Graded-stakes winning stablemates Locked (Gun Runner) and Crupi (Curlin) have been confirmed to make their 2025 debuts in the Jan. 25 GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream, according to trainer Todd Pletcher Sunday.
Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm's Locked raced four times as a 2-year-old, including a win the GI Breeders' Futurity and a third to champion stablemate Fierceness in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile but was knocked off the Triple Crown trail earlier this year with a knee injury.
The TDN Rising Star made his return with a seven-furlong optional claiming allowance victory Oct. 19 at Aqueduct, where he followed up with a 1 1/2-length triumph over Aug. 24 GI Forego winner Mullikin in the GII Cigar Mile Dec. 7.
“It was his first time going a one-turn mile. He broke his maiden at Saratoga out of the Wilson chute, but it gave us confidence the way he ran in the seven-furlong allowance race first time back to try the Cigar Mile, and I thought it was a good effort,” Pletcher said. “He ran down a 4-year-old Grade I winner, so we're really happy with him. Hopefully, he continues to move forward. It was a solid race, good group of horses, and he was really good.”
Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's Crupi exits a fourth-place finish (promoted via DQ) in the Nov. 29 GII Clark, his fourth straight loss following a half-length victory in the 10-furlong GII Suburban June 8 at Saratoga.
Crupi has been third or better in 14 of 19 career starts with five wins and nearly $1.2 million in purse earnings. This year, the 4-year-old was runner up in the GI Whitney and GII Brooklyn and third in Gulfstream's Pegasus, beaten a total of 4 1/2 lengths by GISW National Treasure and Senor Buscador.
“I thought he ran pretty well last year,” Pletcher said. “He's the kind of horse that needs things to set up for him. He needs a solid pace up front, but he's been pretty consistent.”
Crupi was one of three 2024 Pegasus starters for Pletcher, along with Dynamic One (seventh) and Grand Aspen (11th). Prior to Life Is Good, he was fifth with Audible in 2019, and third with Neolithic and fourth with Keen Ice in 2017.
Pletcher has yet to win the GI Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf since it was renamed in 2022. Run as the GIII Marshua's River from 2001 to 2021, Pletcher won it three times with Bellavais (2019) and Sandiva (2016-17).
For next month's race Pletcher has Shadwell Stable's homebred Raqiya (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}), winner of her North American debut in the Nov. 2 GIII Goldikova at Del Mar. Before coming to the U.S., the filly won four of seven starts, capped by the July 31 GIII Oak Tree at Goodwood. Raqiya is scheduled to have her first breeze since the Goldikova Monday Dec. 16.
“She came here after Del Mar and has settled in nicely,” Pletcher said. “That was the first time I'd seen her. I know they were trying to get her into the [GI Breeders' Cup] Mile and that was sort of the backup plan, and she looked really good.”
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