Eclipse Thoroughbred Companions and Walmac Farm’s Locked capped a brief however spectacular sophomore marketing campaign for Corridor of Fame coach Todd Pletcher with a 1 1/2-length rating within the Cigar Mile Handicap (G2) Dec. 7 at Aqueduct Racetrack.
In victory, Locked made it an ideal 2-for-2 in a marketing campaign that was abbreviated as a result of harm within the early a part of the yr. He made up for misplaced time with two strong victories on the Massive A this fall, scoring by 7 1/2 lengths in opposition to elders in a seven-furlong allowance dash in his first effort again in October, and following along with his rallying coup of the Cigar Mile over grade 1-winner Mullikin .
“He is doing glorious and got here out of the race in nice order,” Pletcher mentioned. “He is at all times been a extremely gifted colt. Bodily, he is made a pleasant development from 2 to three. He is received all of the bodily attributes, and what’s nice about him is he is additionally received an excellent thoughts to go together with all of the expertise.”
Within the Cigar Mile, Locked, winner of final yr’s Breeders’ Futurity (G1), confronted three different top-level winners and 4 millionaires, getting one of the best of his 9 rivals after stalking the tempo in sixth below Corridor of Famer John Velazquez. He steadily improved place to be inside one size of the outstanding Mullikin as he took over from tiring pacesetting Pipeline on the high of the lane.
Mullikin drove house strongly below Flavien Prat however Locked closed strongly within the six path to overhaul his foe within the remaining sixteenth and draw off to cease the clock in 1:34.52.
Pletcher praised Locked’s adaptability as he has posted robust victories in outstanding and stalking trend.
“Tremendous blissful along with his effort,” Pletcher mentioned. “He is just a little extra tactical as a 3-year-old and hopefully that may proceed, and he’ll recognize added distance. We had been happy along with his allowance race, in order that gave us confidence to run him again at a one-turn mile. He confirmed his versatility coming from off the tempo and put in a great, sustained closing run in opposition to a very good 4-year-old. For him to have the ability to do this in his second begin of the yr in opposition to older horses—it was an excellent race and one of many stronger Cigar Mile fields we now have seen shortly. An awesome outcome.”
Pletcher mentioned the Gun Runner chestnut will head south to Palm Seashore Downs Tuesday because the connections decide on the place the gifted chestnut will race subsequent. Potential targets embrace the Pegasus World Cup (G1) Jan. 25 at Gulfstream Park, and group 1 occasions within the Center East within the Saudi Cup (G1) and Dubai World Cup (G1).
“He’ll go away Belmont on Tuesday and arrive at Palm Seashore Downs on Wednesday morning,” Pletcher mentioned. “I’ve received to speak to Aron [Wellman of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners] and give you a agency recreation plan. We have actually talked in regards to the Pegasus being the doubtless subsequent objective, however we’ll must have a dialogue about Saudi and Dubai and if we’re taken with these. For the second, we’ll get pleasure from this win and get him all the way down to Palm Seashore Downs and agency up a recreation plan then.”
In victory, Pletcher secured a record-extending seventh Cigar Mile win, whereas Velazquez equaled Corridor of Famer Jerry Bailey’s jockey document of 5. Velazquez has gained the previous three Cigar Miles after taking the 2022 version with the Pletcher-trained Thoughts Management and repeating final yr with the Dallas Stewart-trained Hoist the Gold.
Pletcher spoke of the success he and his fellow Corridor of Famer have had collectively in three collaborative Cigar Mile wins and in different latest marquee races with champion 2-Yr-Previous Colt Fierceness and twin champion Malathaat .
“It has been a terrific, mutually useful relationship for an extended, very long time, and it is an actual credit score to Johnny’s means to proceed to journey on the highest stage for thus a few years,” Pletcher mirrored. “He appears to be using as properly and even higher as ever and gave Locked the right journey yesterday—knew when to pedal and knew when to settle just a little. We at all times have a ton of confidence when he have Johnny on board. That was a enjoyable win for all of us.”
Pletcher’s profitable Saturday on the Massive A additionally included a breakthrough victory by KimDon Racing’s Tizzy within the Sky , who made the grade within the one-mile, $200,000 Go for Wand (G3) off a six-month layoff.
The 5-year-old daughter of Sky Kingdom rated in second 1 1/2 lengths off the tempo set by Rachel’s Rock and took command by way of the flip below Prat. The favored Occult got here storming down the middle of the course with Film Moxy following swimsuit to threaten the brand new chief, however Tizzy within the Sky dug in gamely to fend off her challengers by a half-length.
