State of Play prepares for Juvenile Turf off two-month break

State of Play prepares for Juvenile Turf off two-month

break

by Brisnet.com

Team Valor International's undefeated State of Play worked five furlongs in

1:01 3/5 Friday on Keeneland's Polytrack in preparation for a start in the

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Churchill Downs on November 5.

State of Play, with exercise rider David Nava aboard, worked in company over

the main track with the undefeated two-year-old filly Sweet Seventeen, who is

being pointed for the Grade 2 Pocahontas at Churchill on October 30. The filly

broke off two lengths in front, with State of Play making up ground to finish

together with her at the wire.

State of Play was clocked in fractions of :13 2/5, :25 3/5, :38 and :49 2/5.

He galloped out three-quarters in 1:15 3/5. Sweet Seventeen got the five

furlongs in 1:02.

"I thought he worked super," trainer Graham Motion said. "He's been sick, so

he missed a work or two. So there was a fine line between him doing enough and

overdoing it since he's only got one more work before the Breeders' Cup. I was

very pleased with how it worked out. I thought it was about as close to perfect

as it could have been."

State of Play is undefeated in two career starts, both at Saratoga, winning

the Grade 2 With Anticipation on September 1. The War Front colt missed a start

in Keeneland's Grade 3 Bourbon on October 9 when he spiked a fever, and Motion

elected to train him up to the Breeders' Cup.

Motion said he plans to ship to Churchill on Wednesday. Weather permitting,

he will work both of his Juvenile Turf contenders, State of Play and Lucky

Chappy, on the turf there next Friday. Lucky Chappy, a High Chaparral colt also

owned by Team Valor, finished third in the Bourbon in his first U.S. start. 

Also scheduled to work next Friday over the main track at Churchill will be

Motion's Grade 1 Spinster winner Aruna, who is under consideration for either

the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic or Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

In other Breeders' Cup news:

Last year's Breeders' Cup Marathon winner Eldaafer will return to Churchill

Downs to defend his title, according to trainer Diane Alvarado. 

"He'll breeze six furlongs this Saturday," Alvarado said from her Monmouth

Park headquarters. "He'll breeze again the following Saturday before shipping

out on the 31st."

Eldaafer has spent most of the year at the Jersey Shore, having had one start

at Monmouth, a sixth in the Grade 1 United Nations on July 2. 

In the 2010 Marathon, Eldaafer gained command turning for home before drawing

clear to a nearly two-length score at odds of 10-1. He entered that race off a

score in the Grade 3 Turfway Park Fall Championship, but this year it's been a

different route to get to racing's biggest day.

"They cancelled the Turfway race this year," Alvarado said.  "I could

have run him in the (Grade 1) Jockey Club Gold Cup, but that was a tough race

and I didn't want him to go into the Breeders' Cup off a race like that."

Instead, Eldaafer had his final Breeders' Cup prep at Delaware, finishing

second in the D.T.H.A. Governors Day Stakes at a mile and 70 yards.

"It wasn't necessarily the race we were looking for, but it should set him up

perfectly," Alvarado said. "He's been training great, a real handful." 

From seven starts since winning last year's Marathon, Eldaafer sports a pair

of wins. The six-year-old gelding by A.P. Indy will have the services of jockey

Javier Castellano in the Breeders' Cup. 

Planning to work at Santa Anita on Saturday is unbeaten Juvenile Fillies

contender Weemissfrankie, who will cover five furlongs under former jockey Paul

Toscano.

"She'll have one more work after that, probably the Friday or Saturday before

we leave (for Churchill Downs)," trainer Peter Eurton said of the filly, who has

captured the Grade 1 Oak Leaf and the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante.

Garrett Gomez is firm on 11 of 15 Breeders' Cup races at Churchill Downs,

agent Tony Matos reports. Gomez rides Miss Match for Neil Drysdale in the

Ladies' Classic; Cozi Rosie for John Sadler in the Filly & Mare Turf; Shotgun

Gulch for C.R. Trout in the Filly & Mare Sprint; Ann of the Dance for Marty

Wolfson in the Juvenile Fillies Turf; Cease in the Marathon for Al Stall Jr.;

Alpha for Kiaran McLaughlin in the Juvenile; Get Stormy for Tom Bush in the

Mile; Majestic City for Peter Miller in the Juvenile Turf; Broken Dreams for Tom

Proctor in the Turf Sprint; Tapizar for Steve Asmussen in the Dirt Mile; and

Belmont Stakes winner Ruler on Ice for Kelly Breen in the Classic.

Grey Goose Vodka will host "Jocktails at The Breeders' Cup," a

celebrity jockey bartending charity event with the J Wagner Group on November 1

at Prime Lounge. Rather than working the rail, some of the world's best-known

jockeys will be working the bar for tips with all proceeds benefiting the

Permanently Disabled Jockey Fund (PDJF).

In addition to Grey Goose's signature

Down the Stretch, Le Fizz, Bloody Mary and Winner's Martini cocktails, the

jockey's will be mixing up a very special drink for

charity, the Grey Goose Zenyatta. Zenyatta was the 2009 Breeders' Cup Classic

champion and reigning Horse of the Year. This cocktail will be sold throughout

Breeders' Cup weekend with proceeds benefiting The V Foundation for Cancer

Research.

This invitation-only event will take place from 7-10 p.m. (EDT) in the

PRIME Lounge Front Room with doors opening to the public at 10 p.m. for a $10

donation to the PDJF. Prime Lounge is located at 104 W. Main Street in downtown

Louisville, Kentucky.