Saratoga: Locked leads G2 Suburban presented by Subourbon; G3 Manila Preview

Posted On 30 Jun 2025

By Christian Abdo —-

Locked leads G2 Suburban presented by Subourbon

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm’s Locked looks to return to top form in Friday’s Grade 2, $400,000 Suburban presented by Subourbon, a 1 1/4-mile test for older horses, during the July 4th Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, the 4-year-old Gun Runner chestnut enters from a last-out fourth in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 Alysheba on May 2 at Churchill Downs in which stablemate Fierceness set a track record and Locked launched a belated wide rally.

Locked entered that spot from a career-best 109 Beyer Speed Figure two starts back when capturing the 10-furlong Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap by 8 1/2 lengths on March 1 at its namesake oval.

“He’s doing well,” said Aron Wellman of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners. “We are looking forward to running him. That was a little bit of a distorted race last time in the Alysheba, so I’m not entirely sure what to make of that, but we are looking forward to getting him back to one mile and a quarter, which we know he thrives at.

“The Suburban is a good opportunity to get him back to that distance,” Wellman continued. “It won’t be an easy race by any means, it will be a strong field, but we are going in with confidence.”

Locked added blinkers for the Santa Anita Handicap after a slow-starting runner-up finish in Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational on January 25 at Gulfstream Park.

“We tinkered with the idea of adding blinkers for a long time,” Wellman said. “His form was always so strong that we didn’t want to make any equipment changes. The time was right before the Santa Anita Handicap after he was sluggish out of the gate when second in the Pegasus, and obviously they did the trick.”

Locked [post 4, Jose Ortiz] boasts a 9-5-1-2 record with in excess of $1.6 million in earnings, with other notable victories in the 2023 Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland and the Grade 2 Cigar Mile Handicap presented by TwinSpires in December at Aqueduct Racetrack. He was also third in the 2023 Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita Park ahead of an extended layoff. He made his first two career efforts at the Spa, graduating second-out going one mile in September 2023.

“Since the Alysheba, we have had this race in mind,” said Wellman. “Todd took a minute to refresh and rejuvenate him after the trip to Kentucky, and he’s been at Saratoga since, where he has run well previously going short on debut and at one-mile to graduate second out, which earned [Thoroughbred Daily News] Rising Star status. We’d like to think there is a little bit of home court advantage.”

Locked, a $425,000 purchase at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, is out of the winning Malibu Moon mare Luna Rosa. His second dam, Gabriellina Giof, produced dual Grade 1-winner Gabby’s Golden Gal and multiple graded stakes-winner Always a Princess.

Pletcher also sends out Centennial Farms’ Antiquarian [post 7, John Velazquez] off a 1 1/4-length second to Mystik Dan in the nine-furlong Grade 3 Blame on May 31 at Churchill Downs. The 4-year-old son of the Centennial Farms-campaigned Preservationist was making his second start of the year after a 2 1/2-length victory sprinting seven furlongs in April at Gulfstream Park.

Antiquarian captured last year’s Grade 3 Peter Pan at Belmont at the Big A en route to a fifth in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets. He was a $250,000 purchase at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale out of the winning Istan mare Lifetime Memory and his second dam is Grade 3-winner Silver Reunion, who produced Grade 2-winner Speaktomeofsummer.

Pletcher has won the past three editions of this race with Dynamic One, Charge It and Crupi [2022-24], in addition to a past score with Keen Ice [2017].

Turman Racing Stable and AJ Suited Racing Stable’s Awesome Aaron [post 8, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] has been awesome of late and streaks into Friday’s contest for trainer Norm Casse.

The 6-year-old Practical Joke gelding was haltered for $40,000 out of a win in September at Churchill Downs and has shown marked improvement for his new connections, culminating with a last-out three-quarter-length score over returning rival Phileas Fogg in the Grade 3 Pimlico Special, going 1 3/16 miles on fast and sealed dirt, on May 16 at its namesake oval.

