Locked continues comeback, powers to win in Cigar Mile
New York
Three-year-old Locked rallied from sixth place down the middle of the track to beat older horses Saturday in the Grade 2, $500,000 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct. The son of Gun Runner was sent off as the 2-1 favorite in his second start of 2024 as he completed a comeback that kept him from competing on the road to Kentucky Derby 2024.
Locked, who was the winner of the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) and then was third in the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, was diagnosed with a ligament injury in his knee before he was going to start in March in the Fountain of Youth (G2). After nearly a year on the bench, the Todd Pletcher trainee began his comeback with a seven-length victory in an October allowance at Aqueduct.
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“He came into the year with high hopes, and unfortunately we got sidelined for a little while,” Pletcher said. “But he came back and finished up the year the way he did and proved that a very good 2-year-old turned into a really good 3-year-old. It was unfortunate timing, because I think the way some of the Triple Crown races set up this year, it would have suited him really well, but that’s the way it goes.”
A fast pace was anticipated for this field of 10 horses that included three recent runners in the Breeders’ Cup, three other Grade 1 winners and five millionaires.
The 33-1 long shot Pipeline went to the lead and carved out fractions of 22.87, 45.30 and 1:09.81 for the first six furlongs along with the 3-1 second choice Mullikin. John Velázquez kept Locked clear on the outside and at that point started to close the gap. They got to the lead at the sixteenth pole and drew off to win by 1 1/2 lengths with a final time of 1:34.52.
“We knew it was going to be pretty speedy, and he got a good post on the outside,” Velázquez said. “He didn’t break that good, so I wanted to hustle him from there and then give him a little chance the first part of the race and in the turn. I got busy on him when I saw (Flavien) Prat’s horse (Mullikin) in front of me. I know he was quick, and I didn’t want him to open up too far, and then I couldn’t catch up with him. So I got him busy around the three-eighths pole and was right on top of him at the quarter pole and said now I think I got him.”
The win by Locked improved his career record to 6: 4-0-2 for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm. He gave Pletcher a record seventh training victory in the Cigar Mile.
Locked returned $6.30, 3.30 and 2.60 for an across-the-board wager. Mullikin was the only one of the early leaders who survived the fast pace to hit the board. He finished second in a $2 exacta that paid $24.00. Post Time was the 7-2 third choice and completed a $2 trifecta that returned $62.50. At 28-1, Coastal Mission came from seventh to get the final spot in the $406.40 superfecta.
Looking at 2025, the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) is Jan. 25, and the Saudi Cup (G1) will be run Feb. 22. They could be in Locked’s future.
“I’ll talk to Aron (Wellman of Eclipse) and the guys,” Pletcher said. “(The Pegasus) is one of the things we talked about. Of course you’ve got Saudi Cup a month after that, so we’ve got some options.”