World of Trouble Stakes Deja Vu: Lasting Legacy Favored

There was only one World of Trouble , but there are two stakes in his honor this winter at Gulfstream Park. Four weeks after hosting the Jan. 25 World of Trouble Turf Sprint Stakes, the track is right back at it Feb. 22, this time staging the $100,000 World of Trouble Sprint Stakes (G3) at six furlongs on the main track.

Perhaps it is apropos given World of Trouble's skill and versatility to handle multiple surfaces. Purchased privately after a debut victory in $25,000 maiden claiming company, the son of Kantharos  went on to win eight stakes—including grade 1s on turf and dirt for owners Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, and Bethlehem Stables—before being retired last fall to stud at Hill 'n' Dale Farms in Kentucky, where he stands for $15,000.

Fittingly, Jason Servis—who trained World of Trouble for the final 11 starts of his 13-race career—is represented in Saturday's race. Servis has the likely favorite, Gary and Mary West's Lasting Legacy, and new stable addition Admiral Lynch. The latter has further World of Trouble ties as he is owned by Dubb. The Super Saver  colt was purchased for $85,000 by bloodstock agent Sean Perl from the Northview Stallion Station consignment at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic December Mixed and Horses of Racing Age Sale as part of the dispersal of owner Joseph Besecker.

Lasting Legacy, who will have Paco Lopez aboard, is in excellent form. He won three consecutive races at Monmouth Park last summer and early fall for Servis before coming to Gulfstream and rallying for second to Diamond Oops in a hot-paced Mr. Prospector Stakes (G3) Dec. 21 at seven furlongs.

In picking up the runner-up prize, the 6-year-old Tapizar  horse closed just past Imperial Hint, a four-time grade 1 winner though a horse more effective at three-quarters.

Video: Mr. Prospector S. (G3)

Admiral Lynch, like Lasting Legacy, comes off one of the best performances of his career: a 4 1/2-length score in a fast time at Penn National Race Course Nov. 30 against easier second-level allowance optional claiming runners.

Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride the 4-year-old, who shows the customarily slow three-furlong published breezes typical of a Servis trainee. Often these workouts are "two-minute licks"—training at a pace of approximately two minutes per mile.

One of the leading challengers to the Servis pair is Chiefswood Stables' Yorkton, the only multiple graded stakes winner in the eight-horse field. Yorkton won the Bold Venture Stakes (G3) at Woodbine in 2018 and 2019.

The 6-year-old son of Speightstown  has not yet won on dirt. He ran a distant sixth in an allowance on a fast track at Gulfstream in February 2017 after hitting the gate at the start and was fifth, beaten six lengths, in an allowance at Keeneland in April 2018 in the slop.

"When we ran him on dirt earlier in his life, he was young. I don't think we got a fair assessment," trainer Stuart Simon said. "Based on how he's trained on it, we wanted to give him another try on it."

Largely based in Canada, except during the winter and early spring, Yorkton is 6-for-15 on synthetic tracks and 1-for-9 on turf. He has been breezing regularly on dirt at Palm Meadows Training Center.

"He has a lot of speed, but he doesn't necessarily need the lead. He's pretty versatile that way, too. He'll track or stalk also," Simon said. "He is a fast horse, so he'll find himself on the lead a lot, too."

Chris Landeros will ride from the outside post.

Deep-closing Fast Pass, owned by Paradise Farms and Walder Racing, enters the World of Trouble off a 2 3/4-length score in a starter optional claimer at Gulfstream, rallying from last with a late run.

"He's awesome. It seems like he's become a fan favorite, a throwback Silky Sullivan horse," trainer Peter Walder said. "I hope there's as much speed in the race as his last race."

Completing the field are Epic Racing's Epic Dreamer, who will cut back in distance following an off-the-board finish in the Fred W. Hooper Stakes (G3); Tracy Pinchin's Jackson, a multiple stakes winner against Florida-breds; The Four Horsemen Racing Stable and Lady Lindsay Racing Stables' Sweetontheladies, a grade 1-placed sprinter who will come off a six-month layoff; and Maria Ines Mejia's Goldenlion.

Entries: World of Trouble Sprint S. (G3)

Gulfstream Park, Saturday, February 22, 2020, Race 9

• Grade III
• 6f
• Dirt
• $100,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 4:04 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Epic Dreamer (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	118	Kelly J. Breen	4/1
2	2Lasting Legacy (KY)	Paco Lopez	122	Jason Servis	7/5
3	3Sweetontheladies (FL)	Marcos Meneses	120	Henry Collazo	15/1
4	4Admiral Lynch (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	118	Jason Servis	7/2
5	5Jackson (FL)	Luis Saez	122	Jose Pinchin	10/1
6	6Fast Pass (KY)	Cristian A. Torres	122	Peter R. Walder	8/1
7	7Goldenlion (KY)	Silvia Zapico	118	Amador Merei Sanchez	30/1
8	8Yorkton (ON)	Chris Landeros	124	Stuart C. Simon	8/1