Princess Bettina gets Eurton back in stakes winner's circle
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ARCADIA, Calif. – Princess Bettina’s stakes win at Santa Anita on Saturday came at a good time for veteran California trainer Peter Eurton.
A 3-year-old filly who races for owner and breeder Don Dizney, Princess Bettina led throughout the China Doll Stakes to give Eurton his first stakes win since last March at Sunland Park and his first stakes win at Santa Anita since Storm the Court won the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
“The stakes have been avoiding us,” Eurton said on Sunday. “We didn’t have the right horses.”
Princess Bettina was third in the Lady of Shamrock Stakes at a mile on turf on Feb. 12, closing from last in a field of seven. In the China Doll Stakes at a mile on turf, Princess Bettina led throughout under jockey Frankie Dettori, who was aboard for the first time.
“She broke well and no one wanted the lead,” Eurton said.
Princess Bettina will remain in turf stakes for 3-year-old fillies. The Grade 3 Providencia Stakes, a $100,000 race at 1 1/8 miles on turf on April 29 is the next objective, Eurton said.
“As long as she stays fresh and happy, I’d like to go longer on the grass,” Eurton said.
Eurton will have a stakes runner in the interim with Exaulted in the Grade 3 American Stakes at a mile on turf for older horses on April 2, always a competitive division in California.
Exaulted, who races for Lee and Susan Searing, has won two one-mile allowance races on turf at Santa Anita this year. Exaulted, 6, was third in two Grade 3 sprints at seven furlongs on dirt in early 2021 before he was given a year-long rest.
“He’s done nothing wrong on the turf so far,” Eurton said.
Storm the Court is winless in 15 starts since the BC Juvenile. He was turned out following a fifth-place finish in a field of seven in the Grade 3 Tokyo City Cup at 1 1/2 miles at Santa Anita in October.
Storm the Court is at a training center in Florida where he has been in training for 60 days, Eurton said.
“He probably needs another 60 days before he’s ready to run,” Eurton said. “I might keep him back there, where there are more options.”
Eurton said the partnership that owns Storm the Court has not finalized who will train the 6-year-old if he does not return to California.
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