Report: Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner's 2020 debut likely shifts

The upset Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Storm the Court's reintroduction to the 2020 Kentucky Derby trail isn't likely to happen Feb. 1 in Santa Anita Park's Robert B. Lewis (G3) after all.

According to the Daily Racing Form's Steve Andersen, trainer Peter Eurton is looking closer at races in the ensuing weeks to kick off the colt's 3-year-old campaign. Santa Anita also hosts the San Vicente (G2) around one turn on Feb. 9 before the San Felipe (G2) goes a route of ground on March 7.

“I don’t think I can make the Lewis,” Eurton told Andersen. “We’re running out of time. There is no urgency. I want to run when he’s ready to run. I might be able to make the San Vicente." While the San Vicente doesn't award Derby qualifying points, it also successfully served as a start to Juvenile winner Nyquist's sophomore season. He sharpened up in the seven-furlong event, won his final prep and prevailed on the first Saturday in May. With 22 Derby points to his name already, Storm the Court likely needs to only hit the board in a major prep race such as the Santa Anita Derby (G1) to qualify. Eurton told DRF he envisions the son of Court Vision running twice before the Kentucky Derby. Campaigned by Exline-Border Racing, David Bernsen, Susanna Wilson and Dan Hudock, Storm the Court is 2-0-1 in his four career starts. He debuted a winner Aug. 10 at Del Mar, lost his jockey next time in the Del Mar Futurity (G1) and ran third in Santa Anita's American Pharoah Stakes (G1) ahed of the Juvenile. On Nov. 1, the mere $60,000 purchase as a 2-year-old prevailed at 45.9-1 with a front-running performance in Breeders' Cup after the race's favorite, Dennis' Moment, stumbled at the start and American Pharoah winner Eight Rings faded in the stretch.  Storm the Court is back to working consistently, drilling in 1:01.60 as he upped his breeze to five furlongs for the first time this year on Sunday.