Gun Runner’s brilliant 4-year-old Locked scored a runaway 8 ½-length victory in Saturday’s $300,000 Santa Anita H. (G1) in what was arguably the best performance of his career.
Racing in blinkers for the first time, Locked was close to the lead early on, but after being stuck four-wide on the first turn, settled back into fifth. He was still well off the pace three furlongs from the wire, then with a swift move, ran past the field with a full head of steam turning for home. He bounded clear of Express Train to win going away in 2:01.71 for the 10 furlongs on a fast track.
“He had the blinkers on today,” said winning rider Jose Ortiz. “I talked to [trainer] Todd [Pletcher], and he told me to be aggressive out of the gate and put him as close as I can and the horse will do the rest. The horse has a nice stride, when he gets into the stride he covers a lot of ground. I feel great to win a race like this with a horse like Locked, he is unbelievable. I really loved him since he was a 2-year-old.”
Ortiz was aboard Locked when he captured the 2023 Breeders’ Futurity (G1) at Keeneland. Locked also won the Cigar Mile (G1) in December and is now 5-1-2 in eight starts and has earned $1,661,650 for owners Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm LLC.
Locked was bred in Kentucky by Rosa Colasanti and sold for $425,000 at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling sale.
Locked is the latest of six black-type winners for Gun Runner this year, currently the highest number among North American sires for 2025.
