Locked To Miss Breeders’ Cup Classic; Retires to Gainesway

[Wandering Eyes]

MGISW Locked (Gun Runner–Luna Rosa, by Malibu Moon) will miss his intended start in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic due to an untimely illness. The 4-year-old has been retired from racing and will stand at Gainesway for the 2026 breeding season, according to a press release on Friday morning from the farm.

A son of leading sire Gun Runner, Locked is the second foal from Luna Rosa, a winning daughter of Malibu Moon and a half-sister to MGISW Gabby's Golden Gal (Medaglia d'Oro) and MGSW Always A Princess (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}).

The Todd Pletcher trainee broke his maiden by 7 1/4 lengths at second asking over the Spa main track that September, which garnered him a 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard. The colt netted the GI Claiborne Breeders' Cup Futurity at Keeneland and completed his 2-year-old campaign by running third in the GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

In his 3-year-old debut, Locked cleared an optional claimer during the Belmont At The Big A meet, then he scored weeks later in the GII Cigar Mile Handicap by defeating older horses, which included GI winners Mullikin (Violence) and Book 'em Danno (Bucchero).

At 4, Locked took the GI Santa Anita Handicap by a record-setting 8 1/2 lengths. The victory yielded strong metrics, including a 109 Beyer, 3 1/2 Ragozin, and negative 5 Thoro-Graph.

“From the moment we put a saddle on his back at Ocala Stud, Locked always presented himself as a superior talent,” Eclipse President, Aron Wellman said. “He was a star 2-year-old, returned at age 3 off nearly a year layoff after getting knocked off the Kentucky Derby trail with a rare injury, to come a tick off the track record for 7-furlongs at Aqueduct and then conquered older foes, including several Grade I winners, in the Cigar Mile. He was a troubled 2nd in the Pegasus World Cup and then set the record for the largest margin of victory in the Santa Anita Big 'Cap, only to close out his career with a logic-defying win in the historic Woodward. He was a stellar racehorse and with his natural athleticism, toughness, pedigree and looks, we are enthusiastic about his prospects of becoming a marquis stallion at Gainesway as an heir apparent to his sire, Gun Runner.”

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners campaigned Locked alongside Walmac Farm. The latest addition to the Gainesway stallion roster will retire with six wins from 11 starts and earnings of $1,911,825.

“Locked is an exciting stallion prospect of the highest caliber” said Gainesway's Antony Beck. “In his career, he demonstrated true brilliance and versatility from distances ranging from 7 furlongs to 1 1/4 miles. I couldn't be more excited about Locked's arrival at Gainesway and I look forward to breeding a large number of our best mares to him.”

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