Eurton looking forward to getting season underway with Storm the Court

ARCADIA, Calif. – Storm the Court, the champion 2-year-old male of 2019, was pronounced fit and ready for his 3-year-old debut in the Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes on Feb. 9 after a five-furlong workout at Santa Anita on Sunday.

Storm the Court was timed in 1:01.20, continuing a steady pattern of workouts since Dec. 22 in advance of the $200,000 San Vicente Stakes at seven furlongs.

Trainer Peter Eurton said on Sunday he is eager to watch Storm the Court in the San Vicente, the colt’s first start since a 45-1 win in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at 1 1/16 miles here on Nov. 1. The upset win clinched the championship for Storm the Court, who races for the partnership of Exline-Border Racing, David Bernsen, Susanna Wilson and Dan Hudock.

“He hasn’t missed any training,” Eurton said. “I’m excited about getting started.

Storm the Court was the second-longest shot in a field of eight in the BC Juvenile, leading throughout to win by a head over Anneau d’Or.

Eurton admitted Sunday the circumstances of the San Vicente will be vastly different.

“It’s a little more pressure,” Eurton said.

The San Vicente Stakes is not expected to have a large field. Candidates include Azul Coast, a well-beaten second in the Grade 3 Sham Stakes at a mile here on Jan. 4; Fast Enough, who won the California Cup Derby at 1 1/16 miles on Jan. 18 in his first start since May; Ginobili, who was fourth in the Speakeasy Stakes at five furlongs on turf here in October; and Ra’ad, a maiden race winner at Los Alamitos in December.

Bob Baffert trains Azul Coast and Ra’ad. Baffert said over the weekend that Nadal, a striking maiden race winner in his debut at 6 1/2 furlongs on Jan. 19, will be pointed for the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes, a $750,000 race at a mile at Oaklawn Park on Feb. 17.

Eurton has a prospect for the leading preps for the Triple Crown in early spring with Royal Act, who finished second to the heavily-favored Thousand Words in Saturday’s Grade 3 Robert Lewis Stakes at 1 1/16 miles.

Thousand Words remained unbeaten in three starts by winning the $100,500 Lewis Stakes by three-quarters of a length over Royal Act, who had previously raced only on turf.

Owned by Lee and Susan Searing, Royal Act won his debut in a maiden race at a mile at Del Mar in November and was fifth in the Eddie Logan Stakes at a mile on turf here on Dec. 29. Eurton plans to start Royal Act in a Triple Crown prep in late March or early April in advance of an intended appearance in the Kentucky Derby on May 2. One option could be the $1 million Santa Anita Derby on April 4.

“We’ll give him one chance in a Grade 1 four to six weeks out,” Eurton said. “There are a lot of races on March 28, April 4, and April 11.”

Thousand Words, owned by the Albaugh Family Stables and Spendthrift Farm and trained by Baffert, closed between rivals to reach the front in the final sixteenth.

“He does what he has to do,” Baffert said. “He likes competition.”

Baffert also trains third-place finisher High Velocity, who was beaten a length after the setting the pace to the final furlong. High Velocity was third to Thousand Words in the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity in December.

Sunday, Baffert did not mention race plans for Thousand Words.

Another Baffert trainee, the three-time stakes winner Improbable, who was a promoted fourth in the Kentucky Derby last May, breezed three furlongs in 36.80 seconds at Santa Anita on Sunday.

Ridden by jockey Drayden Van Dyke, Improbable cruised through the stretch without being urged, his first workout since a fifth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile here in November.

Improbable has won 4 of 10 starts and earned $919,520 for WinStar Farm, China Horse Club International, and Starlight Racing. Improbable finished fifth in the Kentucky Derby and was promoted to fourth when Maximum Security was disqualified from first to 17th for causing interference.