LOCKED, the 2/1 favourite gave jockey John Velazquez three victories in a row in the Grade 2 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct,

The colt beat older rivals, drawing off in the stretch to a length and a half win in a race, downgraded from a Grade 1 last year.

A winner of the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at two, the son of Gun Runner finished third in the 2023 Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, but a knee injury forced him off the track and he did not race again until an October 19th allowance win at Aqueduct.

After this win, it was inevitable that thoughts went to what could have been, he might have been a major player in this year’s three-year-old classics?

“It was unfortunate timing, because the way some of the Triple Crown races set up this year, it would have suited him very well,” trainer Todd Pletcher said about the colt, owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm.

Mullikin, favourite in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint when third, surged to the lead in the straight. But John Velazquez and Locked improved from sixth and powered by him nearing the half-furlong pole.

The colt still has big targets coming up, the January 25th $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes at Gulfstream Park or the February 22nd $20 million Saudi Cup in Saudi Arabia.

“Right now, we’re thinking about the Pegasus, but the $20 million is hanging out there,” said Aron Wellman of Eclipse on Blood-Horse. “I’d be lying if I said we weren’t devastated that we had to take him off the Kentucky Derby trail. He had a rare strain of a ligament behind his knee that was really difficult to detect. It was the morning of the Fountain of Youth that Todd wasn’t 100% happy with him. If not for Todd’s meticulous nature and his team, I don’t know if Locked would be able to showcase himself the way he is.”

Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (Group 1)

FIFTH favourite Arma Veloce claimed her first Group 1 victory and two-year-old fillies’ championship title on her third career start at Kyoto on Sunday.

Trained by Hiroyuki Uemura and ridden by Mirai Iwata, Arma Veloce broke smoothly and chased pacesetter Mistress in mid-division, close behind May Day Ready. The Harbinger filly circled wide into the straight and turned in a terrific turn of speed along the outside, powering past her rivals and drew away to win by a comfortable length and a quarter.

Vip Daisy was second and Teleos La La, a daughter of Irish 2000 Guineas winner Siskin, was third.

“It feels great to be able to stand here as a Group 1 winner after six years of waiting,” rider Mirai Iwata said.

“I had a feeling that the filly had great potential ever since I started riding her, and today, she justified that with great finishing speed,” Iwata added.

Race favourite Brown Ratchet (Christophe Lemaire) was a fraction slow out of the gate, having to sit a little further back than her usual, had little to show and was well beaten to 16th.

Fourth favourite May Day Ready (Frankie Dettori) broke sharply from stall 17, the Tapit filly appeared to have used up much energy after traveling wide throughout and faded soon after the final corner.