Photo:

Shamela Hanley / Eclipse Sportswire

Multiple Grade 1 winner Locked will stand at Gainesway in Lexington, Ky., upon his retirement from racing. The 4-year-old son of leading sire Gun Runner won the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap by a record 8 1/2 lengths.

Owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm, the Todd Pletcher-trained colt registered a 109 Beyer Speed Figure from Daily Racing Form and a 3 1/2 Ragozin for his dominant Big ‘Cap victory. This is his third consecutive triple-digit Beyer and fifth consecutive single-digit Ragozin.

Locked broke his maiden going a mile at Saratoga by 7 1/4 lengths and was awarded a 96 Beyer for that dominant performance in only his second start at 2. Locked followed up with an impressive victory in the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) at Keeneland before closing out the year with a third in the the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

“Locked displayed special talent from the onset,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “His tactical ability, brilliant turn of foot and demeanor are rare.”

Locked continued to impress as a 3-year old when he defeated older horses in the Cigar Mile Handicap (G2). This victory saw him triumph over fellow Grade 1 winners Señor Buscador, Mullikin, and Book’em Danno.

“Locked is exactly what we are looking to capture in a stallion at Gainesway. He has shown brilliance in his maiden victory at Saratoga and G1 win at 2. He has also shown versatility in his freaky performances ranging from seven furlongs to a 1 1/4 miles in graded events at 3 and 4,” Gainesway general manager Brian Graves said. “We are looking forward to what Locked can add to his resume as one of the top horses in training. He is a two-time Grade 1 winner by Gun Runner bred on a magic cross and in top form. The sky is the limit with Locked.”

With the Santa Anita Handicap victory, Locked improved to five wins from eight starts, with increased earnings of $1,661,650, all while never having finished off the board.

“To see him carry on his brilliance from his 2 year-old season to win the Cigar Mile at 3 at the stallion-making distance to proving his elite stamina with a record-setting Big ‘Cap triumph at the classic distance, he’s proven to be an extraordinary talent,” Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners president Aron Wellman said. “While we are bullish on the remainder of his 4 year-old campaign, we’re also so enthused for him to prove a potential generational stallion at Gainesway.”

Bred in Kentucky by Rosa Colasanti, Locked is out of the winning Malibu Moon mare Luna Rosa, who is half-sister to multiple Grade 1 winner Gabby’s Golden Gal and multiple Grade 2 winner Always a Princess. Locked was a $425,000 purchase at the 2022 Keeneland September yearling sale.