By Steve Sherack
Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm's 'TDN Rising Star' and MGISW Locked (Gun Runner), a sensational winner of the GI Santa Anita H. Mar. 1, got back in the win column at odds of 6-5 in Saturday's scratched-down GII Woodward S. at the Belmont at the Big A meeting.
Locked chased in second and was ridden along by John Velazquez as favored Phileas Fogg (Astern {Aus}) led the field of three through fractions of :24.89 and :48.69. All in on the far turn and appearing to be heading in the wrong direction, Velazquez swung Locked off the rail in deep stretch and the chestnut found another gear finishing up in :12.12 to reel in the pacesetter by 3/4 of a length. Post Time (Frosted) finished third.
“He's a horse that you need to ride him,” Velazquez said. “He's not going to give you anything easy. You've got to ride him, ride him, and keep him as close as you can to the other horse, and then when I pulled him out, he responded nicely.”
Stu Hampson, assistant to winning trainer Todd Pletcher, added, “We are very pleased. He's an honest, hard-trying horse. He has an affinity for this track. By all accounts, this horse was back in old form in Saratoga when breezing. Today, when Johnny (Velazquez) put him in the clear, he did what we were hoping he'd do.”
Locked entered off a pair of disappointing performances, finishing fourth in the GII Alysheba S. at Churchill Downs May 2 and third as the 4-5 favorite behind Phileas Fogg in the GII Suburban S. at Saratoga last out July 4.
Locked's stacked resume also includes: wins in the 2023 GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland and the 2024 GII Cigar Mile H. at Aqueduct, a runner-up finish in the 2025 GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. at Gulfstream Park and a third-place finish in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita.
Locked was highlighted in our 'Second Chances' series following a debut third as a juvenile at Saratoga.
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}). The Gun Runner/Malibu Moon cross is already responsible for GISW 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 is also responsible for the unraced 2-year-old filly Code (Tiz the Law); a yearling colt by Early Voting ($525,000 KEESEP purchase by Bradley Thoroughbreds, agent); and a Gun Runner colt of this year. She was bred back to Gun Runner. Locked will stand at Gainesway Farm upon his retirement.
Saturday, Belmont The Big A
WOODWARD S.-GII, $261,000, Belmont The Big A, 9-27, 3yo/up, 1 1/8m, 1:48.11, ft.
1–LOCKED, 126, c, 4, 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
'TDN Rising Star' ($425,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners
and Walmac Farm; B-Rosa Colasanti (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher;
J-John R. Velazquez. $165,000. Lifetime Record: 11-6-1-3,
$1,911,825. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for
the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Phileas Fogg, 126, g, 5, Astern (Aus)–Merino, by More Than
Ready. ($55,000 3yo '23 KEENOV). O-Jupiter Stable LLC;
B-Godolphin (KY); T-Gustavo Rodriguez. $60,000.
3–Post Time, 126, h, 5, 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. $36,000.
Margins: 3/4, 3HF, NO. Odds: 1.23, 0.91, 3.53.
Also Ran: Awesome Aaron. Scratched: Film Star, Gould's Gold, Willy D's. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
🔒 LOCKED wins the Grade 2 Woodward Stakes with @ljlmvel aboard for trainer @PletcherRacing. pic.twitter.com/AkUxqnnSMp
— NYRA (🌳) (@TheNYRA) September 27, 2025
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