There appears to be a vibrant future in retailer for 3-year-old Locked after his win within the Grade 2 $500,000 Cigar Mile Handicap introduced by Twinspires.com Dec. 7 at Aqueduct Racetrack.
The victory inevitably introduced ideas about what might have been. If not for an uncommon knee ligament difficulty that saved him away from the races for practically a 12 months, the Grade 1 winner at age 2 may need been a serious participant on this 12 months’s 3-year-old classics.
“It was unlucky timing as a result of the best way a few of the Triple Crown races arrange this 12 months, it could have suited him very effectively,” coach Todd Pletcher mentioned about Locked.
Whereas there is likely to be disappointment connected to the previous, after beating older rivals and drawing off within the stretch to a 1 1/2-length win in a race as prestigious because the Cigar Mile, there’s the very satisfying comfort of getting horse anticipated to be a high menace within the Grade 1 $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes introduced by Baccarat on Jan. 25 at Gulfstream Park, or the Group 1 $20 million Saudi Cup Feb. 22 in Saudi Arabia.
“Proper now, we’re eager about the Pegasus however the $20 million is hanging on the market,” mentioned possession spokesperson Aron Wellman. “It is one thing now we have to maintain on our radar.”
Contemplating what occurred to Locked, simply getting him again to the races concerned tons of fine fortune.
“I would be mendacity if I mentioned we weren’t devastated that we needed to take him off the Kentucky Derby path,” Wellman mentioned. “However wanting again on the damage and the individuality of it, we really feel very lucky to be on this place to showcase him once more.
A winner of the Grade 1 2023 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity at age 2, Locked, a son of Gun Runner, was third within the 2023 FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile introduced by TAA. Because of the knee damage, he didn’t race once more till he captured an Oct. 19 allowance non-obligatory claiming race at Aqueduct that satisfied his connections to level for the Cigar Mile.
Mullikin, exiting a third-place end as the favourite within the Cygames Breeders’ Cup Dash, surged to a short-lived lead in mid-stretch till jockey John Velazquez and Locked rallied from sixth and powered by him nearing the sixteenth pole. Locked prolonged Pletcher’s file variety of Cigar Mile wins to seven.
“I feel we have been lucky sufficient to have some wholesome horses at the moment of the 12 months and a few good milers to have the ability to run,” Pletcher mentioned.
For Velazquez, Locked, the 2-1 favourite ($6.30), gave him three victories in a row within the Cigar Mile and accounted for a record-matching fifth Cigar Mile win in his profession.
“It is unlucky that the Cigar isn’t a Grade 1 and I feel we might all agree in status it is a Grade 1 race and it was a Grade 1 area right this moment with out query,” Wellman mentioned. “Hopefully, the powers that be will rethink and reinstate its Grade 1 standing.”
Mullikin completed second by a size over the rallying Put up Time who settled for third.
Jockey Flavien Prat, extensively anticipated to win an Eclipse Award for his driving achievements this 12 months, tied a stakes file set by Irad Ortiz Jr. in 2022 by successful his 79th stakes race of the 12 months aboard Tizzy within the Sky for coach Todd Pletcher within the $200,000 Grade 3 Go for Wand Stakes.
An hour and a half later, Prat would take the file outright when Godolphin 2-year-old Poster narrowly gained the Grade 2 $250,000 Remsen Stakes to offer Prat 80 stakes wins this 12 months. Fifty-five of the wins have come on the graded stage, tying Corridor of Famer Jerry Bailey’s graded stakes file set in 2003.
“It has been a terrific season and I am very grateful,” Prat mentioned of the record-setting triumph. “It means quite a bit to me.” — Byron King
Godolphin’s Poster benefitted from an assertive experience by Prat to win his dust debut when capturing the $250,000 Grade 2 Remsen Stakes for 2-year-olds Dec. 7 at Aqueduct Racetrack.
For coach Eoin Harty, having a rider in a groove like Prat was a blessing as Poster rallied widest on the ultimate flip, grabbed the lead on the high of the stretch, after which held off a late bid by Aviator Gui to win by a nostril.
