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State of Play tests dirt in Sam F. Davis
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| State of Play captured the With Anticipation at Saratoga last summer
(Melissa Wirth/Horsephotos.com) |
After teaming up to win last year's Kentucky Derby with Animal Kingdom, Team
Valor International and trainer Graham Motion are back on the trail with another
potential contender in State of Play, an accomplished performer on turf. But
unlike Animal Kingdom, who did not race on dirt until the Derby itself, State of
Play will get an early test on America's traditional surface in Saturday's Grade
3, $250,000
Sam F.
Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. The 1 1/16-mile event has also lured
Prospective, winner of the recent Pasco Stakes here; Gulfstream Park Derby
victor Reveron; and maiden winner Ecabroni from the Todd Pletcher barn.State of Play won his first two career starts at Saratoga, that hot-spot for
well-regarded juveniles. A stalk-and-pounce winner of a 5 1/2-furlong turf
sprint, the dark bay stretched out to 1 1/16 grassy miles and went wire to wire
in the Grade 2 With Anticipation. State of Play was scheduled to race next in
the Grade 3 Bourbon, but he was forced to miss the Keeneland feature because of
a fever.
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Entering the November 5 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf without the benefit of
his intended prep, State of Play drew a tough post 13, was bumped at the start,
and faded to 12th in an uncharacteristic effort. Plans then called for him to
contest the December 18 Dania Beach Stakes at Gulfstream, only to have him come
down with another fever and regroup.
State of Play has drawn the rail Saturday with new rider Alan Garcia.
Connections chose to familiarize the colt with the Tampa dirt well in advance of
the Davis, and he has posted a series of works over the track, most recently
breezing a half-mile in a sharp :48 3/5 last Saturday. Another positive
indicator for adapting to dirt is his sire War Front, who was responsible for a
couple of leading players on the 2011 Derby trail -- Soldat, also a turf-to-dirt
proposition, and The Factor.
Prospective is a finalist for a Sovereign Award as Canada's champion
two-year-old male, chiefly through his victory in the Grade 3 Grey Stakes over
Woodbine's Polytrack. The Mark Casse pupil was training forwardly for the
Breeders' Cup Juvenile, but he disappointed in 13th.
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| Prospective tuned up in the Pasco
(Tom Cooley Photography) |
The well-bred son of Malibu Moon put that dismal effort well behind him in
the January 14 Pasco. Shortening up to seven furlongs in his reappearance,
Prospective lagged off the pace early, but rolled home late to prevail, and
proved himself on the dirt. The John C. Oxley colorbearer figures to be even
better over a longer distance, if he can avoid getting hung out too wide.
Regular rider Luis Contreras will be back aboard as he breaks from the far
outside post 11.
Also exiting the Pasco are Burning Time (fourth) and Moroccan Brew (sixth).
Burning Time, who represents the successful owner/trainer tandem of Harold Queen
and David Fawkes, could improve back up in trip. The homebred posted his biggest
win in the two-turn Foolish Pleasure at Calder last September.
Reveron brings a three-race winning streak into his toughest challenge so
far. One of just a handful of horses trained at Calder by Venezuelan-born
Agustin Bezara, he posted an 8-1 upset in the January 1 Gulfstream Park Derby
last out. Reveron turned back a sustained bid from Nick Zito's Casual Trick, who
didn't boost the form when finishing up the track behind El Padrino this past
Sunday.
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Nevertheless, Reveron has shown tactical adaptability and grit, and has yet
to lose with Fernando Jara in the saddle. The Songandaprayer colt has drawn post
10, one spot inside of the late-running Prospective.
Pletcher has won the last two runnings of the Davis, and four of the past
six. The five-time Eclipse Award-winning horseman relies on Ecabroni to keep up
his strike rate. The son of Smoke Glacken punched his ticket here with a
front-running maiden score going seven furlongs at Gulfstream. Ecabroni has been
working well in preparation for his class, and two-turn, test. Javier Castellano
will guide the pace factor from post 4.
Although Ecabroni has promise, he doesn't have the profile of Pletcher's
recent Davis winners. Bluegrass Cat (2006) was already a Grade 2 winner, Any
Given Saturday (2007) was Grade 2-placed, Rule (2010) was a Grade 3 winner and
Brethren (2011) had cleared his entry-level allowance condition.
