belt from the layoff and to set him up for a big performance like this.”
On a potential start in the GI Pegasus World Cup Jan. 25 at Gulfstream Park, Pletcher said, “I'll talk to Aron (Wellman of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners) and the guys. That's one of the things we talked about. Of course, you've got Saudi a month after that, so we've got some options.”
Wellman added, “I'd be lying to you if I said we weren't devastated when we had to take him off the Derby trail this spring because we really believed he was a bonafide Classic horse. That being said, looking back on the nature of his injury and the uniqueness of it, we just feel really fortunate to be in this position to showcase him again. Even his allowance win here, six weeks ago, was brilliant, he ran fast and now to win a race like the Cigar as a 3-year-old, it just puts an exclamation point on what has been, unfortunately, a brief but brilliant career. It is also unfortunate that the Cigar is not a Grade I. I think we'd all agree that in prestige, this is a Grade I race, and this was a Grade I field today, without question.”
Locked was featured in our 'Second Chances' series following a debut third at Saratoga last summer.
Pedigree Notes:
Hailing from the third crop of leading young sire Gun Runner, Locked was produced by a winning half-sister to MGISW Gabby's Golden Gal (Medaglia d'Oro) and MGSW & GISP Always a Princess (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}). Locked is one of 10 Grade I winners for Gun Runner.
The Gun Runner/Malibu Moon cross is already responsible for GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Sierra Leone and GSWs Shotgun Hottie and Runninsonofagun. Locked, a $425,000 Keeneland September yearling, is also bred similarly to MGISW and 'TDN Rising Star' Taiba (Gun Runner), who is out of a Flatter mare.
Luna Rosa, also responsible for the unraced, Japanese based 2-year-old colt Ask At Bat (Caravaggio) ($170,000 OBS April purchase by T B Bloodstock), had a filly by Tiz the Law in 2023 and a colt by Early Voting this year. She was bred back to Gun Runner.
LOCKED ($6.30), under @ljlmvel, took advantage of a 🌶️🔥 pace and flew home to win the $500,000 Cigar Mile (G2) at Aqueduct. @PletcherRacing trains the Gun Runner (@Three_Chimneys) colt for owners @EclipseTBP and @WalmacLLC.
Play the finale: https://t.co/R7YWKvTAyu pic.twitter.com/YVhmV9UcnV
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) December 7, 2024
Saturday, Aqueduct
CIGAR MILE H. PRESENTED BY TWINSPIRES.COM-GII, $500,000, Aqueduct, 12-7, 3yo/up, 1m, 1:34.52, ft.
1–LOCKED, 119, c, 3, by Gun Runner
1st Dam: Luna Rosa, by Malibu Moon
2nd Dam: Gabriellina Giof (GB), by Ashkalani (Ire)
3rd Dam: Paola Quatraro (Ire), by Cure the Blues
($425,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). 'TDN Rising Star'. O-Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm; B-Rosa Colasanti (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-John R. Velazquez. $275,000. Lifetime Record: GISW, 6-4-0-2, $935,650. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Mullikin, 124, c, 4, Violence–Tulira's Star, by Congrats. ($500,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Siena Farm LLC and WinStar Farm LLC; B-Fred W. Hertrich III & John D. Fielding (KY); T-Rodolphe Brisset. $100,000.
3–Post Time, 124, c, 4, Frosted–Vielsalm, by Fairbanks. ($85,000 Ylg '21 EASOCT). O-Hillwood Stable LLC; B-Dr. & Mrs. Thomas Bowman, Dr. Brooke Bowman & Milton P Higgins III (MD); T-Brittany T. Russell. $60,000.
Margins: 1HF, 1, 2. Odds: 2.15, 3.10, 3.70.
Also Ran: Coastal Mission, Book'em Danno, Pipeline, Repo Rocks, Nelson Avenue, Senor Buscador, Vinsanity. Scratched: Law Professor.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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