Is Juvenile Turf hero Structor Brown's Kentucky Derby horse?

Soon after Structor reeled in 50-1 longshot Billy Batts in the final strides of Friday's Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita Park, the connections were quick to reveal the colt's next test could come on dirt, possibly for a shot at the Kentucky Derby trail. 

Owned by Jeff Drown and Don Rachel of Minnesota, Structor has made all three previous starts on grass. Prior to the Juvenile Turf, Structor beat maidens on debut going 1 1/16 miles at Saratoga and then came right back to win the Pilgrim Stakes (G3) at Belmont Park on Sept. 28.

Trainer Chad Brown, who won his first-ever Juvenile Turf with Structor, said the son of Palace Malice started on the turf at Saratoga because he’s a confirmed distance horse. There are few spots on the Saratoga dirt going a route of ground for 2-year-olds.

“He’s really a true two-turn horse,” Brown said. “I would see in his works that hustling him off the bit early wasn’t really effective. And up at Saratoga, looking to get him started, if you’re running those short-distance dirt maiden races, they can really come up difficult and fast. So I didn’t want to just run him off his feet and blow him up early.”

Brown acknowledged starting a son of a Belmont Stakes winner on grass is an unorthodox decision that could raise the eyebrows of owners. But he praised Drown and Rachel for being willing to go along with the plan. 

“Jeff and Don are great. They said, ‘Whatever you think we need to do, we’ll do,” Brown added. “[Structor] is by a horse that was really a classic dirt horse, Belmont stakes winner Palace Malice. You tell them you want to debut him on the turf, it’s normally a disappointing call for an owner.”

Structor is not scheduled to race again this year. Brown said he will be given a break this winter before switching to dirt sometime next season.

“I can’t wait to see Chad try him on dirt,” Drown said. “I mean, the opportunity for a horse on dirt and turf are plentiful. And if he takes to the dirt and we’re able to try and make some noise in the spring, I think that would be super exciting.”

Drown and Rachel, who are both in the construction business in Minnesota, paid $850,000 for Structor at this year’s OBS March 2-year-olds in training sale. Structor earned $550,000 for the Breeders’ Cup win to lift his earnings $709,500.

“I have been here before with other horses that have won these juvenile turf races, and I don't think I've ever said I'm going to run one on the dirt,” Brown said. “He gives me the feeling like he'll take to it, but we'll see. But we'll enjoy this.