Kentucky Jockey Club Hopefuls Breeze

Elisabeth Alexander's Magna Graduate and Old School Stable's Social Probation, two stakes-placed contenders for the $200,000-added Kentucky Jockey Club (gr. II) for 2-year-olds on Nov. 27, turned in solid breezes on a frosty autumn Monday at Churchill Downs.

Jockey Pat Day was in the irons aboard Magna Graduate as the son of 0 breezed seven furlongs over a "fast" surface in 1:28.80. The runner-up to Greater Good in the Kentucky Cup Juvenile worked in company with a stablemate for trainer Patrick Byrne, but easily pulled away from his workmate down the lane and was comfortably in front at the finish line.

"We were very pleased with his work," said Day. "The track wasn't real glib. They had to work to get over it, but I think from a fitness standpoint it should set him up well and we look forward to bigger and better things."

Byrne agreed that the move should improve the fitness of Magna Graduate for the 1 1/16-mile Kentucky Jockey Club. He feels that the colt will thrive as distances grow longer through the winter and spring.

"I wish the race was a mile and an eighth," said Byrne. "This colt will run all day long. And he's got speed - I don't want to make him out to be a plodder."

Alexander purchased Magna Graduate from Northern Kentucky attorney Burr Travis in a private transaction following his runner-up finish in the Kentucky Cup Juvenile. He cruised to an easy 1 1/16-mile allowance victory under Day on Oct. 22 at Keeneland in his only start for Byrne to improve his career record to 2-1-1 in four races with earnings of $70,136.

Iroquois (gr. III) runner-up Social Probation breezed four furlongs in :49.80 for trainer Carl Nafzger. The move by the gray son of 0 ranked 29th among 47 works at the distance.