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Juvenile Champ Storm The Court Made 3-1 Morning Line Favorite In Saturday’s $500,000 Ohio Derby

Placed just once in his three starts so far this year, juvenile champion Storm the Court will try to get his season back on track in this Saturday's Grade 3 $500,000 Ohio Derby. The 3-year-old son of Court Vision was made the 3-1 morning line favorite in the 14-horse field, set to go nine furlongs over the main track at Thistledown in North Randall, Ohio.

The race offers the winner 20 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, rescheduled for Sept. 5 at Churchill Downs.

Trained by Peter Eurton, Storm the Court won last fall's Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita. This year, the colt finished fourth in the G2 San Vicente in his sophomore debut, then third in the G2 San Felipe in March. Most recently, he finished sixth in the G1 Arkansas Derby. This Saturday, Storm the Court will be partnered by regular rider Flavien Prat and break from post 13.

Second choice on the morning line at 7-2 is Lebda, a two-time stakes winner trained by Claudio Gonzalez. The son of Raison d'Etat will break from post 4 under jockey Alex Cintron.

Rowdy Yates will make his first start since returning from overseas in the Ohio Derby. Trained by Steve Asmussen, the Morning Line colt will be breaking from post 3 under jockey Tyler Baze. Rowdy Yates is a four-time stakes winner, and is 9-2 on the morning line after finishing fourth in the Saudi Derby Cup last out.

The full field for Saturday's Ohio Derby is as follows:

Dean Martini (rider TBD, Amoss) 20-1
Rogue Element (McKee, Romans) 30-1 (AE)
Rowdy Yates (Baze, Asmussen) 9-2
Lebda (Cintron, Gonzalez) 7-2
Dack Janiel's (Burke, Sisterson) 15-1
Sprawl (Lopez, Mott) 15-1
Informative (Bisono, St. Lewis) 12-1
Bear Alley (Corrales, Romans) 30-1
Code Runner (Feliciano, Asmussen) 6-1
South Bend (Bejarano, Hough) 8-1
Soros (Machado, Delgado) 15-1
Established (Murrill, Stidham) 30-1
Storm the Court (Prat, Eurton) 3-1
Unrighteous (Parker, Pletcher) 20-1
Celtic Striker (Gutierrez, Handal) 15-1

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Honor A.P. Performance, Prat Dominance Highlight Interrupted Santa Anita Meet

With $5,649,128 in new money wagered, Sunday's total 20 cent Rainbow Pick Six Jackpot pool reached $6,738,964, with the result being a mandatory closing day payout of $12,304.70 at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

Sunday's seventh race, the first leg of the Rainbow Pick Six, was the $150,000 Melair Stakes, which was won by Warren's Showtime, who paid $10.60 to win. Including the Melair, the Rainbow Six sequence was determined thusly: R7 #6, $10.60, R8 #10, $6.20, R9 #3, $11.60, R10 #4, $16.80, R11 #2, $3.20 and R12 #5, $25.20.

Santa Anita's 60-day Winter/Spring Meeting, which began on Dec. 28 and was closed due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic from March 27 until the track was allowed to reopen without fans on May 15, played host to a number of great performances, perhaps highlighted by Honor A.P.'s stirring victory in the Grade I Runhappy Santa Anita Derby on June 6, a performance that stamped him a leading contender for the Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5.

On the human side of things, French native Flavien Prat, 27, ran away with the jockeys' title, winning 90 races, 29 more than runner-up Abel Cedillo. Additionally, Prat, who notched his second career Winter/Spring title, dead heated with Mike Smith for most stakes wins, with 14.

In the trainers' division, Peter Miller got his first Santa Anita Winter/Spring crown, outrunning Bob Baffert, 35 to 33, while Baffert led Miller in stakes-won 10-8.

Live racing will return to Santa Anita on Friday, Sept. 11. Fans are encouraged to visit santaanita.com for updates, or call (626) 574-RACE.

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Through Starts And Stops Of Santa Anita Meet, Leading Rider Prat Stayed Focused And Fit

Flavien Prat won Santa Anita's riding title in a landslide. Going into Sunday's 12-race closing-day program at the Arcadia, Calif., track, the final numbers are a mere formality as Prat had an insurmountable 89-61 lead over runner-up Abel Cedillo after winning five races on Saturday.

He has no chance of breaking Laffit Pincay's record of 138 victories at a Santa Anita meet, set in 1970-71, but the 27-year-old Frenchman's achievement was a virtual fait accompli throughout the undulating “Races Without Faces” meet, especially after he won six races on the card May 17.

It's been a team effort.