As a qualifying race on the highway to the 2025 Kentucky Derby introduced by Woodford Reserve, Poster picked up 10 factors in a race that has produced the winners of two Triple Crown races and the Longines Breeders’ Cup Traditional in its earlier three editions. Simply final 12 months, the Remsen winner was Dornoch, who went on to seize the Belmont Stakes and the NYRA Bets Haskell Stakes. The runner-up by a nostril, Sierra Leone, prevailed within the Longines Breeders’ Cup Traditional.
“If he can have the identical expertise because the horses who have been profitable on this race final 12 months, we will probably be very, very joyful,” mentioned Michael Banahan, Godolphin USA’s director of bloodstock.
Poster got here into the Remsen undefeated in two begins, each on the turf, however it’s not stunning the connections opted to offer him a attempt on dust earlier than the 12 months got here to an finish.
“Contemplating his pedigree, I do know the household’s ins and outs, I did not assume he’d have an issue with (dust) and I am glad to be confirmed proper,” Harty mentioned.
Now, Poster is within the Triple Crown combine with Godolphin stablemate East Avenue, who was the winner of Keeneland’s Grade 1 Claiboune Breeders’ Futurity and was favored within the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile introduced by TAA.
“When he gained at Keeneland (Oct. 12 in his second begin), we resolve to offer him a chance to see if he might add to our mixture of 3-year-olds on the dust,” Banahan mentioned. “This win provides us a terrific winter to dream about these horses. We’ll provide you with a plan to divide and conquer.”
Banahan mentioned East Avenue is at Honest Grounds with a possible goal of the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes.
Harty mentioned a return to New York for one of many 3-year-old Kentucky Derby preps is a risk for Poster.
Prat and Poster have been final within the area of six after the opening quarter-mile and because the leaders started to tire leaving the quarter pole, Poster swept previous them and grabbed a two-length lead in mid-stretch.
The lone menace to Poster got here Aviator Gui, who needed to anticipate room within the stretch then swung vast and chewed into the lead whereas lugging in however fell a stride in need of reaching the entrance.
Poster ($11.60) lined the space in 1:50.37 on a quick observe.
The second- via fifth-place finishers earned Kentucky Derby qualifying factors on a 5-3-2-1 scale. Tux completed third, adopted by Studlydoright in fourth.
Aviator Gui, educated by Chad Brown, picked up 5 qualifying factors for second. Brown, who additionally trains Remsen crushed favourite Keewaydin, mentioned he had “no excuse for his fifth-place end.” — Bob Ehalt
Muhimma improved her file to 3-for-3 for coach Brad Cox when taking the $250,000 Grade 2 Demoiselle Stakes for 2-year-old fillies Dec. 7 at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Cox has twice gained the distinguished Longines Kentucky Oaks, first with Monomoy Lady in 2018 after which two years later with Shedaresthedevil in 2020. Now, with rather less than 5 months to go earlier than the 2025 Longines Kentucky Oaks, Cox seems effectively positioned to probably win a 3rd. Apart from coaching Muhimma, Cox additionally trains the NetJets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner and all-but-certain champion 2-year-old filly of 2024 Immersive, and Good Cheer, the winner of the Grade 2 Golden Rod Stakes.
“I am pleased with what our crew has been in a position to do with these horses and I am pleased with the horses,” Cox mentioned. “We have been put in place with fillies which have responded and now our job is to show the web page on this 12 months and attempt to execute subsequent 12 months.”
Immersive and Good Cheer are first and second on the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard with 40 and 20 factors, respectively, and Muhimma vaulted into the highest 10 by selecting up 10 factors with Saturday’s victory. The highest 5 Demoiselle finishers earned Oaks qualifying factors on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale.
Although Muhimma had not raced in a stakes race or in a route earlier than the 1 1/8-mile Demoiselle, the general public anticipated her Demoiselle success, backing her to 2-5 favoritism. She lived as much as expectations, taking cost early below jockey Florent Geroux within the two-turn race from her inside put up, setting snug fractions, after which warding off a stretch rally from late-running Ballerina d’Oro to hit the end line a size in entrance. She was timed in 1:49.84 for the space and ran the closing eighth in :12.43. Muhimma returned $2.80 to win.
Liam within the Mud, who tracked the early tempo below Flavien Prat, completed third. 5 a Aspect was fourth, and Carmen’s Sweet Jar was fifth. — Byron King
