Los Alamitos Derby possible next stop for Storm the Court

Storm the Court, the champion 2-year-old male of 2019, might have his next start in the Grade 3 Los Alamitos Derby on July 4, trainer Peter Eurton said Monday.

Storm the Court is winless in three starts this year and recently underwent precautionary tests after finishing sixth in a division of the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby on May 2 at Oaklawn Park.

“We didn’t find much of anything,” Eurton said. “We gave him a little freshening.”

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Storm the Court worked a half-mile in 48.60 seconds on Saturday at Santa Anita. The $150,000 Los Alamitos Derby will be run at 1 1/8 miles.

“That could be a spot,” Eurton said. “He needs a few more works in him.

“It’s a tighter surface. We like the mile and an eighth. It won’t be as tough as the Santa Anita Derby. It’s something to think about.”

Storm the Court, who has won 2 of 7 starts and earned $1,234,451, won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at 45-1 at Santa Anita last November. In three starts this year, Storm the Court’s best result has been a third-place finish behind Authentic in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes on March 7 at Santa Anita.

Eurton is planning to start Shooters Shoot in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby at 1 1/8 miles on June 6. The race was scheduled for April 4, but was rescheduled after Santa Anita was ordered closed because of the coronavirus outbreak. Santa Anita reopened on May 15 with approval from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

The $400,000 Santa Anita Derby will be the stakes debut for Shooters Shoot, who won an allowance race with an $80,000 claiming option at a mile on April 11 at Oaklawn Park.

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The Santa Anita Derby is expected to have a small field led by Authentic and Honor A. P., who was second in the San Felipe.

Bob Baffert trains Authentic and plans to start Azul Coast, who worked seven furlongs in 1:25.40 on Monday. Azul Coast won the El Camino Real Derby on Feb. 15 at Golden Gate Fields in his most recent start.

Baffert worked Game Winner, the champion 2-year-old male of 2018, a half-mile in 50.40 at Santa Anita on Monday, his first workout since May 1.

Game Winner has not raced since winning the Grade 3 Los Alamitos Derby last July. Baffert said Monday that he does not have any immediate race goals for Game Winner.

“I’m bringing him back slowly,” Baffert said. “He went nice today. It was a little easy for him.”

Fifth in the 2019 Kentucky Derby, Game Winner was scheduled to start in the Grade 1 Travers Stakes at Saratoga last August, but did not run after he was diagnosed with an illness earlier that month.