“I’m excited for this spot and he seems to be getting better every start for us,” said Casse. “We picked out this race right after the Pimlico Special and we feel that we are doing everything in our power to give him the best chance to win. I got up to Saratoga earlier than usual and we gave him four breezes over the main track to let him get acclimated and he seems to love it up there. All very encouraging signs.”

In the Pimlico Special, Awesome Aaron traveled about three lengths off the pace under Hall of Famer John Velazquez during the early and middle stages, before making a wide-bid in the stretch to collar his pace-pressing returning foe Phileas Fogg and make the grade in his 34th start.

Awesome Aaron’s 7-1 odds may have been an overlay seeing that the bay entered from a career-best 104 Beyer Speed Figure in a 1 1/16-mile optional claimer when removing blinkers in April at Oaklawn Park.

“With blinkers on, he has a really high cruising speed but he was a little bit too aggressive to finish the races the way he needed to,” said Casse. “The last piece of the puzzle was to take the blinkers off, he’s still aggressive, but he gives himself more of a breather now, which has made a big difference.”

Casse said Awesome Aaron is versatile enough to make his own luck.

“He’s handy. We can put him where we want to be,” said Casse. “You obviously have to bring your ‘A game’ anytime they put up big money and you’re in a graded stakes, but we are excited about how Awesome Aaron is doing.”

Jupiter Stable’s Phileas Fogg [post 1, Kendrick Carmouche] will look to avenge his last-out defeat in the Grade 3 Pimlico Special, where he pressed the pace set by Encino. For trainer Gustavo Rodriguez, the 5-year-old Astern gelding has won 4-of-6 efforts and was second in the other two.

“It is going to be another tough race,” said Rodriguez. “He ran good last time, but I didn’t like that they sealed the track before the race. Right from the start, he was not comfortable, he was switching leads back and forth. There was a big thunderstorm coming, so they sealed the track, but everything else was good.”

Phileas Fogg, a $62,500 claim last July at Saratoga, has since captured the Listed Excelsior and Listed Queens County at Aqueduct Racetrack. He has been in first or second position at every first call for current connections, and figures to be a likely pace presence once again.

Ribble Farms and K E M Racing Stable’s Honor Marie [post 6, Ben Curtis] won the 1 1/2-mile Listed Isaac Murphy Marathon last out on April 30 at Churchill Downs. Trained by Whit Beckman, the 4-year-old Honor Code bay secured his first win since the 2023 Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club in November 2023 there.

Honor Marie should be a familiar name to most handicappers, as he ran eighth in last year’s Grade 1 Kentucky Derby and fourth in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes ahead of an off-the-board finish in the Grade 1 DraftKings Travers– the latter two contested at Saratoga.

Winchell Thoroughbreds’ Kentucky homebred Disarm [post 2, Joel Rosario] has also done a fair bit of running at the Spa, graduating second-out in August 2022 and notably securing Grade 1 placings in the 2023 Travers and 2024 Jockey Club Gold Cup. Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, the 5-year-old Gun Runner chestnut was fourth last out in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap at its namesake oval after a winning seasonal debut in March there.

Rounding out the field is multiple graded/group-placed Bendoog [post 5, Jose Lezcano] for Hall of Famer Bill Mott and Grade 3-placed San Siro [post 3, Luis Saez] for trainer Brendan Walsh.

The Suburban is slated as Race 10 on Friday’s 11-race card, which also features the Grade 1, $750,000 Belmont Derby Invitational [Race 9], the Grade 3, $200,000 Manila [Race 8], and the Listed $150,000 Schuylerville [Race 2] and Harvey Pack [Race 11]. Statistics for the 37-day Belmont at the Big A spring/summer meet will include the July 4th Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.

America’s Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the July 4th Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule/.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Saratoga Race Course, and the best way to bet every race of the July 4th Racing Festival. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

Strate Cash looks to get the money in G3 Manila

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Belladonna Racing’s Strate Cash will look to make his first start for new connections a winning one in Friday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Manila, a one-mile inner turf test for 3-year-olds on Day Two of the July 4th Racing Festival, at Saratoga Race Course.