“She got here again properly and that was an excellent win for her to get that graded stakes win,” Pletcher mentioned. “I believed it was a gutsy effort on her half contemplating it was a reasonably strong tempo. It seemed like they had been closing in on her, however she saved discovering extra to carry everybody off.”
Cox Undecided on Muhimma’s subsequent begin
Twin Eclipse Award-winning coach Brad Cox confirmed off one other robust juvenile filly to his arsenal Saturday when Shadwell Steady’s Muhimma remained undefeated with a one-length triumph within the $250,000 Demoiselle Stakes (G2) for juvenile fillies at 1 1/8 miles at Aqueduct Racetrack.
In victory, the daughter of Munnings secured the utmost allotment of the 10-5-3-2-1 Kentucky Oaks (G1) qualifying factors awarded to the top-five finishers. Cox mentioned the filly’s profitable first foray round two turns might imply a shiny future in subsequent yr’s high grade 1 occasions for fillies and mares.
“We realized so much yesterday and it offers you confidence,” Cox mentioned. “She will be able to deal with two turns and the space, and the mile and an eighth is clearly the Kentucky Oaks, the CCA Oaks, the Breeders’ Cup Distaff… stuff like that. It is so much, however we expect she’s very particular and it was good to see her deal with the space.”
Muhimma entered with an ideal 2-for-2 document after dominant open-lengths dash victories with pace-pressing journeys in September and November at Churchill Downs. Within the Demoiselle, she led at every level of name below common pilot Florent Geroux and gamely turned again the oncoming Ballerina d’Oro to win in a remaining time of 1:49.84.
Cox mentioned he was happy with Muhimma Sunday morning at his Belmont Park barn.
“She seems nice. We’ll ship her south and I am unsure when,” Cox mentioned. “We’ll again off her for just a little bit after which get her again [training]. Undecided the place we’re going along with her but.”
Muhimma joins a number of grade 1-winner and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) champ Immersive , grade 2-winner Good Cheer, graded stakes-placed Eclatant and listed stakes-winner Stunner as high contenders on this division for Cox, who mentioned Muhimma has stamped herself as an elite prospect.
“Proper now, she’s top-three,” Cox mentioned, with amusing. “She’s good. Superb.”
Poster profitable in stakes debut
Godolphin’s Kentucky homebred Poster earned robust velocity figures for his slender nostril victory over Aviator Gui in Saturday’s $250,000 Remsen Stakes (G2), a 1 1/8-mile route for 2-year-olds at Aqueduct.
In victory, the Eoin Harty trainee secured 10 Kentucky Derby qualifying factors, matching the factors tally earned one week earlier by stablemate and fellow Godolphin Kentucky homebred First Resort within the Kentucky Jockey Membership Stakes (G2) at Churchill.
Poster, with record-setting jockey Flavien Prat aboard, rated off the tempo within the early operating earlier than making a daring transfer by way of the flip and opening up a two-length benefit on the stretch name. He stayed on robust to the wire to show again the lugging-in Aviator Gui by a nostril and cease the clock in a remaining time of 1:50.37.
“I believed it was a great effort. He ran extraordinarily properly. He dealt with the space, and he dealt with the observe – he took loads of filth, and took that in stride,” Harty mentioned. “When he hit the entrance, it seemed like he was trying round a bit, however he saved to his activity. It was a studying expertise. He is younger and immature, nevertheless it’s hopefully a stepping stone to larger and higher issues.”
The successful effort additionally supplied Prat along with his eightieth stakes win of the yr, surpassing Irad Ortiz, Jr.’s single-season document set in 2022. Prat is now at 55 graded stakes wins, equaling Jerry Bailey’s 2003 document.
Harty credited Prat with pushing the button on the successful early transfer.
“That is what jocks do after they’re using on the high of their recreation,” Harty mentioned.
Poster made his filth debut within the Remsen following a pair of one-mile wins on turf, graduating in August at Ellis Park and following with an allowance rating in October at Keeneland that garnered a 69 Beyer.
“The route wasn’t going to be an issue. He is an enormous horse and he is by no means run at any distance shorter than a mile. I had no reservations in regards to the distance,” Harty mentioned. “The filth is at all times a query and, in some unspecified time in the future, you might want to discover out if they’ll deal with it or not and yesterday was the day.
“He is improved with each race,” added Harty. “It is good to know he does not have a most popular floor. However presently, at this juncture of his profession, I am unable to see him operating on turf any time quickly.”
This press launch has been edited for content material and elegance by BloodHorse Workers.
