Photo:

Jon Putman / Eclipse Sportswire

If Locked goes on to win the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Classic, we can look back at Saturday’s performance in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap as the race where we discovered he was capable of doing so.

In his first start out west since belatedly rallying to be third behind his stablemate Fierceness in the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, Locked absolutely overwhelmed his competition.

Locked sets record winning Santa Anita Handicap.

Looking like a horse who wanted the classic distance of 1 1/4 miles all along, the son of Gun Runner took things to a new level against a group of overmatched rivals in the historic race at Santa Anita. Previously a winner of the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) at 2 and the Cigar Mile (G2) at 3, all his potential appears ready to be fulfilled.

The 8 1/2-length romp while wearing blinkers for the first time for trainer Todd Pletcher was a virtuoso performance that proves once and for all that Locked belongs in the discussion among America’s best horses.

He is far from alone at the top, however.

Fierceness, who was a champion in 2023 and near-champion again last year, returned to galloping this week at Palm Beach Downs after undergoing surgery following his brave second-place finish in last fall’s Breeders’ Cup Classic.

The talented Travers winner is back on track for his announced Grade 1 goals of the Met Mile, Whitney and another try in the Classic.

Although not nearly as impressive on Saturday, I believe you also can add Mindframe to the list of Pletcher’s standout 4-year-old colts. While his stablemates are both multiple Grade 1 winners, the strapping bay never had won a stakes race until Saturday.

His breakthrough came in the Gulfstream Park Mile (G2) in what was his first race in more than seven months. The son of Constitution displayed multiple gears and effortless acceleration on his way to a 1 1/4-length victory.

After two eye-catching wins at Gulfstream Park and Churchill Downs to begin his career, Mindframe quickly joined the best sophomores in the land and showed he belonged with second place finishes to Dornoch in both the Belmont Stakes and the Haskell (G1). His long awaited fifth lifetime start came Saturday, and it was a bit of a mixed bag.

There certainly was some of the old Mindframe in his return win. He seems to lose focus down the stretch, but his talent still shines through. The victory Saturday should be a building block for him to get significantly better as his 4-year-old season rolls on.

Of Pletcher’s big three, Fierceness has earned the right of top billing. If the four-time Grade 1 winner can come back an even stronger version of the excellent colt we saw in his first two seasons, he once again will be a force to be reckoned with.

While Pletcher has a trio of aces up his sleeve, it’s hard not to be excited about several other older horses we have returning to run in 2025. Having lamented how anemic America’s group of older males were last year, I must give credit to this year’s bunch.

Imagine a Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar in November which includes the three Pletcher stars in addition to the last two winners of the race Sierra Leone and White Abarrio.

Throw in the Japan star Forever Young and the super filly Thorpedo Anna, and you have the makings of one of the most potent editions of the big race in a long time.

We are still eight months away from the $7 million race, and in racing there are more things that can go wrong than go right. But for now I will celebrate what we do have.

A week ago overseas, Forever Young defeated Romantic Warrior in a sensational stretch drive of the Saudi Cup (G1). Pletcher’s Locked and Mindframe as well as dazzling Fair Grounds allowance winner Just a Touch showed promise of bigger things to come on Saturday.

This coming Saturday we get to see the return of the horse of the year Thorpedo Anna at Oaklawn in the Azeri Stakes (G2). Sierra Leone is working toward his debut. White Abarrio is thriving in South Florida. Fierceness is back galloping.

For the older horses, this year is looking like the exact opposite of last year.

Bucking a trend to retire early, and racing to breed rather than breeding to race, the connections of our best horses of 2024 have chosen to come back and run again in 2025. Clearly, the sport is better for it.