The Manila is slated as Race 8 on a stacked Independence Day card headlined by the Grade 1, $750,000 Belmont Derby Invitational in Race 9. The program is supported by the Grade 2, $400,000 Suburban presented by Subourbon in Race 10; the Listed $150,000 Harvey Pack in Race 11; and the Listed $150,000 Schuylerville in Race 2. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern. Statistics for the 37-day Belmont at the Big A spring/summer meet will include the July 4th Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course.

Strate Cash [post 10, Brian Hernandez, Jr.] will make his stakes debut for new connections after being privately purchased following an impressive 3 1/2-length maiden win for trainer Richard Baltas in March traveling six furlongs over firm turf at Santa Anita Park.

There, the Kentucky-bred son of Tiz the Law broke outward from the outermost post 5 under Flavien Prat before settling into an outside stalking position. Strate Cash, the 2-5 mutuel favorite, was last-of-5 into the turn but responded with a tremendous turn-of-foot when asked to join the leaders and make it three across the track turning for home. Strate Cash surged clear once straightened away to score in a final time of 1:09.17 while galloping out far in front of the competition. The winning effort registered an 83 Beyer Speed Figure.

Paul Manganaro is a founding member and co-owner of Belladonna Racing, which includes David Ingordo as Manager and DeVaux as head trainer.

Manganaro said the turn-of-foot shown by Strate Cash on debut was impressive.

“Cherie is a very good judge of talent and when she likes a horse, we like a horse,” Manganaro said. “You could see the talent there and with some experience and the tutelage of being under Cherie, I think there’s big potential there. He’s shown enough to get the barn interested, for sure.”

Strate Cash returned to the work tab in May in Kentucky and has posted his two most recent breezes over the Oklahoma dirt training track at Saratoga Race Course, including a half-mile in 49.66 seconds on June 23.

However, it is the significant pedigree of Strate Cash that intrigues Manganaro most. The dark bay is out of the stakes-winning Not Bourbon mare Conquest Strate Up, making Strate Cash a half-brother to Classical Cat, winner of the 2022 Listed Eddie Logan traveling one-mile on the Santa Anita turf. His second dam, the winning Hadif mare Deputy, is a half-sister to Hall of Famer Curlin.

“I’ve been in the racing and breeding business for over 30 years and, as we all know, a good horse can come from anywhere, but one constant that I’ve found in my program is these deep, productive families with quality usually keep repeating themselves. They might skip a generation, too, but they’ll come back,” Manganaro said.

Manganaro said he is hoping his Belladonna Racing partners will enjoy a winning experience on Friday.

“We have partners that really enjoy racing at Saratoga,” Manganaro said. “It wouldn’t matter if it was a maiden claiming, maiden special weight or a stakes race – any win at Saratoga is very appreciated. We respect that it’s not easy to do, so any win there becomes extra special.”

DeVaux also entered Reagan’s Wit [post 5, Jose Ortiz], victor of the James W. Murphy on May 17 at Pimlico Race Course, who was scratched from the American Derby today at Churchill Downs.

Owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, David Ingordo and CJ Stables, the Authentic chestnut graduated in January at Fair Grounds before running a close second to returning rival Zulu Kingdom in the Columbia in March at Tampa Bay Downs and fourth, as the favorite, in the Grade 3 Transylvania in April at Keeneland.

The $135,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase is a half-brother to the dual graded stakes-placed Reagan’s Edge, who ran second to Frank’s Rockette in the 2020 Grade 2 Prioress at Saratoga.

Five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown will send out a formidable pair in multiple graded stakes-winner Zulu Kingdom [post 4, Flavien Prat] and impressive maiden winner Uncatalyzed [post 6, Irad Ortiz, Jr.]

Zulu Kingdom, by Ten Sovereigns, scratched out of Friday’s Grade 3 Penn Mile and arrives from a 1 1/4-length score in the Grade 1 American Turf traveling 1 1/16-miles over good turf on May 3 at Churchill Downs.

