Photo: Jason Moran / Eclipse Sportswire showcases the remarkable moment. In New York, on Saturday, the three-year-old Locked defied the odds and emerged victorious in the highly anticipated Grade 2, $500,000 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct. This talented son of Gun Runner, sent off as the 2-1 favorite in his second start of 2024, was on a comeback journey that had kept him away from the road to Kentucky Derby 2024.

Unstoppable Locked's Track Triumph in the Cigar Mile

Locked's Pre-Race Journey

Locked, a former winner of the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) and third in the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, faced a setback when diagnosed with a ligament injury in his knee before the planned start in March's Fountain of Youth (G2). After nearly a year on the sidelines, Todd Pletcher's trainee made a triumphant return with a seven-length victory in an October allowance at Aqueduct. This set the stage for his remarkable performance in the Cigar Mile.The anticipation for this race was high, with a field of 10 horses including three recent Breeders’ Cup runners, three other Grade 1 winners, and five millionaires. A fast pace was expected, and it indeed unfolded as the 33-1 long shot Pipeline took the lead and set fractions of 22.87, 45.30, and 1:09.81 for the first six furlongs, along with the 3-1 second choice Mullikin.

The Race Itself

John Velázquez kept Locked clear on the outside and patiently waited for the right moment. As the race progressed, he started to close the gap. At the sixteenth pole, they got to the lead and went on to win by 1 1/2 lengths with a final time of 1:34.52. "We knew it was going to be pretty speedy, and he got a good post on the outside," Velázquez said. "He didn’t break that good, so I wanted to hustle him from there and then give him a little chance the first part of the race and in the turn. I got busy on him when I saw (Flavien) Prat’s horse (Mullikin) in front of me. I know he was quick, and I didn’t want him to open up too far, and then I couldn’t catch up with him. So I got him busy around the three-eighths pole and was right on top of him at the quarter pole and said now I think I got him."The win by Locked improved his career record to 6: 4-0-2 for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm. It also gave Pletcher a record seventh training victory in the Cigar Mile.

Post-Race Implications

Locked returned $6.30, 3.30, and 2.60 for an across-the-board wager. Mullikin, the only one of the early leaders to survive the fast pace and hit the board, finished second in a $2 exacta that paid $24.00. Post Time was the 7-2 third choice and completed a $2 trifecta that returned $62.50. At 28-1, Coastal Mission came from seventh to get the final spot in the $406.40 superfecta.Looking ahead to 2025, the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) on January 25 and the Saudi Cup (G1) on February 22 could be in Locked's future. "I’ll talk to Aron (Wellman of Eclipse) and the guys," Pletcher said. "The Pegasus is one of the things we talked about. Of course you’ve got Saudi Cup a month after that, so we’ve got some options."