Storm the Court Confirmed for Arkansas Derby

Southern California-based trainer Peter Eurton said April 21 that he plans to have two entrants in the $750,000 Arkansas Derby (G1) May 2 at Oaklawn Park, including juvenile champion Storm the Court.

The Court Vision  colt worked six furlongs in 1:13 3/5 April 20 at Santa Anita Park in advance of the 1 1/8-mile Arkansas Derby, which will mark his first start outside California. Storm the Court, campaigned by Exline-Border Racing, David Bernsen, Susanna Wilson, and Dan Hudock, secured an Eclipse Award as the 2019 champion 2-year-old male with a frontrunning victory in the TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) at 45-1.

Eurton said he also plans to enter ERJ Racing, Exline-Border Racing, and Hudock's Shooters Shoot, a first-level allowance winner at a mile April 11 at Oaklawn, in the Arkansas Derby. 

"Very pleased with his work," Eurton said of Storm the Court. "Very pleased with Shooters Shoot. I know it's going to be tough on both ends with Bob (Baffert)'s two horses, but we're willing and game."

Baffert is pointing unbeaten colts Nadal and Charlatan for the Arkansas Derby. Nadal won the March 14 Rebel Stakes (G2), and Charlatan, who has never run in a stakes race, has won his two starts by a combined 16 lengths. 

Storm the Court finished fourth behind Nadal in his 3-year-old debut, the Feb. 9 San Vicente Stakes (G2), and third behind another unbeaten Baffert trainee, Authentic, in the March 7 San Felipe Stakes (G2) last out.

Shooters Shoot, before his allowance victory, broke his maiden March 15 at Santa Anita on his fifth attempt. The Competitive Edge  colt led wire-to-wire in his maiden score, then dueled on the front end in his Oaklawn allowance before regaining the lead to win by a neck.

Outside Southern California shippers, Victoria's Ranch's Florida-based King Guillermo, the winner of the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G2), will travel from Florida to Oaklawn for the Arkansas Derby. The Uncle Mo  colt trained by Juan Avila worked a half-mile in :48.18 Wednesday at Gulfstream Park. He has not raced since winning the March 7 Tampa Bay Derby. 

The Arkansas Derby will be the second start for King Guillermo this season. He broke his maiden second time out in early November, then was third in the Pulpit Stakes on turf that month. Connections planned to send the colt straight to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), originally scheduled for May 2, off his Tampa Bay Derby win, but the first leg of the Triple Crown was rescheduled for Sept. 5 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Oaklawn, which is running without spectators, responded to the Kentucky Derby's move by shifting the Arkansas Derby from April 11 to May 2.

Eurton said he had the Arkansas Derby in mind for Storm the Court, and the decision became straightforward after other major traditional April preps for the Kentucky Derby, like the Santa Anita Derby (G1), Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2) at Keeneland, and Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by Resorts World Casino (G2) at Aqueduct Racetrack, were shelved because of COVID-19.

"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."

"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."

Eurton, who has a string at Oaklawn for the first time this year, said he will not attend the race.

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.