Weather could force Storm the Court to miss early Derby preps at Santa Anita

ARCADIA, Calif. – Storm the Court’s comeback planned for February at Santa Anita is likely to be postponed, and the forecast of rain Dec. 23-27 could push the 2020 debut for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner into March.

Trainer Peter Eurton initially planned for Storm the Court to resume workouts in the middle of December, but weather and temporary closure of the Santa Anita track for renovation produced unexpected challenges.

“He has yet to work,” Eurton said this week. “With the wet weather and closure of the racetrack, I didn’t force it. It’s got to go perfect to make the first part of February. Initially I was going to have him work by the 15th [of December], and we’re already at Christmas.”

Eurton did not rule out the Grade 3, 1 1/16-mile Robert B. Lewis Stakes on Feb. 1, or the Grade 2, seven-furlong San Vicente Stakes on Feb. 8. But the calendar already is against him. If Storm the Court is not ready for either of those races, he could go on the road to prep for the Kentucky Derby.

“If we don’t get to run until March, we’d have to consider a lot of different options,” Eurton said. “Oaklawn Park – they’ve got the $750, the million and the million.” He was referring to the lucrative three-race series of Derby preps – Grade 3 Southwest Stakes on Feb. 17, Grade 2 Rebel on March 14, and Grade 1 Arkansas Derby on April 11.

Storm the Court stayed at Santa Anita following his BC Juvenile victory, and currently is in light training. Eurton said the colt has changed. “I think he’s grown. He’s filled out a little bit even in the six weeks,” he said.

“I’ll run him when he’s ready, try to keep his races to a minimum. I’d like to have two or three races into him [before the Derby]. I don’t have to worry about points. That should take care of itself.”

Storm the Court’s work routine, which Eurton considered resuming next week, could be further delayed. The forecast calls for five days of rain into and through the Dec. 26 opening-day program at Santa Anita.

Even while Storm the Court is in a holding pattern, the form of the BC Juvenile has been validated. Runner-up Anneau d’Or returned to finish second in the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity; seventh-place finisher Shoplifted returned to win the $400,000 Springboard Mile at Remington Park.

Storm the Court won two races and $1,172,951 from four starts in 2019. His regular rider is Flavien Prat.

◗ Thousand Words, winner of the Los Alamitos Futurity in the second start of his career, could make his 2020 debut in the Grade 3 Lewis on Feb. 1, trainer Bob Baffert said this week. “A lot is going to depend on the weather,” Baffert said. “I was waiting for March, but I might run him [in the Lewis]. It’s an option.”