State of Play tops the field of seven in the Grade 3 Pilgrim Stakes at Belmont Park
Trained by Graham Motion for Team Valor International, 2-year-old colt State of Play is still unbeaten and tries to stay unbeaten in the Grade 3 $100,000 Pilgrim Stakes at Belmont Park on 2 October, 2011.
The son of War Front, out of Valeta by Procida, State of Play because of his unbeaten status tops the field of seven, and ultimately is the horse to beat in the 1 1/16 mile test for juvenile runners on grass.
The Grade 3 Pilgrim Stakes is part of the Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” series and the winner of the race will earn an automatic berth in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Churchill Downs in November.
Bought for just $13,000 at the 2010 Keeneland September yearling sale, the colt will carry a top weight of 122 pounds in the Pilgrim Stakes.
State of Play is undefeated in his two starts at Saratoga, where he ran his maiden special weight race and broke his maiden in his first attempt under jockey Ramon Dominguez.
The pair took on the distance 5 ½ sprint on 27 July, 2011, at Saratoga’s turf course and covered the distance in 1 minute and 2.99 seconds, defeating Sark and Arthur on the way.
After his impressive maiden race, Graham Motion pointed State of Play to the Grade 2 With Anticipation Stakes on 1 September, 2011, also at Saratoga’s turf course but this time over a distance of 1 1/16 miles.
The pair defeated their closest rivals Optimizer and Dullahan, as they finished second and third, respectively, as State of Play topped the 1 1/16 mile distance in 1 minute and 43.97 seconds.
State of Play squares off with six colts and the field includes Todd Pletcher trainer Captain Webb, who finished sixth in the With Anticipation Stakes in the field of nine as the favourite.
Rest are Knock Rock, Fox Rules, Kitten’s Kid, Fantastic Song and Shkspeare Shaliyah. State of Play so far has done great and done everything according Graham Motion’s plan.
The already have the ticket to the Breeders’ Cup and things are looking up for the juvenile colt, State of Play.
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