Due to the pandemic, there were starts, stops and intermissions at the current campaign, so with regard to specific numbers such as wins, mounts and days raced at past meets, this was similar to the proverbial comparison of apples and oranges.

But considering the circumstances, Prat's agent, Derek Lawson, will take it.

“I don't know how Pincay won 138, even though he probably rode in more races and on more days,” said Lawson, agent six years now for reigning Kentucky Derby winner Prat. “As for us, it wasn't just what we endured, because the entire country endured a shutdown.

“Both Flavien and I stayed focused by watching races that were available to us, and physically, he trained as hard as he possibly could.

“He didn't slow down; just kept training and working out, riding the stationary bicycle in his garage 21 miles a day, swimming and using weights he purchased and had in his home.

“He also watched whatever old races that were available and kept his mind in the game. It was the same with me. We focused on one topic, and it was racing.

“I also maintained contact with trainers who were keeping their horses sharp, and one was Peter Miller at San Luis Rey. With guys like him, Richie Baltas, Richard Mandella and others, we had some good business when we came back. It was fun.

“Even so, I never thought we'd be riding at this level as far as win percentage (27), but one day led to another and it kept going on and on and on and it worked out really well.”

When it comes to deciding which horse to ride, both agent and rider put their heads together, for the most part.

“We talk about all the horses all the time,” Lawson said. “When it comes to the stakes races, there's greater discussion and a lot of communication between the two of us. It's not just me. I need help to choose in certain situations. It's not cut and dried.

“I'll tell him we have two horses here, what do we do in this situation? Sometimes he leaves it up to me, sometimes he says 'I've got no idea.' There's a lot of communication between the two of us. We have a common goal, to try and win racing titles from the beginning of the year.

“It's really a team effort.”

The team includes Santa Anita's racing department.

“They kept us informed,” Lawson said. “Chris Merz (Racing Director for Santa Anita's Vice President of Racing and Racing Secretary Steve Lym and his diligent staff) stayed in touch with me. We knew they were at the mercy of the (Los Angeles County) Health Department, but we appreciated that they kept us informed on a regular basis.

“Every week or two I would get in touch with them, knowing things were starting to loosen up a little bit. They did a great job having the condition book ready when we were able to get started again.

“It was a matter of extensive communication and making sure everyone was on the right page.

“It worked out great.”

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Glatt: Kentucky Derby ‘On Our Radar’ After Barrera Win By Collusion Illusion

Although it appeared Bob Baffert's Ragtime Blues may have had matters in-hand at the top of the stretch, the Mark Glatt-conditioned Collusion Illusion had only begun to fight, as he kicked into high gear and motored to an impressive 3 ¼-length tally in Saturday's Grade III, $100,000 Lazaro Barrera Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. Ridden by Flavien Prat, the bay colt by Twirling Candy got 6 ½ furlongs in 1:16.03 and has his connections thinking about the first Saturday in September.

Breaking alertly from the rail in a field of five, Collusion Illusion was unhurried early as Phantom Boss and Ragtime Blues disputed the early running heading to the far turn. With Mike Smith encouraging Ragtime Blues, he assumed command a half mile out and appeared to get the jump on Collusion Illusion as he opened up a three length advantage a quarter mile from home.

“He had me a little worried there at the top of the stretch, but I think he's a pretty smart horse and Flavien has a lot of confidence in him,” said Glatt. He's very athletic, there's no wasted action in his stride.”

Is the Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5 a possibility?

“It's on our radar,” said Glatt, whose horse appeared to gallop out in front around the Club House turn by half a football field. “We paid the late supplement ($3,000). I don't know what's next. I just wanted to get by today. We'll need to stretch him out and figure out how to get enough points.”

A stirring three-length allowance winner going six furlongs off a 7 ½ month layoff on May 17, Collusion Illusion was off at 2-5 and paid $2.80, $2.10 and $2.10.

Owned by Dan Agnew, Rodney Orr, Jerry Schneider and John Xitco, Collusion Illusion, who is out of the First Dude mare Natalie Grace, picked up his second graded stakes win and now has four wins from five career starts. With the winner's share of $60,000, he increased his earnings to $248,751.

“Mike Smith opened up a little at the turn, so I wasn't super confident, but I knew as soon as we turned for home, if we switched leads, he would give me a good kick,” said Prat, who is now three for three aboard “Collusion.”

Ragtime Blues, who had won two of his three starts and was trying stakes competition for the first time, offered little resistance late while finishing 3 ¼ lengths in front of longshot Howbeit. Off at 2-1, Ragtime Blues returned $2.20 and $2.10.

Off at 43-1 with Umberto Rispoli, Howbeit paid $3.60 to show.

Fractions on the race were 21.90, 44.73 and 1:09.66.

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