Locked stood up in the last jumps to collar paceter Phileas Fogg. (Adam Coglianese/NYRA)
By Keith McCalmont
Ozone Park, NY – Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm’s Closed stood up in the last jumps to collar Spijker Phileas Fogg and captured Grade 2, $ 300,000 Woodward on Saturday, a route of nine furlong for 3-year-olds and up, in Belmont on the Big A.
The Woodward scratched for a field with three horses after Willy D’s had chosen to walk in the classic in Churchill Downs today in the Lukas Classic, while the trio Awesome Aaron, Film Star and Gould’s Gold is introduced in Sunday’s Batterijpark in Delaware Park.
Locking, bragging Hall of Fame connections by trainer Todd Pletcher and Jockey John Velazquez, stalked from the second position while the Kendrick Carmouche-Pilotated Phileas Fogg showed the road, while it was good outside the Rail by splits of 24.89 seconds, 48,69 and 1: 48,69 and 1: 48,69 and 1: 48,69 and 1: 48.69 and 1: 48,69 and 1: 48,69 and 1: 48,69 and 1: 48.69 and 1: 48,69 and 1: 48,69 and 1: 48,69 and 1: 48,69 and 1: 1: 12.69 and 1: 1: 12.69 and 1: 1: 12.69 and 1: 1: 12.69 and 1: 1: 12.69 and 1: 1: 12.69 and 1: 1: 12.69 and 1: 1: 12.69 and 1: 1: 12.09 spurs.
Post time went to the outside of a scrubbed-on locked in the last turn when Phileas Fogg maintained an advantage of 1/2 length of the length at the stretch call. Post time his wheels turned in the upper part and a closed rail runs seemed unable to take the ground on the leader until he was tipped out within the last sixteenth. Phileas Fogg dug in Gamely but locked would not be refused the three-quarters-length victory in a recent period of 1: 48.11. It was 3 1/2 lengths back to take the time in third place.
“It is a race with three horses, so you have to change everything when they are three horses. It’s about the horse to allow you to do what you want to do,” Velazquez said. “He allowed me [do] Whatever I wanted to do, and I know Kendrick, he is a smart guy. He will park me there, so I think I’m going to be inside and when he sees me, he will come back. He drove a really good race because he waited past the three-sixteen pole to the eighth post to see me and then come in. Once I was, I was close enough that I would get there to get there and my horse answered. “
Locked up, a 4-year-old Chestnut from the Waproper, is a double 1 winner with scores in the Future of the 2023 in Keeneland and the Santa Anita Handicap in March. He completed his second -year season in December here with an impressive score in the grade 2 Cigar Mile Handicap.
Locked, who made his first start since he finished third to the victorious Phileas Fogg in the degree 2 Suburban presented by Subourbon on July 4 in Saratoga, Spletcher offered a non -standing record sixth Woodward victory after previous victories with lawyer Ron [2007]Quality roads [2010]Liam’s map [2015]Life is good [2022] and Tapit Trice [2024].
“We are very satisfied. He is an honest, hard-try-horse,” said Pletcher assistant Stu Hampson. “He has an affinity for this number. According to all accounts, this horse was back in old form in Saratoga while blowing. Today, when Johnny [Velazquez] Turn it off, he did what we hoped he would do.
“It was a difficult race [with three horses]. We cannot determine what we cannot control, “Hampson added.” The pace scenario today was one of those things, but we knew this horse was doing great. He loves this song, and we had a Hall of Famer in the saddle, and luckily we ended up on the right today. “
Carmouche said that the Gustavo Rodriguez trained Phileas Fogg was brave with defeat.
“Perfect journey. Perfect fractions have just been run. No excuse,” said Carmouche. “I thought that was locked up a horse that did not get the recoil in his face [would mean] He would run a little better. I thought so much. He could have stayed a little closer to me, but I don’t get the dirt in his face and I said, “That will be the determination the last quarter of a mile.” As you can see, he came back clean, and that is the one who drove me down. My horse ran out of his heart, just the second best today. “
Locked wins the grade 2 Woodward Stakes with @ljlmvel On board for trainer @Pletcherring. pic.twitter.com/akuxqnnnsmp
– NYRA () (@Thenyra) September 27, 2025
Bred in Kentucky by Rosa Colasanti, a lock of $ 165,000 concluded to victory and improved his record to 11-6-1-3. He returned $ 4.46 for a $ 2 win as the 6-5 second choice. A purchase of $ 425,000 on the yearling sale of Keeneland September, has been locked from the winning Malibu Moon Mare Luna Rosa, a half-sister of several Graded Stakes winners Gabby’s Golden Gal and always a princess.
Live racing resumes on Sunday in Belmont on the Big A with a nine-race card with the Gio Ponti of $ 150,000 in race 8. The first post is 13:10 hours Eastern.
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