Del Mar | Horse Racing Free Tips

Eurton Hoping To Hit Storm The Court’s Reset Button In Grassy La Jolla

The burgeoning but eventful, to say the least, career of Storm the Court comes full circle Sunday when the 3-year-old son of Court Vision gets tested on turf for the first time in the Grade III, $125,000 La Jolla Handicap at Del Mar near San Diego, Calif.

Barely less than a year ago, on August 10, 2019, the colt trained by Peter Eurton for Exline-Border Racing, David Bernsen and partners, made his racing debut here a victorious one. Twenty-three days later, Storm the Court was bumped by bolting 1-2 favorite Eight Rings shortly after the start of the meet-climaxing Del Mar Futurity with both horses losing their riders.

Following that there was, as racing fans know, a 45-1 upset victory in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile, the honor of an Eclipse Award as top 2-year-old of 2019 and a 0-for-4 record in 2020 on the Kentucky Derby trail.

The La Jolla could turn out to be a fresh start on a new surface, or a continuation/affirmation of the still smoldering Derby fires.

“We're going to the grass to give us some options,” Eurton said Friday. “It seems like a good opportunity because, for one, we're here. We still haven't ruled out the Kentucky Derby. Even if he wins this race we won't know what we'll do. That will be something to discuss probably for the next week or two afterward.”

Storm the Court has accumulated 36 points in Kentucky Derby qualifying races and ranks 17^th in the current standings through Friday. The Run for the Roses field is set at 20.

“It's been an unusual year because of the change in schedule,” said Bernsen. “I don't think anyone has been able to stick with the plan they had after the Breeders' Cup. It will be exciting to see what he can do this weekend on the turf and it will give us some options going forward.

“His daddy won the Breeders' Cup Turf at big odds as well, and also won on dirt. So he was versatile and we think (Storm the Court) is too. That suggests it's worth giving it a shot to see what we have.

“It's nice to be able to do that and not have to travel. He's traveled quite a bit since the Breeders' Cup – Arkansas, Ohio – so it's good for us to be able to stay here and do this.”

Storm the Court's sire, Court Vision, was a five-time Grade I stakes winner. As a 2-year-old he took the Iroquois and Remsen on dirt. Switched to turf as a 3-year-old, after a 13^th-place finish in the Kentucky Derby, Court Vision won at least one Grade I on grass each year from ages 3-6. He ran in the Breeders' Cup Mile three times and, in his last try, upset the great mare Goldikova at odds of 30-1.

Storm the Court has worked four times at Del Mar. He had an acclimation 4 furlong go on the turf on July 12, 5-furlong grass exercises on July 19 and 26 and a 5-furlong tightener on dirt last Sunday.

The first two were to Eurton's satisfaction, the third he described as a “hiccup” work. “He outworked his company, but he was too busy gawking,” Eurton said. “But the last one (:59.40, second-best of 72 at the distance) was really good.”

The field from the rail: I'm Leaving You (Giovanni Franco, 15-1); K P All Systems Go (Abel Cedillo, 6-1); Azul Coast (Drayden Van Dyke, 4-1); Ajourneytofreedom (Ruben Gonzalez, 12-1); Kanderel (Juan Hernandez, 10-1); Smooth Like Strait (Umberto Rispoli, 5-2); Storm The Court (Flavien Prat, 3-1), and Indian Peak (Mike Smith, 6-1).

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Desormeaux: Horse That ‘Changed My Life’ Continues To Pay Dividends

My Girl Red, who cruised to a 4 3/4-length victory in Friday's Grade 2, $150,000 Sorrento Stakes, is a daughter of 2014 Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Texas Red. Both were/are trained by Keith Desormeaux.

“Texas Red changed my life,” Desormeaux said after the Sorrento. “Texas Red was the culmination of a lifetime of telling myself, and other people, that you don't have to pay boxcar prices (for horses) to win major races.

“I'll always be appreciative of that, and it's icing on the cake to have the same ownership group breed this kind of mare in his first group. Hopefully, it's onwards and upwards for him.”

In making it 2-for-2 for her career, favored My Girl Red ($3.80), was in control virtually from the start without much encouragement and was merely taking stock of her surroundings during the final sixteenth of a mile.

“She's always shown that she has a lot of class and she has the physical attributes that I look for in a good horse,” Desormeaux said. “For her to win first time out is the (epitome) of class. It shows that you don't have to work forty-five and change in the morning to show that kind of speed in the afternoon.”

Like father, like daughter? Not around the barn.

“Texas Red didn't want you to touch him. He's was pretty ornery,” Desormeaux said. “He wasn't a lovable type. This filly really seems to like to be around people. None of those ornery traits for her.”

Asked if the Grade I, Del Mar Debutante (September 6) was next, Desormeaux didn't hesitate. “Oh, of course,” he said.

