Locked

Aron Wellman, the president and founder of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, has had big days, buy maybe nothing quite like the one he had last Saturday. Horses owned in part by Eclipse won the GI Santa Anita Handicap, the GII San Felipe and the GIII Herecomesthebride Stakes. And while that was going on he was putting the finishing touches on an agreement for his Big Cap winner Locked (Gun Runner) to stand at stud at Gainesway. With many subjects to cover, Wellman was this week's guest on the TDN Writers' Room...

Aron Wellman of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners joined this week's TDN Writers' Room after a huge weekend at Santa Anita for his partnership. The group co-owns GI Santa Anita Handicap victor Locked and GII San Felipe Stakes winner Journalism.

Multiple Grade I winner Locked (Gun Runner--Luna Rosa, by Malibu Moon) will stand at Gainesway upon his retirement from racing, according to a Gainesway release Wednesday. In his most recent start, the 4-year-old won the GI 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 and a 3 1/2 Ragozin for his dominant Big 'Cap victory. In his second career start, the $425,000 KEESEP purchase broke his maiden going a mile...

With less than five weeks remaining to Dubai World Cup night at the sprawling Meydan Racecourse Apr. 5, the American challenge for the $12-million main event is coming together, with at least two U.S.-based middle-distance gallopers targeting the 2000-meter contest. Wathnan Racing's Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}) has come out of his distant third-place effort to 'TDN Rising Star' Locked (Gun Runner) in Saturday's GI Santa Anita Handicap in good order and connections have accepted an invitation to the World Cup, Case Clay, Wathnan's U.S. advisor, confirmed Sunday. "Will pow-wow...

'TDN Rising Star' Locked (Gun Runner) has always been highly regarded. By one of the nation's hottest sires and sold for $425,000 as a 2022 Keeneland September yearling, he affirmed that regard with a Grade I win at two. Sent to the sidelines for nearly a year before coming back to win the GII Cigar Mile Handicap in his only stakes start at three, he opened his 4-year-old campaign with a second to White Abarrio (Race Day) in the Jan. 25 Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park before shipping...

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' President and Founder Aron Wellman advised via text Saturday morning that 'TDN Rising Star' Locked (Gun Runner), the two-back winner of the GII Cigar Mile Handicap and recent runner-up in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes, will pass up an invitation to the G1 Saudi Cup Feb. 22 and instead will focus on a domestic campaign for 2025. "While we appreciate the gracious invite and the purse money is tempting, we're going to focus on a domestic campaign, with our near-term goal being the Big 'Cap,"...

After fielding a team of four for last year's $20-million G1 Saudi Cup, a maximum of three horses and as few as just one horse already on the ground in Riyadh, could make up the American challenge for the 2025 renewal to be contested Saturday, Feb. 22 at King Abdulaziz Racetrack on the outskirts of the Saudi capital. Three of the four horses that took part in last year's running were each possible for a return trip, but none will ultimately travel. Last year's winner Senor Buscador (Mineshaft) was to...

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher is in the process of making plans for a trio of stable stars which includes the Florida-based River Thames (Maclean's Music), Gate to Wire (Munnings) and Locked (Gun Runner). WinStar Farm and CHC Inc.'s undefeated 3-year-old colt and 'TDN Rising Star' River Thames bounced out of his Feb. 1 optional claiming allowance victory in good order and will have plenty of options moving forward said Pletcher. The New York-bred bay romped by 6 1/2 lengths as the favorite going one mile in 1:36.34 on...

Hallandale, FL--As recently as last June, C2 Racing Stable, Prince Faisal bin Khaled bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud and Antonio Pagnano's White Abarrio (Race Day) was running for the come-backing Rick Dutrow Jr. after departing the Saffie Joseph Jr. barn. For Joseph, it was a tough pill to swallow given the striking grey had won a pair of graded stakes for him, including the 2022 GI Florida Derby. Give a second chance last summer to train the Grade I winner, Joseph made the most of the golden opportunity, landing Gulfstream's marquee test...

The English polymath John Ruskin, who was always hard at work scribbling a well-timed observation for some future generation to co-opt, said when it came to the weather, "Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather." Well, bully for you Mr. Ruskin! Send him a going stick and put him to work on the nearest turf course. Some might care to offer quite a different observation after recent events. What...

Hallandale, FL--The initial idea behind the GI Pegasus World Cup was rooted in the notion that Gulfstream Park's marquee race for older horses should attract the nation's top competitors to run for a lot of money before launching a championship racing season or heading off to the breeding shed. Of course, there was more nuance behind the earliest concept of the race, not to mention that others Pegasus Day events have been added since the initial renewal was run in 2017. However, the basic framework seemed to lend itself to...

Morning line 5-2 favorite Locked (Gun Runner) drew post 11 for Saturday's GI Pegasus World Cup during Sunday's draw at Gulfstream Park. Trained by Todd Pletcher on behalf of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm, the winner of last month's GI Cigar Mile has a single horse to his outside, that being the sole filly in the field, GI Alabama heroine Power Squeeze (Union Rags), who was given a 30-1 chance on the morning line. "He's a horse that we always felt would be better going longer, so we're looking...