Stormy Liberal-World of Trouble rematch highlights Turf Sprint

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – This is how good the Pegasus World Cup program is: a couple of horses who earned Beyer Speed Figures of 119 and 118 in a Breeders’ Cup race will start alongside each other in an eagerly awaited rematch – and theirs is just the third of 12 races.

Indeed, a second clash between Stormy Liberal and World of Trouble is a mere sampling of what lies ahead Saturday at Gulfstream Park. They’ll reconvene in the $150,000 Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint, the first of nine stakes on a blockbuster card that starts at 11:30 a.m. Eastern.

The filly-mare counterpart, the $150,000 Ladies’ Turf Sprint, follows about an hour later.

Gulfstream Turf Sprint (race 3)

Twelve weeks ago at Churchill Downs, Stormy Liberal reeled in World of Trouble to prevail by a neck, making him a two-time winner of the BC Turf Sprint, as the top pair finished well clear of 12 others. Since then, both have raced once while remaining in steady training, with Stormy Trouble finishing second in a down-the-hill graded stakes at his Santa Anita home base and World of Trouble overmatching fellow Florida-breds in a Tampa Bay Downs warmup.

World of Trouble’s trainer, Jason Servis, said Thursday the 4-year-old colt has been “just okay, not lights out” in his training at the Palm Meadows training center since his Dec. 15 prep at Tampa, but Servis expects another big effort nonetheless. World of Trouble shows two easy three-furlong breezes leading into his seasonal debut.

“I mean, it’s a long year ahead of us, and we’ve got a lot of options with the horse, both on turf and dirt,” Servis said. “The Breeders’ Cup (resulted in) a good figure, both on the Beyers and the sheets, but that’s the way this horse is. He’s fast.”

Whereas the BC Turf Sprint was run at 5 1/2 furlongs, this race Saturday is slightly shorter at five furlongs. With World of Trouble being the speedier of the two, “you’d have to think that’ll help us,” Servis said. “Hopefully we’ll get a clean break and we’ll be off and running.”

World of Trouble will break from post 4 with Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard, just to the outside of Stormy Liberal (post 3, Joel Rosario), who does his best work from just off the pace. Trained by Peter Miller, a perennial top-five trainer on the Southern California circuit, Stormy Liberal has been first or second in 21 of 31 starts, earning more than $1.9 million.

The early leader among the eight Turf Sprint runners could be Pay Any Price (post 6, Paco Lopez), who has been dominant in this niche locally in winning a remarkable 12 of 17 starts over the Gulfstream turf. The 9-year-old gelding was the final exclusion from the Breeders’ Cup, much to the chagrin of owner Rich Averill and partners, so a front-running upset of the favorites would amount to sweet retribution.

Ladies’ Turf Sprint (race 5)

Servis and Miller both come well represented in the $150,000 Ladies’ Turf Sprint. Servis will send out Just Talkin and Blue Bahia, while Miller counters with Surrender Now and Painting Corners.

Unlike in the Turf Sprint, however, there are no standouts in the field of 10 for the Ladies’ Turf Sprint, and this five-furlong race could fall any which way. Morticia, a lukewarm 7-2 favorite on the morning line, first came to prominence here nearly two years ago in winning the Melody of Colors for her trainer and co-breeder, Rusty Arnold, but despite maintaining a commendable consistency in her travels, she has been defeated in eight of her last nine starts. In her runner-up finish in a local prep four weeks ago, she finished a length ahead of another solid contender here, Smiling Causeway, a Tampa shipper who appears back in form.

As for the Miller pair, Painting Corners might be the best option, given the manner in which she developed into one of the best of her division out West last fall, while Blue Bahia, a three-time winner over the local course, could be the better of the Servis duo, especially if she can benefit from a clean stalking trip from the outside box under Paco Lopez.