Locked Looks To Bounce Back In The 2025 Woodward Stakes

Others to keep an eye on include:

Post Time

Post Time, the gray 2024 Maryland-bred Horse of the Year, won his last start by a colossal margin (17 lengths in the Sept 7th Polynesian Stakes), and has worked well since. He is laudably consistent while hitting the board an astounding 19 times in 20 races.

Phileas Fogg

Having been the leader after the first half mile in nine of his last 10 races, it’s safe to say this speedster will be your early leader.

This modestly bred gelding, who was once claimed for $62,500, yet had earned over $736,000, has been run down in deep stretch in two of his last three races.

That said, those races were longer than the distance in this race, so Phileas Fogg should appreciate the cutback in distance. With that in mind, betting on him in any capacity makes sense.

Gould’s Gold

Should Phileas Fogg set a faster pace than he would like, and assuming he takes some of the others in here along for the ride, and they all become rubber-legged late, this race could set up well for this stretch runner.

This gray colt has hit the board in 75% of his races. If you are looking for a long shot in here, Gould’s Gold could be your horse.

Fringe Players

Some of the horses in this race that have an outside shot include: Film Star, who has won back-to-back races but will be stepping up in class here.

Will D’s, who attracts Flavien Prat and is in career-best form right now, but will his best form be good enough against these?

Finally, there is Awesome Aaron, who, although he was beaten by a total of 36 lengths in his last two races, if he duplicates any of his prior three races, he could surprise a few people.

End Of My Locked Woodward Stakes Rant

Selections
1) Locked: towers over this field, and he would not have to run his best to win this.
2) Phileas Fogg: has the speed to take them “coast to coast”.
3) Post Time: If he duplicates his last race here, he is going to be tough to beat.

Little Bets N’ Pieces:

**** Multiple grade 1 winner Journalism, who on most people’s list ranks as the #2 three-year-old in the country behind Sovereignty, resumed training for the Breeders’ Cup Classic by working an easy half-mile last Saturday morning at Santa Anita.

Winner of the Santa Anita Derby, Preakness Stakes and Haskell, runner-up in the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes and Pacific Classic, went four furlongs in :48.1 after the 7:45 a.m. track renovation.

Trainer Michael McCarthy was not looking for any more than Journalism gave.

“First work back, easy half, galloped out strong,” McCarthy said afterwards. “Nice little freshener,” is how McCarthy described Journalism’s short break since his last start. McCarthy added he is “very” comfortable with the decision to train Journalism into the BC Classic.

**** Trainer Todd Pletcher’s trio of Breeders’ Cup Classic candidates returned to the work tab Thursday in Saratoga to prepare for the Nov 1, $7 million race at Del Mar.

* Mindframe, a two-time Grade 1 winner this year who lost his rider soon after the start of the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga on Aug. 31, went a half-mile in :49.3 seconds over the Oklahoma training track.

Pletcher confirmed that Mindframe will train up to the Classic, something Pletcher strongly hinted at the day after the Gold Cup.

* Antiquarian, who won the Jockey Club Gold Cup, worked a half-mile Thursday in :50.4 with Epic Quest.
“He’s doing great, came out of the race well,” Pletcher said.
Though John Velazquez rode Antiquarian in the Gold Cup, he is committed to ride Fierceness in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Pletcher said he has not yet decided who will ride Antiquarian in the Classic.

* Fierceness, last year’s Classic runner-up, who is coming off a victory in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Aug. 30, worked a half-mile in :50.1.
“I thought he came back terrific, handled the ship really well, came back with good energy, held his weight well,” Pletcher said. “He breezed yesterday like we’ve been accustomed to seeing. He was on cruise control throughout.”

While in the Pletcher barn, a pair of Grade 1-winning juveniles, Tommy Jo and Ted Noffey, also returned to work.

Tommy Jo, the Spinaway winner, worked a half-mile in :48.1 at Saratoga on Thursday, while Ted Noffey worked a half-mile in:49.1 on Friday.

Tommy Jo is being pointed to the Grade 1 Alcibiades at Keeneland on Oct. 3, while Ted Noffey is headed to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland on Oct. 4.