Sprint Races Add Zip to Pegasus Card

While the main focus of the day pits Breeders' Cup winners Accelerate  and City of Light  against one another in the $9 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1), another post-Breeders' Cup showdown looms on the undercard Jan. 26 at Gulfstream Park.

In the day's third race, the five-furlong Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint Stakes, Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) winner and Eclipse Award finalist Stormy Liberal squares off against Turf Sprint runner-up World of Trouble. Only a neck separated the pair of turf titans at the wire Nov. 3 over yielding going at Churchill Downs. The $150,000 race is one of five stakes on the program run at a mile or less.

The Turf Sprint will be followed by the $150,000 Ladies' Turf Sprint Stakes, also at five furlongs; the seven-furlong Fasig-Tipton Hurricane Bertie Stakes (G3) for older fillies and mares; and the one-mile Fred W. Hooper Stakes (G3) for older runners.

World of Trouble, a 4-year-old Kantharos  colt, set a strong pace in the Breeders' Cup, carrying the lead to the final strides. Of note is the fact it was 7 1/4 lengths back to the third-place finisher in the career-defining effort. Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, and Bethlehem Stables' runner bounced back to crush Florida-breds by 13 3/4 lengths Dec. 15 in the FTBOA Marion County Florida Sire Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. World of Trouble will break from post 4 with Irad Ortiz Jr., who rode him in the Breeders' Cup.

Rockingham Ranch and David Bernsen's Stormy Liberal will be right to his inside in the gate. Joel Rosario replaces regular rider Drayden Van Dyke at Gulfstream. Stellar at five furlongs, Stormy Liberal failed to catch Caribou Club in the Jan. 1 Joe Hernandez Stakes (G3T) at 6 1/2 furlongs on Santa Anita Park's downhill course. A bullet :59 4/5 move for five furlongs followed, so the stalker should be set for another big run.

Hurricane Bertie

The Dec. 15 Sugar Swirl Stakes (G3) was won by Dream Pauline. The second-, third-, and fifth-place finishers all return to take her on again in the Hurricane Bertie. Stonestreet Stables' 4-year-old Tapit  filly was the 8-5 favorite in the six-furlong Sugar Swirl, but some action may be sent toward Conrad Farms' Shamrock Rose, winner of the Nov 3 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) and an Eclipse Award finalist for top female sprinter.

Shamrock Rose rallied from 14th and last in the Breeders' Cup, getting up by a head over Chalon. The win was the Pennsylvania-bred daughter of First Dude 's fourth straight dating to a state-bred victory in the Malvern Rose Stakes on the synthetic surface Aug. 5 at Presque Isle Downs. Seven furlongs is right in her wheelhouse: the Breeders' Cup score and her win in Keeneland's Lexus Raven Run Stakes (G2) were at seven panels.

"I was so proud of her in the Breeders' Cup. I always talk about Allen Jerkens and him saying, 'Run them while they are good,'" said trainer Mark Casse. "I think some people thought I was a little nuts running her back in two weeks in the Breeders' Cup after she won at Keeneland, but like I told a friend, 'This filly thinks she can beat anyone, and until she proves otherwise, I'm going to believe her.'

"I'm a big believer in confidence," Casse continued. "She reminds me a little bit of Tepin, who struggled at the end of her 3-year-old year. We gave Tepin a break and we brought her back, and she was just so good."

Dream Pauline will be making only her fifth career start and has yet to travel beyond six furlongs.

"She ran very well in the Sugar Swirl," said trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. "We scratched her from the (Garland of Roses Stakes) in New York the week before because she drew the one-hole up there and the Sugar Swirl was a grade 3. It worked out great. Javier (Castellano) said she was waiting a little bit on horses late, but she dug in and won. The only time she got beat was when she was unlucky and had a horrible trip at Churchill, running down inside and got checked a couple of times. She's a very nice and professional filly."

Third choice Stormy Embrace came after her in the Sugar Swirl, just missing by a neck. It was 3 3/4 lengths back to Pacific Gale. Fifth-place finisher Awestruck is a closing type who has won at a mile and at 6 1/2 furlongs for G. Watts Humphrey Jr. and trainer Rusty Arnold.

Fred Hooper

Robert LaPenta and Head of Plains Partners' Coal Front jumped up to win Gulfstream's seven-furlong Mr. Prospector Stakes (G3) the weekend before Christmas. The son of Stay Thirsty  will test a mile for the first time while breaking from the rail in the Fred Hooper.

Joining Coal Front in the field will be Ron Paolucci Racing's Storm Advisory, runner-up in the Mr. Prospector. He will break from post 2.

Unbridled Juan has a pair of local wins and polished off his 2018 campaign with back-to-back stakes scores at Delaware Park and Laurel Park, respectively, for Stronach Stables and trainer Jose Corrales.

Conquest Big E has three Gulfstream wins from 13 starts; Aztec Sense has three wins at the track from four starts, including his last outing in the nine-furlong Claiming Crown Jewel Stakes; and Jacks or Better Farm's Fellowship has a 2-1-3 slate from nine local trips.

