LOCKED WILL TAKE ON LOCAL HOPES IN 88TH RUNNING OF THE GRADE I, SANTA ANITA HANDICAP SATURDAY AT SANTA ANITA

SANTA ANITA PRESSBOX —-

Locked (9) ridden by jockey Jose Ortiz in the post parade for the Breeders’ Futurity (Grade 1) on Coolmore Turf Mile Day at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Kentucky on October 7, 2023. Candice Chavez/Eclipse Sportswire/CSM

ARCADIA, CA (Feb. 24, 2025)— Locked, a Grade I winner for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, will make the cross-country trip from Florida to Santa Anita where on Saturday he will square-off with eight rivals in the 88th running of the Grade I, $300,000 Santa Anita Handicap for older horses going 1 ¼ miles.

The Santa Anita Handicap is part of a blockbuster program Saturday at The Great Race Place. In addition to the historic Big ‘Cap, the card will feature the Grade I Frank E. Kilroe Mile on turf, Grade II DK San Felipe for 3-year-olds on the Kentucky Derby trail and the GII Buena Vista for fillies and mares at a mile on turf.

Locked most recently rallied to be second in the GI Pegasus World Cup at 1 1/8 miles when making his 4-year-old debut Jan. 25 at Gulfstream Park. Previously, the Gun Runner colt took down the GII Cigar Mile in December at Aqueduct.

As a 2-year-old, Locked won the GI Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland before a third-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita. He will be ridden by Eastern-based jockey Jose Ortiz.

Owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm, Locked is 7: 4-1-2 with $1,481,650 in earnings.

Also shipping west for the Big ‘Cap is Hit Show for trainer Brad Cox. A 5-year-old horse by Candy Ride, Hit Show most recently rallied to win the GIII Louisiana Stakes going 1 1/16 miles at Fair Grounds on Jan. 18. It was Hit Show’s fourth graded stakes win for owner Wathnan Racing and upped his record to 16: 8-1-0 with $1,410,928 in earnings. He will have the services of last year’s Eclipse Award-winning jockey Flavien Prat.

Among the leading local hopes are the emerging Mirahmadi for trainer Bob Baffert, recent Grade II winners Katonah and J B Strikes Back for trainer Doug O’Neill, and 2022 Santa Anita Handicap winner Express Train for trainer John Shirreffs.

Mirahmadi comes in off a sharp front-running, 4 ½-length allowance win going a mile at Santa Anita Jan. 4. Since that breakout victory, the 4-year-old Into Mischief colt has fired off three consecutive bullet works including a six-furlong drill in 1:11.80 on Feb. 17 and another six-furlong work in 1:12.0 on Sunday.

Owned by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables et. al, Mirahmadi is 11: 2-4-2 with $203,740 in earnings. He will have Juan Hernandez aboard.

Katonah most recently won the GII San Pasqual going 1 1/16 miles by two lengths over runner-up Express Train on Jan. 25 at Santa Anita. It was the second stakes win and first graded victory for the 6-year-old gelding by Klimt. Owned by R3 Racing, Katonah is 17: 5-3-2 with $481,180 in earnings. He will be ridden by Tiago Pereira, who was also aboard for both previous stakes wins.

J B Strikes Back was a front-running winner of the GII Laffit Pincay Jr. going 1 1/16 miles when making his stakes debut Dec. 26 at Santa Anita. The 4-year-old gelding by Goldencents, who was claimed twice last year while still a maiden, is owned by Janie Buss’ Purple Rein Racing. He is 9: 4-0-0 with $191,660 in earnings. Antonio Fresu, who was aboard in the San Pasqual, retains the mount.

Express Train finished two lengths back of Katonah when second in the San Pasqual. The 8-year-old Union Rags horse, who was sidelined 18-plus months from October 2022 to April 2024, is seeking his first win since the 2022 Big ‘Cap. Express Train is 24: 7-6-5 with $1,543,800 in earnings for owner C R K Stable. Jockey Hector Berrios will ride.

THE GI SANTA ANITA HANDICAP WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN

POST POSITION ORDER

Race 10 of 11 Approximate post time 4:30 p.m. PT

Express Train – Hector Berrios – 120
New King – Mike Smith – 115
Hit Show – Flavien Prat -124
J B Strikes Back – Antonio Fresu – 119
Mirahmadi – Juan Hernandez – 116
Katonah – Tiago Pereira – 121
Locked – Jose Ortiz – 124
Midnight Mammoth – Armando Ayuso – 116
Tarantino – Edwin Maldonado – 118

First post Saturday is 12 p.m. PT. Admission gates open at 10 a.m.