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Smooth Like Strait Returns in LaJolla

Cannon Thoroughbreds homebred Smooth Like Strait (Midnight Lute), winner of last year’s GIII Cecil B. DeMille S. during this track’s Bing Crosby meeting last December, returns to the seaside oval as the likely favorite in Sunday’s GII LaJolla H. The race is the middle leg of Del Mar’s 3-year-old turf series which concludes with the GII Del Mar Derby over nine furlongs Sept. 6.

Disappointing when no better than fourth as the 13-10 favorite in the Eddie Logan S. at Santa Anita Dec. 29, the bay colt was a pacesetting runner-up to Hariboux (GB) (Havana Gold {Ire}) in the Feb. 29 Pasadena S. The form of that race was franked when Hariboux doubled up in the Cinema S. in June, while Smooth Like Strait took his show to Churchill for a handy success in the May 23 War Chant S. Third home that day was Field Pass (Lemon Drop Kid), who has since added a pair of black-type scores, including Keeneland’s GIII Transylvania S. July 12.

Smooth Like Strait carries top weight of 124 pounds, as does Eclipse Award-winning juvenile Storm the Court (Court Vision), who makes his turf debut in the LaJolla. On the fringes on the Triple Crown trail this season, the bay was third to Authentic (Into Mischief) in the GII San Felipe S. in March and filled the same spot behind Dean Martini (Cairo Prince) when last seen in the GIII Ohio Derby June 27. He is bred to handle this surface switch, as his sire was the upset winner of the GI Breeders’ Cup Mile, while his dam sire Tejano Run–perhaps best known for his runner-up effort in the 1995 GI Kentucky Derby–defeated the likes of Sandpit (Brz) (Baynoun {Ire}) in the GIII Fort Harrod S. at Keeneland on the grass the following season. Storm the Court breezed five furlongs on the turf at Del Mar July 26 in an easy 1:02 flat around the dogs in the company of his Grade III-placed stablemate Royal Act (American Pharoah).

Kanderel (Candy Ride {Arg}), bred on the cross over Storm Cat responsible for the likes of Horse of the Year Gun Runner and champion Shared Belief, among others, defeated Ajourneytofreedom (Hard Spun) by a head in the June 13 Alcatraz S. at Golden Gate, but proved he could class up here with a solid runner-up effort to the very talented Hit the Road (More Than Ready) in the restricted Oceanside S. over a mile July 10.

The post Smooth Like Strait Returns in LaJolla appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Second Chances: Moonlight d’Oro

In this continuing series, TDN’s Senior Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar.

Moonlight d’Oro (f, 2, Medaglia d’Oro-Venetian Sonata, by Bernardini) stamped herself as a 2-year-old to watch after rolling home through traffic to finish a strong second as the 3-5 favorite in her five-furlong unveiling at Del Mar Aug. 2 (video).

Trained by Hall of Famer Richard Mandella, the $620,000 Keeneland September yearling was outsprinted early and ridden in eighth heading into the far turn. On the move with a wall of horses in front of her as they straightened, the MyRacehorse.com and Spendthrift Farm colorbearer showed plenty of maturity gamely splitting horses in the stretch and rallied smartly late, coming home a field-best final eighth in :12.75, finishing 1 1/4 lengths adrift Roll Up Mo Money (Uncle Mo). Moonlight d’Oro earned a 49 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.

“We knew going into the race that breaking out of the gate wasn’t necessarily her strong suit and all day long I was kind of pacing around the house going, ‘Man, I wish this race was 5 1/2 or six furlongs,'” MyRacehorse’s Racing Operations and Owner Experience Manager Joe Mishak said.

“Once she didn’t catch a flyer, it really stacked against her going five furlongs. She settled and took plenty of dirt in her face though. It took her a quarter of a mile or three furlongs to figure out what was going on, but the way she did respond and work her way in between horses was very impressive. It’s so intimidating for even older horses to do that, let alone a 2-year-old that doesn’t have the greatest size, either. That was really encouraging, especially knowing she wants to go a longer route of ground.”

Bred in Kentucky by Stonehaven Steadings, Moonlight d’Oro is a half-sister to impressive debut winner Olive Branch (Speightstown), who finished third in her final career start in Saratoga’s GII Adirondack S. as a juvenile for the late Rick Violette. Moonlight d’Oro was produced by a winning full-sister to GSW Wilburn and SW & GSP La Appassionata; and a half-sister to GSW Beethoven (Sky Mesa).

As for what’s next Moonlight d’Oro, Mishak said, “At this stage of the game, it will probably be the end of the Del Mar meet. I’m sure there will be options there, whether it’s another maiden going six or 6 1/2 furlongs or even a race like the [GI Del Mar] Debutante [Sept. 6]. It’s a discussion of how she works the next few times and getting together with Richard to see where he thinks she might be best suited.”

Previous standouts featured in ‘Second Chances’ include: GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby winner Honor A. P. (Honor Code), Royal Ascot G2 Norfolk S. runner-up Golden Pal (Uncle Mo), MGISW and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Paradise Woods (Union Rags), GSW Backyard Heaven (Tizway), MSW and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Gidu (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. runner-up Candy Tycoon (Twirling Candy).

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