World of hurt for turf sprinters

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Manny Franco, the rider of the speedy World of Trouble, was told there appears to be plenty of other early-speed types in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Troy Stakes scheduled for 5 1/2 furlongs on the Saratoga turf.

“If they’re in front of me, they’re going too fast,” Franco said on the Saratoga backstretch Thursday morning.

Nobody could get in front of World of Trouble through a half-mile in 43.85 seconds in the Grade 1 Jaipur at Belmont, a race World of Trouble won by 1 3/4 lengths. That was World of Trouble’s fifth consecutive victory and ninth from 13 starts overall.

World of Trouble has only lost once in five tries on turf, that coming in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, where he was beaten a neck by Stormy Liberal. That is World of Trouble’s only loss dating back to last Aug. 8, when he made his turf debut a winning one in the Quick Call Stakes at Saratoga. He had the rail that day in a 12-horse field.

The Jaipur was World of Trouble’s first start on legitimate firm turf and he seemed to handle it just as well, if not better, than good to yielding ground.

“I was thinking maybe he prefers soft, but that was real good,” trainer Jason Servis said. “He’s a nice horse.”

Franco is 4 for 4 on World of Trouble and says the horse doesn’t mind getting into a tussle with other horses.

Noting that a when horse came to him in the Jaipur, Franco said World of Trouble “gave it to me.”

“He doesn’t want to lose,” he said.

While Franco noted that World of Trouble sat off a horse in the Grade 1 Carter on dirt. World of Trouble has the rail on Saturday and will have to break running.

Trainer Christophe Clement has the uncoupled entry of Pure Sensation and Disco Partner in the Troy. Both horses, multiple stakes winners. are owned by Frank and Patricia Generazio. Pure Sensation, an 8-year-old gelding, is 3 for 3 this year with all of his wins coming on the lead. Disco Partner, who won last year’s Jaipur, prefers to come from off the pace.

“I can tell you one thing, the pace won’t be slow,” Clement said.

Rocket Heat, winner of a Claiming Crown race at Gulfstream in December, is another with enough speed to make things difficult for World of Trouble up front.

Trainer Michael Trombetta is hoping a hot pace develops for his late runner Wet Your Whistle, who has won four straight races including a last-to-first victory in the Grade 1 Highlander Stakes at Woodbine on June 29.

“There’s lots of speed. My horse is doing really good, so if he’s ever going to take them on, it’s going to be this week,” Trombetta said.

Leinster, who has won allowance races at Keeneland and Churchill in his last two starts, completes the field.