Eurton 'willing and game' to enter an Arkansas Derby pair
Southern California-based trainer Peter Eurton plans to have two entrants in the Grade 1, $750,000 Arkansas Derby on May 2 at Oaklawn Park, including juvenile champion Storm the Court.
Storm the Court worked 6 furlongs in 1:13.60 Monday morning at Santa Anita in advance of the 1 1/8-mile Arkansas Derby, which will mark his first start outside California. Storm the Court, at odds of 45-1, secured an Eclipse Award as the country’s champion 2-year-old male with a front-running victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) Nov. 1 at Santa Anita.
Eurton also intends to enter Shooters Shoot, a first-level allowance winner at a mile April 11 at Oaklawn, in the Arkansas Derby.
“Very pleased with his work,” Eutron said of Storm the Court. “Very pleased with Shooters Shoot. I know it’s going to be tough on both ends with Bob’s two horses, but we’re willing and game.”
Eutron was referring to Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who is pointing unbeaten colts Nadal (3-for-3) and Charlatan (2-for-2) for the Arkansas Derby. Nadal won the Rebel Stakes (G2) March 14 at Oaklawn in his last start. Charlatan, who has never run in a stakes race, has won his two starts by a combined 16 lengths.
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Storm the Court, in his 3-year-old debut, finished fourth behind Nadal in the San Vicente Stakes (G2) Feb. 9 at Santa Anita and third behind another unbeaten Baffert trainee, Authentic, in the San Felipe Stakes (G2) March 7 at Santa Anita in his most recent start
Eurton said he had the Arkansas Derby in the “back of his mind,” but the decision became straightforward after other major traditional April Kentucky Derby preps such as the Santa Anita Derby, Blue Grass Stakes and Wood Memorial were shelved amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We didn’t have many other choices, to be honest with you,” Eurton said. “We had so many different options that we were going to go with, but unfortunately they’re all gone the other direction.”
The Kentucky Derby was also moved from May 2 to Sept. 5. Oaklawn responded by shifting the Arkansas Derby to the first Saturday in May.
“It kind of worked out good for me,” Eurton said. “It got the needed weight I wanted to get back on him. He’s trained by himself the whole time and that really helped because he’s so competitive. It keeps his metabolism a little bit lower. His weight looks really good.
"Is he good enough? Hey, we’re going to find out. He’s got the style. I think he’ll like the racetrack. I really do. Seems like a speed-favoring racetrack, so looking forward to it.”
Storm the Court, a son of Court Vision, races for Exline-Border Racing, David Bernsen, Susanna Wilson and Dan Hudock. Storm the Court has a 2-0-2 record from six lifetime starts and earnings of $1,232,951.
Post positions for the Arkansas Derby will be drawn Sunday. A plane carrying Southern California-based horses to Arkansas is scheduled to arrive Tuesday.
The Arkansas Derby offers 170 points (100-40-20-10) to the top four finishers toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Derby.