The Davis could also give an indirect read on Pletcher's undefeated Discreet
Dancer. Neck 'N Neck, best of the rest behind Discreet Dancer in a recent
Gulfstream allowance, tries his hand at stakes company here. Trained by Ian
Wilkes, whose leading Derby hopeful Motor City just returned to the worktab
Tuesday, Neck 'N Neck returns to two turns for the first time since his maiden
win at Churchill.
Trainer Eddie Kenneally has entered the thrice-raced maiden Battled Hardened.
Owned by Coolmore partners Michael Tabor and Mrs. John Magnier, the son of
Giant's Causeway has finished second to Indian Ambush in a Churchill Downs
maiden and just missed to Big Screen at Gulfstream. Big Screen was another to
flop behind El Padrino in his follow-up, but Battle Hardened is on the upgrade
and gets Julien Leparoux.
Fellow Irishman Derek Ryan has used the Tampa series with such past classic
hopefuls as Musket Man and Schoolyard Dreams, and the Tipperary native will take
a stab this time with Holy Highway. Well beaten in a $25,000 maiden claimer in
his only dirt try, the Holy Bull colt is two-for-two since joining Ryan. Both of
those wins have come over the Tampa turf, but his pedigree suggests that the
main track should be no problem. Holy Highway must also raise his game versus
significantly better competition, though.
Fox Rules has been no threat in his prior stakes tries, including a seventh
to State of Play in the With Anticipation, and Ravelo's Boy exits a distant
fifth to Reveron in the Gulfstream Park Derby.
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| Northern Passion returns to turf for the first time since the Natalma
(WEG/Michael Burns Photography) |
Earlier on the card, Prospective's stablemates Northern Passion and Dixie
Strike will line up in the $150,000
Florida
Oaks for three-year-old fillies on turf.
Northern Passion, herself a Sovereign finalist in the champion juvenile filly
category, was a smashing last-to-first winner of the Grade 3 Natalma at
Woodbine. The First Samurai filly would have been a prime candidate for the
Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, but connections gambled on a dirt attempt
in the Juvenile Fillies. It didn't pay off, as Northern Passion could do no
better than a rallying seventh from far back. Meanwhile, Northern Passion's form
had been flattered. Natalma third Stephanie's Kitten went on to glory in both
the Grade 1 Alcibiades and the Juvenile Fillies Turf.
The class of the field on Saturday, Northern Passion should relish reverting
to turf for the 1 1/16-mile affair, where she will once again partner with
Contreras. She is coupled in the wagering with Dixie Strike, a commanding winner
of the Ontario Lassie in her final start at two. Jose Lezcano picks up the mount
in her turf debut.
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Other contenders include More Than Love, last seen battling to victory in the
Grade 3 Miesque at Hollywood Park on November 25; Customer Base, who adds
blinkers for noted turf trainer Tom Proctor; smart Gulfstream maiden winner
Regalo Mia; and Sisterhood, who wheels back after a slow-starting fourth in the
January 22 Sweetest Chant.
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| Zagora is once again starting her year at Tampa
(Jessie Holmes/EquiSport Photos) |
The Grade 3, $150,000
Endeavour Stakes for older turf distaffers marks the returns of Zagora and
Keertana. The Chad Brown-trained Zagora scored a career-high in last July's
Grade 1 Diana at Saratoga, but headed to the sidelines after a relatively flat
seventh in the Grade 2 Canadian on September 18. Castellano will reunite with
the 122-pound highweight.Five-time Grade 3 star Keertana has not raced since her hard-fought victory
over males in the Grade 3 Louisville Handicap on May 28. The Proctor veteran is
Grade 1-caliber, as evidenced by her near-miss third in the 2010 Breeders' Cup
Filly & Mare Turf, and merits considerable respect with Lezcano.
Zagora and Keertana have met once before at Tampa. In last year's Grade 3
Hillsborough, Zagora was outdueled in second, and Keertana was a hard-charging
third from too far back. The 1 1/16-mile trip is a bit short for Keertana, but
she's still never been worse than third at this distance.
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Motion will be represented by Team Valor's Master Shade. The Italian-bred,
who was last seen landing the November 6 Middle Stage at Aqueduct, seeks her
third straight win. Grade 2-placed Exclusive Love comes off a wide-trip seventh
in the Grade 3 Marshua's River, and gives Casse a theoretical shot at a Saturday
stakes sweep. Adding depth to the field are stakes veterans Abuela; Martita
Sangrita; Crying Lightening; Jenny's So Great, who captured the five-furlong
Lightning City at Tampa two back; and Dundalk Dust, best known for taking the
Grade 2 Falls City in the slop in 2010.
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