Campaigned by Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, William Strauss and Michael Caruso, Zulu Kingdom has won 5-of-6 starts. He was purchased privately following a maiden score at Saint-Cloud for trainer Andre Fabre in June 2024 and transferred to Brown, immediately paying dividends with neck scores in both the Grade 3 With Anticipation that August at Saratoga and the Grade 2 Pilgrim at Belmont at the Big A that September.

Zulu Kingdom completed his 2-year-old campaign with a prominent seventh in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf in November at Del Mar.

Klaravich Stables’ Uncatalyzed was entered in today’s Tale of the Cat at Monmouth Park and re-routed to the Manila. The British-bred Kingman dark bay finished second on debut to returning rival Capitol Hill in March at Tampa Bay Downs, but returned victorious last out with a pacesetting 1 1/2-length maiden score over Pilgrim runner-up Noble Confessor.

The $380,742 purchase from Book 1 of the 2023 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale is out of the Shamardal mare Queen’s Code. His third dam, Desert Frolic, is a half-sister to dual Grade 1-winning millionaire Storming Home.

West Point Thoroughbreds and Winters Equine’s Revolutionnaire [post 7, Joel Rosario] will look to pick up his first stakes win in his first outing for trainer Miguel Clement.

The Penny’s Picnic grey launched his career in his native France, winning a pair of races to go along with a three-quarter length third in the Group 3 Prix la Rochette over soft footing at Longchamp in September.

Revolutionnaire was subsequently purchased for $303,084 at Arqana Saint-Cloud. Although Clement’s late father, Christophe Clement, is named as the buyer, Miguel noted he was the one that pushed to purchase the horse as he was fond of another Penny’s Picnic grey trained by the Clements in last year’s Listed Winter Memories-winner Les Reys.

“Dad did not purchase him, I did,” Clement said, with a laugh. “Dad strongly told me not to go for horses that had form going over a mile and I went against him solely because of Dad’s other purchase, Les Reys, who is also by the same stallion. I think there are only three Penny’s Picnics in America, and we have two of them.

“We won the Winter Memories with Les Reys, and I always thought she was top class that filly, so I went ahead and double dipped on the same stallion,” he continued. “They’re both grey and very similar physically, in the way they train, mentally and distance wise. They’re both laid back, carry plenty of condition and have an explosive turn of foot.”

Revolutionnaire made two starts in North America for Christophe Clement, landing third in the aforementioned Columbia in March and a half-length fourth in the Woodhaven in April at Aqueduct.

He has trained into this event at Saratoga where he worked a bullet five-eighths in 1:00.45 Friday in company with maiden winner Unreasonable [1:00.85] over the Oklahoma training turf. That breeze followed a five-eighths breeze in 1:02 flat over the Oklahoma training turf on June 20.

“He had two very good works on the turf. That is the luxury of training at Saratoga – we have access to that amazing turf course,” Clement said. “Based off his last two works, he gave us the confidence to go for the Manila rather than the allowance the following week.

“He was in company, covered up in behind and he really accelerated home in the [recent] work,” Clement added. “I think I got the last quarter of the work in 22 and change, while always well held on the bridle. It’s no easy task. Zulu Kingdom is the horse to beat, he’s a very talented horse, but nevertheless it’s Saratoga and if you have a horse that’s doing well, why not?”

A robust field includes graded stakes-placed Maui Strong [post 1, Junior Alvarado] for trainer Dale Romans; the stakes-placed Flat to Da Mat [post 12, Dylan Davis, blinkers ON] for trainer Mike Maker; stakes-placed Tiz Dashing [post 2, Javier Castellano] for trainer Barclay Tagg; stakes-placed Golden Channel [post 9, Manny Franco], who re-routed from the Tale of the Cat for trainer George Weaver; three-time winner Fire Pit [post 3, Andy Hernandez] for trainer Guadalupe Preciado; recent allowance winner Mythical Man [post 11, Luis Saez], who re-routed from the Tale of the Cat for conditioner Danny Gargan; and maiden winner Capitol Hill [post 8, John Velazquez] for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.

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Contact: Keith McCalmont