Ladies' Turf Sprint

A well-balanced bunch is set for the Ladies' Turf Sprint headlined by Humphrey's Morticia—a two-time winner over the local course and an ultraconsistent 6-3-4 in 15 turf sprint outings. A quick 5-year-old mare by Twirling Candy , Morticia has done her best coming from just off the pace of late after showing frontrunning speed earlier in her career.

Laurie Plesa's Miz Mayhem is also a consistent turf sprint specialist and was a sharp winner of Tampa Bay Downs' Lightning City Stakes at five furlongs Dec. 1. She was an even fifth, beaten just three lengths last time out behind Morticia and Smiling Causeway, in Gulfstream's Dec. 29 five-furlong Abundantia Stakes.

The quick Blue Bahia will have to overcome the outside post in the Ladies' Turf, but clear sailing might be an advantage for the frontrunning Wildcat Heir mare.

Entries: Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint S.

Gulfstream Park, Saturday, January 26, 2019, Race 3

• STK
• 5f
• Turf
• $150,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 12:30 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Singandcryindubai (ON)	Jose L. Ortiz	119	Jorge Navarro	15/1
2	2Oak Bluffs (NJ)	Chris Landeros	119	Mary E. Eppler	20/1
3	3Stormy Liberal (KY)	Joel Rosario	123	Peter Miller	8/5
4	4World of Trouble (FL)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	121	Jason Servis	6/5
5	5Little Chesney (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	121	Carlo Vaccarezza	30/1
6	6Pay Any Price (FL)	Paco Lopez	121	Georgina Baxter	6/1
7	7Belle Tapisserie (KY)	Carlos Montalvo	117	Jaime Mejia	30/1
8	8Recruiting Ready (KY)	Luis Saez	121	Stanley M. Hough	10/1

Entries: Ladies' Turf Sprint S.

Gulfstream Park, Saturday, January 26, 2019, Race 5

• STK
• 5f
• Turf
• $150,000
• 4 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 1:31 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Surrender Now (KY)	Luis Saez	119	Peter Miller	6/1
2	2Miz Mayhem (FL)	Joel Rosario	121	Edward Plesa, Jr.	12/1
3	3Painting Corners (FL)	Flavien Prat	119	Peter Miller	9/2
4	4Cherry Lodge (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	117	Todd A. Pletcher	12/1
5	5Morticia (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	119	George R. Arnold, II	7/2
6	6Just Talkin (FL)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	117	Jason Servis	6/1
7	7Razorback Lady (AR)	Romero Ramsay Maragh	117	Patrick L. Biancone	20/1
8	8Smiling Causeway (KY)	Javier Castellano	121	Arnaud Delacour	4/1
9	9Pastime (KY)	Chris Landeros	117	Victoria H. Oliver	20/1
10	10Blue Bahia (FL)	Paco Lopez	119	Jason Servis	6/1

Entries: Fasig-Tipton Hurricane Bertie S. (G3)

Gulfstream Park, Saturday, January 26, 2019, Race 7

• Grade III
• 7f
• Dirt
• $150,000
• 4 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 2:33 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Victory Rally (MD)	Jorge A. Vargas, Jr.	121	Michael R. Matz	20/1
2	2Dream Pauline (KY)	Javier Castellano	123	Kiaran P. McLaughlin	3/1
3	3Awestruck (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	117	George R. Arnold, II	6/1
4	4Shamrock Rose (PA)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	123	Mark E. Casse	2/1
5	5Blamed (MD)	Julien R. Leparoux	123	William I. Mott	5/1
6	6Ms Meshak (FL)	Nik Juarez	119	Joseph F. Orseno	20/1
7	7Pacific Gale (KY)	John R. Velazquez	117	John C. Kimmel	20/1
8	8Stormy Embrace (FL)	Tyler Gaffalione	119	Kathleen O'Connell	4/1

Entries: Fred W. Hooper S. (G3)

Gulfstream Park, Saturday, January 26, 2019, Race 9

• Grade III
• 1m
• Dirt
• $150,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 3:38 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Coal Front (KY)	John R. Velazquez	123	Todd A. Pletcher	9/5
2	2Storm Advisory (PA)	Robby Albarado	119	Anthony T. Quartarolo	12/1
3	3Conquest Big E (KY)	Paco Lopez	119	Donna Green Hurtak	20/1
4	4Breaking Lucky (ON)	Luis Saez	119	George Weaver	9/2
5	5Eye of a Jedi (KY)	Jose A. Batista	117	Steve Budhoo	30/1
6	6Aztec Sense (KY)	Emisael Jaramillo	121	Jorge Navarro	7/2
7	7Fellowship (FL)	Tyler Gaffalione	119	Kenneth Decker	20/1
8	8Copper Town (KY)	Javier Castellano	117	Todd A. Pletcher	6/1
9	9Unbridled Juan (ON)	Alex Cintron	121	Jose Corrales	8/1
10	10Mo Dont No (OH)	Romero Ramsay Maragh	121	Anthony T. Quartarolo	20/1