Team Valor International’s State of Play,
pre-entered in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) at Churchill Downs
on November 5, was one of three Breeders’ Cup contenders who worked at
Keeneland on Saturday morning. State of Play worked six furlongs over
the main track in 1:13.80 on Saturday morning.
With
exercise rider David Nava aboard, State of Play worked in company with
the undefeated 2-year-old filly Sweet Seventeen. State of Play broke off
some four lengths behind, catching the filly near the three-sixteenths
pole and finishing two lengths in front. State of Play was clocked in
fractions of :12.60, :25.20, :37.20, :49.20 and 1:01.80. He galloped out
seven-eighths in 1:28. Sweet Seventeen got the six furlongs in
1:15.40.
State
of Play is undefeated in two career starts, both at Saratoga, winning
the With Anticipation (G2) on September 1. The War Front colt missed a
start in Keeneland’s Bourbon (G3) on October 9 when he spiked a fever,
and trainer Graham Motion elected to train him up to the Breeders’ Cup.
“Usually
he (Motion) will give him the big work two works out, and then the work
before the race is not that big of a work,” said Team Valor CEO Barry
Irwin. “But we’re playing catch up, so we needed to let him roll today. I
just asked the exercise rider ‘Did he get tired?’ and he said ‘Not at
all.’ ”
In addition to State of Play, Team Valor and Motion will be represented in the Juvenile Turf by Lucky Chappy (IRE). The High Chaparral (IRE) colt, third in the Bourbon, worked four furlongs in :48 on Friday at Keeneland.
“Lucky
Chappy is going to surprise people,” Irwin said. “He worked good. He’s
picking up weight, he’s getting the hang of things, relaxing. We have
two good shots (in the Juvenile Turf).”
Druid Racing’s Pachattack,
second in Keeneland’s Juddmonte Spinster (G1), breezed three furlongs
shortly after 9:30 a.m. in preparation for Friday’s Breeders’ Cup
Ladies’ Classic (G1).
Clockers
caught the 5-year-old Pulpit mare in :35.60 for three furlongs, the
fastest of 12 other works at that distance. She galloped out four
furlongs in :48.60 under Andrew Morris, assistant to trainer Gerard
Butler.
“She
had a nice breeze this morning,” Morris said. “We could breeze her
again on the dirt (at Churchill Downs) just for three (furlongs) but she
doesn’t really need that much work. She’s in great form.”
Pachattack
is a well-traveled mare, having shipped across Europe, the United
States and Canada during her 4- and 5-year-old seasons. She raced abroad
solely at two and three. She has racked up back-to-back seconds in
Grade 1 races - the Personal Ensign Invitational at Saratoga and
Juddmonte Spinster - in her most recent starts and has a career record
of 25-5-5-3.
“She’s
very, very professional,” Morris said. “She’s very, very good. Not
bothered at all. We’ve done a lot of traveling together. We were in
Canada a long time last year. I was by myself with her and she won the
Maple Leaf, broke the course record, still holds the course record
actually.”
In
the Maple Leaf, Pachattack closed her 4-year-old campaign with a track
record time of 2:02.18 for the 1¼-mile distance at Woodbine.
Butler,
who is based in England, is scheduled to return to Kentucky tonight and
remain through the Breeders’ Cup. Pachattack will ship to Churchill
Monday morning.
Alex Campbell Jr.’s homebred Karlovy Vary,
pre-entered in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G2), worked
five furlongs in 1:00. The Dynaformer filly, trained by George “Rusty”
Arnold II, broke her maiden at Keeneland on October 12.