DEL MAR, Calif. – Todd Pletcher’s Breeders’ Cup Classic quartet is now a trio. Locked, a multiple Grade 1 winner who is coming off a victory in the Grade 2 Woodward Stakes, was withdrawn from consideration from the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Friday. Since the Classic was scheduled to be his last race, Locked has officially been retired from racing. In March, it was announced he was going to stand stud at Gainesway Farm in Kentucky beginning in 2026. Pletcher said myriad things led to Locked being withdrawn from the Breeders’ Cup. “I didn’t think he worked that great last week, his gallops had been just so-so, he’s got a little filling in an ankle, all minor stuff; it just wasn’t coming together,” Pletcher said. :: BREEDERS’ CUP CLASSIC: See DRF’s special section with top contenders, odds, comments, news, and more The defection of Locked reduces the expected field for the Classic to 10 when entries close on Monday morning and post positions for that race and the other 13 Breeders’ Cup races to be run over Friday and Saturday are drawn Monday afternoon in the Del Mar paddock. Pletcher did work his three other remaining Classic hopefuls Friday morning in Saratoga. Fierceness, the 2024 Classic runner-up and recent winner of the Grade 1 Pacific Classic, went a half-mile in 48 seconds, with a final quarter in 23.80, per track clockers. He galloped out five furlongs in 1:01.20 and six furlongs in 1:13.40. Fierceness went in company with the 3-year-old maiden Hellacious, who was timed in 49 seconds. “We were looking for a decent half-mile without doing anything too fancy,” Pletcher said by phone from Saratoga. “The way he was going, effortlessly, yet you look down at your watch and it’s faster than it looks like he’s going. He galloped out with good energy, came back well. We’re pretty happy with it.” Later in the morning, Mindframe, the two-time Grade 1-winning 4-year-old, went a half-mile in 49.40 seconds, getting his final quarter in 24.40. He finished two lengths clear of the 3-year-old filly Ruth, a two-time winner, while galloping out five furlongs in 1:02 and six furlongs in 1:14. “I think everything’s gone according to plan, good work, real big gallop-out. He’s as good as we can have him coming into it,” Pletcher said. “We just hope the absence of that true race in the Jockey Club doesn’t affect us.” Antiquarian, the Jockey Club Gold Cup winner, went a half-mile in 48.60 seconds, out five furlongs in 1:01.20. He went in company with the 2-year-old maiden Lexington Pike, who was timed in 49 seconds. :: Get Breeders' Cup Betting Strategies from Brad Free and David Aragona for exclusive wager recommendations and play the races with confidence! Meanwhile, Locked, a son of Gun Runner out of the Malibu Moon mare Luna Rose, retires with a record of 6-1-3 from 11 starts and earnings of $1,911,825. At 2, Locked won the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity and finished third as the 2-1 favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile to his stablemate Fierceness. Locked missed most of his 3-year-old season due to a knee injury but made it back to win an allowance race and the Grade 2 Cigar Mile. At 4, Locked finished second in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park before dominating the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap by 8 1/2 lengths. After losses in the Grade 2 Alysheba and Grade 2 Suburban, Locked defeated two rivals in the Grade 2 Woodward at Aqueduct on Sept. 27. Sierra Leone, last year’s Classic winner, was scheduled to have his final workout Saturday morning at Saratoga. His stablemate, Contrary Thinking, was scheduled to work Saturday at Belmont Park. Sovereignty, the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes and Travers winner, had his first gallop over Del Mar’s main track on Friday morning. He arrived from Saratoga on Wednesday, jogged Thursday morning and trainer Bill Mott said he decided on the walk from the barn to the track to gallop Friday. “It was whether or not to give him another easy day or not and he seemed to have good energy and we just decided on the way up let’s go ahead. He looks good, he seems to be feeling good so we gave him his first gallop over the track,” Mott said. “I thought he was moving well, he looked very good out there.” Mott said Sovereignty would likely have his final work on Monday. Forever Young, who finished third in last year’s BC Classic and who this year won the Saudi Cup, had his first gallop over the main track Friday after being released from quarantine following his trip from Japan. “Shipped in great, settled in great, because it’s Del Mar we were here last year and we’re used to it,” said Hiroshi Ando, racing manager for owner Susumu Fujita. “We’re very happy to be back.” ◗ Juvenile favorite Ted Noffey worked a half-mile in 49 seconds at Saratoga in company with Swiss Army Knife.  Tommy Jo, a contender in the Juvenile Fillies, worked a half-mile in 47.80 seconds by herself.  :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.