Storm the Court (Court Vision) has been overlooked for most of his young career thus far, but that changed with his recognition as an improbable champion 2-year-old male. Bought by horseman Bryan Rice for just $5,000 as a Fasig-Tipton February yearling in 2018, he blossomed in the ensuing year and sold for $60,000 to the shrewd Marette Farrell after breezing a quarter-mile in :21 2/5 at OBS April as the only representative of his sire in the entire sale. Scoring a 12-1 upset of his debut Aug. 10 at Del Mar, he was stepped up by trainer Peter Eurton into the GI Runhappy Del Mar Futurity next out. That race is infamous for the antics of heavy favorite Eight Rings (Empire Maker), who ducked in sharply soon after the start and unseated his rider. Storm the Court, who also lost his pilot because of the incident, was a mere footnote in the affair. He did little to make a name for himself in the GI American Pharoah S., finished a well-beaten third behind an Eight Rings that was on his best behavior Sept. 27 at Santa Anita. That led to him being dismissed at nearly 46-1 in the GI TVG Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Nov. 1 in Arcadia, but the bay kept finding more after setting a quick pace, and dug in resolutely to turn back fellow longshot Anneau d’Or (Medaglia d’Oro) by a head, pulling off the biggest stunner of the World Championship weekend. Drilling steady at his Santa Anita base, Storm the Court is slated to take his first step as a sophomore on the GI Kentucky Derby trail in the Feb. 9 GII San Vicente S.

Accepting the Award…

“I am incredibly honored to accept this award on behalf of the entire Storm the Court team. There are many people who have contributed to this colt’s special moment. Marette Farrell and her team who do all the bloodstock work for Exline-Border are some of the hardest-working people I know. They are honest, diligent and I can confidently say we would not be standing here today without their guidance. Peter Eurton did an excellent job with ‘Storm.’ Peter is an excellent horseman, but he’s like family to us. He has continuously delivered us success on the biggest of stages and we are lucky to have him on our team.” —Ryan Exline of Exline-Border Racing, co-owner