Locked to stand at Gainesway upon eventual retirement
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Locked, who recently won the Santa Anita Handicap to place himself among leaders of the older horse division, will stand at Gainesway Farm upon his eventual retirement, the farm has announced.
Locked, a 4-year-old son of Gun Runner, is co-campaigned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm. Gary Broad purchased Walmac Farm in 2018 and has reestablished its stallion operation, standing four horses for 2025.
Gainesway, with a roster led by Tapit, added four stallions for 2025.
“Locked is exactly what we are looking to capture in a stallion at Gainesway,” general manager Brian Graves said in a release. “He has shown brilliance in his maiden victory at Saratoga and Grade 1 win at 2. He has also shown versatility in his freaky performances ranging from seven furlongs to 1 1/4 miles in graded events at 3 and 4. We are looking forward to what Locked can add to his résumé as one of the top horses in training.”
Locked won the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at age 2 and finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. After physical issues forced him to miss the classics at age 3, he has reemerged to win three of four starts in his comeback. These include a win in the Grade 2 Cigar Mile last fall and a runner-up effort in the Pegasus World Cup in January after a poor start. Most recently, in the Santa Anita Handicap, he rolled by 8 1/2 lengths, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 109.
“To see him carry on his brilliance from his 2 year-old season to win the Cigar Mile at 3 at the stallion-making distance, to proving his elite stamina with a record-setting Big ‘Cap triumph at the classic distance, he’s proven to be an extraordinary talent,” Aron Wellman, president of Eclipse Thoroughbreds, said in the release. “While we are bullish on the remainder of his 4-year-old campaign, we’re also so enthused for him to prove a potential generational stallion at Gainesway.”
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