World of Trouble expands options with Turf Sprint win

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – World of Trouble was assigned a 107 Beyer Speed Figure for his 2 3/4-length victory in Saturday's off-the-turf Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint and continues to broaden his options for Jason Servis, who trains the speedy 4-year-old colt for the partnership of Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, and Bethlehem Stables.

“He did come out of the race a little tired,” Servis said Sunday morning. “I don’t know where we’ll run next, since we’ve got plenty of spots.”

The five-furlong Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint went in 56.44 seconds over sloppy going and was the first of seven stakes to precede the two Pegasus World Cup events Saturday at rain-soaked Gulfstream Park. The Beyer earned by World of Trouble was the highest of the day, except for the 112 earned by City of Light in the Pegasus.

World of Trouble now has won two dirt races since earning a 118 Beyer when a close second to Stormy Liberal in the Nov. 3 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, with his interim race being an easy win (and 109 Beyer) in a Dec. 15 stakes restricted to Florida-breds at Tampa Bay Downs. Servis has mentioned the Dubai Golden Shaheen, the Carter, and the Churchill Downs as possible targets over the coming months.

Stormy Liberal, the 2018 turf champion, was scratched Saturday because of the surface switch, as were two other Peter Miller-trained horses, Surrender Now and Painting Corners, from the off-the-turf Ladies’ Turf Sprint.

Cherry Lodge won the Ladies’ Turf Sprint, earning an 85 Beyer, the lowest for any winner among the nine Saturday stakes. The 5-year-old is trained by Todd Pletcher, who scratched the morning-line favorite, Coal Front, from the Grade 3 Fred W. Hooper and wound up with the post-time favorite, Copper Town, who faltered badly to finish seventh of eight after being very fractious in the starting gate.

The Hooper was won by Aztec Sense (94 Beyer), giving the 6-year-old gelding a remarkable ninth straight victory and Jorge Navarro the 1,000th win of his training career, but the winner’s circle celebration was quite subdued. Aztec Sense had to be vanned off, with Navarro reporting later that the gelding appeared to have suffered an injury to a ligament or tendon in his left foreleg. The injury is not life-threatening, although it remains to be seen whether Aztec Sense will ever race again.

On an even more somber note, trainer Mike Maker suffered the loss of a 3-year-old maiden, Tripwire, to a fatal heart attack during the running of the fourth race. Maker got some consolation later in the afternoon when he sent out the one-two finishers in the Grade 3 McKnight in Zulu Alpha (101 Beyer) and Soglio. Maker said Sunday both are in good order and that he is eyeing the March 2 Mac Diarmida for either or both of those turf marathon specialists.

The fourth race was won by a first-timing Juddmonte Farms homebred, Hidden Scroll, who ran himself into the Kentucky Derby discussion with an eye-popping 104 Beyer when getting a mile in 1:34.82. That unveiling was part of an eventful afternoon for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, who two races later won the South Beach with Dolce Lili (89 Beyer), who could go next in the March 2 Honey Fox. Mott scratched a second South Beach contender, Capla Temptress, in favor of waiting for the Feb. 9 Endeavour over the Tampa Bay Downs turf.

Dream Pauline (97 Beyer), an authoritative winner of the Grade 3 Hurricane Bertie, almost certainly will wait to make her next start in the Grade 1 Madison on April 6 at Keeneland, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said.

Si Que Es Buena (94 Beyer), winner of the Grade 3 La Prevoyante, could make her next start in the March 2 The Very One, said trainer Graham Motion, “although I might wait until we get back up north. She’s had two fairly tough races.”