Storm the Court set for 3-year-old debut in Robert B. Lewis

ARCADIA, Calif. – Storm the Court, the upset winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita on Nov. 2, is scheduled to have his 3-year-old debut in the Grade 3 Robert Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita on Feb. 1, trainer Peter Eurton confirmed on Sunday.

The $100,000 Lewis Stakes at 1 1/16 miles is a prep for the $1 million Santa Anita Derby on April 4. Eurton said he would prefer Storm the Court’s first start of 2020 be in Southern California.

“That would be a logical spot to stay in town,” he said.

Storm the Court has won 2 of 4 starts and earned $1,172,951 for the partnership of Exline-Border Racing, David Bernsen, Susanna Wilson and Dan Hudock. In the BC Juvenile, Storm the Court led throughout at 45-1 and won by a head.

Combatant joins Sadler barn

Combatant, third in the Grade 2 Mathis Brothers Mile at Santa Anita in December 2018, is nearing his first workout for trainer John Sadler after being acquired earlier this month at auction in Kentucky.

Now owned by Pete and Kosta Hronis, Combatant, 4, is considered a prospect for the major stakes for older horses at Santa Anita in early 2020.

“We’ll breeze him in about two weeks,” Sadler said on Sunday.

Previously trained by Steve Asmussen, Combatant has won 3 of 22 starts and earned $648,498. By Scat Daddy, Combatant won an allowance race with a $62,500 claiming option at Churchill Downs on Nov. 8 and was sold for $220,000 on Nov. 12.

Combatant was 18th behind Justify in the 2018 Kentucky Derby. He was second or third in four consecutive stakes at Remington Park and Oaklawn Park in the winter and spring of 2017-18, including a second in the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park in February 2018.