World of Trouble shortening up – at least for now

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – World of Trouble finished a good third as the favorite in the March 10 Tampa Bay Derby, but that’s not enough to keep the speedy colt on the Kentucky Derby trail.

“We’re going to shorten him up, I think,” said Jason Servis, who trains World of Trouble for Michael Dubb and Bethlehem Stables. “My gut feeling is he’ll get 1 1/16 miles, maybe even farther, but not at this stage of his life.”

World of Trouble, a Florida-bred by Kantharos, has emerged as one of the faster 3-year-olds in Florida this winter. Based at the Palm Meadows training center, the colt shipped over twice to run at Tampa, winning the seven-furlong Pasco by nearly 14 lengths and getting a 97 Beyer Speed Figure. He then gave way grudgingly to finish 1 1/4 lengths behind winner Quip (and getting a 92 Beyer) as the front-running 8-5 choice in the 1 1/16-mile Tampa Bay Derby.

Servis said the Grade 2 Woody Stephens, a seven-furlong race on the June 9 Belmont Stakes undercard, “is on the radar, but that’s a ways out.”

“We’re just now digging in and seeing what’s around,” Servis said. “I’d like to find a suitable spot for him sometime between now and then.”

World of Trouble ran twice for prior connections, winning a maiden-claiming race at Gulfstream Park in August before finishing second by a neck in the restricted Affirmed in September. He then was purchased privately and turned over to Servis.