American Theorem, Storm the Court work for Breeders' Cup Juvenile

ARCADIA, Calif. – American Theorem and Storm the Court, second and third to Eight Rings in the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes here on Sept. 27, remain on schedule for a start in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita on Nov. 1 after each worked five furlongs on Friday.

American Theorem was timed in 1:01.60, working in company with a stablemate. The exercise began slower than trainer George Papaprodromou would have preferred, but American Theorem finished well under jockey Tiago Pereira, who did not strongly urge his mount.

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The workout was the first for American Theorem since he finished six lengths behind Eight Rings in the American Pharoah Stakes, which at 1 1/16 miles is the same distance as the BC Juvenile.

“He probably galloped out in 1:15,” Papaprodromou said. “He wanted to go. If he’d let him go, he could have gone in a minute and I didn’t want that.”

American Theorem began about three lengths behind stablemate Knifes Edge, who worked a half-mile in 49.40 seconds. Papaprodromou had hoped for a larger gap between the two runners at the start of the workout.

“They walked the first part,” Papaprodromou said.

Storm the Court, who was beaten 8 3/4 lengths by Eight Rings in the American Pharoah Stakes, was timed in 59.80 seconds while working alone, the fastest of 24 works at the distance. Trainer Peter Eurton timed Storm the Court in a minute.

The American Pharoah Stakes was Storm the Court’s first completed stakes race. In the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 2, Storm the Court unseated jockey Flavien Prat in a two-horse incident after Eight Rings drifted sharply toward the inside rail a furlong into the race. Eight Rings unseated jockey Drayden Van Dyke in the incident.

Eight Rings is rated as a top contender for the BC Juvenile, a race that plays a pivotal role in the year-end voting for 2-year-old champion.

In other notable works on Friday, the six-time stakes winner Bellafina worked five furlongs in 1:00.40 for the BC Filly and Mare Sprint on Nov. 2, while Landeskog, who finished second in the Grade 2 Gallant Bob Stakes for 3-year-old sprinters at Parx Racing on Sept. 21, worked a half-mile in 47.80 seconds for the BC Sprint on Nov. 2.