Saturday's Racing Picks: World of Trouble Sprint Stakes
World of Trouble Sprint Stakes at Gulfstream Park - PICKS: 4-2-1-8
We are back at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida for the $100,000 Grade 3 World of Trouble Sprint Stakes (formerly known as the Gulfstream Park Sprint) for 4-year-olds and up over six furlongs on the dirt. The field of 8 will go to gate for race 9 on the 12-race card with an approximate post time of 4:04 p.m. ET.
#4, Admiral Lynch, Irad Ortiz, 7-2 - This will be his 14th career start (3-3-4) and his fourth at Gulfstream Park (1-1-1). He has finished in the money in his last five starts (2-1-2), including an allowance optional claiming win at Penn national in his last on Nov. 30. This will be his second graded stakes starts having finished third in the Grade 3 Chick Lang Stakes on May 18. He has been performing well as of late and with Irad Ortiz in the saddle for trainer Jason Servis, I like him even more. The pick.
#2, Lasting Legacy, Paco Lopez, 7-5 - The morning-line favorite will be making his 10th career start (5-1-0) and second straight start at Gulfstream Park, coming off a runner-up finish falling short by just one length to Diamond Oops in the Grade 3 Mr. Prospector Stakes on Dec. 21. Prior to that, he had won three straight races at Monmouth Park, finishing first in their version of the Mr. Prospector Stakes on Sept. 28. He has earned triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures in each of his last three starts and will make his 6-year-old debut today. Paco Lopez as the mount for trainer Jason Servis, who used to train the namesake of this race, winning 8 of 11 starts with World of Trouble. It was a good test for him last time out here and he will learn from it, but will it be enough? Runner-up.
#1, Epic Dreamer, Jose Ortiz, 4-1 - This will be Epic Dreamer’s fourth graded stakes start and looks to rebound from a disappointing 12th-place finish in the Grade 3 Frew W. Hooper Stakes here in his last on Jan. 25. This will be his fifth start here, having finished in the money just once, finishing first in an allowance optional claiming race back on Dec. 8. Jose Ortiz is in the saddle for trainer Kelly Breen and I expect a big improvement from his last. Contender.
#8, Yorkton, Chris Landeros, 8-1 - The crafty veteran of the group will be making his 27th career start (7-2-2) and his third here since back to back out of the money finishes in early 2017. His previous 12 starts have been at Woodbine and this will mark his 13th graded stakes start. His last win was in the Grade 3 Bold Venture Stakes on Sept. 14 and in his last start, he finished fourth in an allowance race on Nov. 2. This will be his first U.S. start since a fifth-place finish in an allowance optional claiming race at Keeneland on April 15, 2018. In the mix.
By Lou Monaco