World of Trouble Toughs it out in Carter

SOUTH OZONE PARK, NY –  World of Trouble was too good to beat in Saturday’s Carter Handicap (G1) at Aqueduct. The four-year-old son of Kantharos picked up his sixth stakes victory dating back to January of 2018 and has now won five of his last six races with his only loss coming in the Breeder’s Cup Turf Sprint last November.

The post-time favorite, World of Trouble, broke well and went to the front while Skyler’s Scramjet broke well to the inside to get up for the early lead. Honor Up got up to sit just off of the leader on the inside and Vino Rosso sat off the leaders in fourth as Skyler’s Scramjet set fractions of :23.61 and :46.71. As they entered the turn, Skyler’s Scramjet maintained his narrow lead but quickly faced pressure from World of Trouble on the outside and Honor Up on the inside. All three horses picked up the pace and hit the top of the stretch even with one another. With less than a furlong left to go, World of Trouble slowly broke away and eventually finished with a 1/2 length lead. Skyler’s Scramjet did well to hold on for second ahead of Honor Up, and Vino Rosso settled for fourth.

“Jason told me to break out of there and see how it developed because we knew the 5-horse [Skyler’s Scramjet] was going to go,” said jockey Manuel Franco. “We wanted to sit right off, and it worked out great. He can be sensitive, so I didn’t want to get on him, and I think that was the key. I let him relax, and when I asked him to go, he was there for me.”

“What can I say? He’s a running son of a gun. He makes me look good,” said trainer Jason Servis. “If I had a mare I would breed to him and the fact that he can do dirt and turf, I think we might go back to the turf. It would add some flavor to him as a stallion and then maybe back to the dirt, so we’ll see.”

World of Trouble returned $3.70 to win, $2.90 to place, and $2.70 to show. Skyler’s Scramjet brought back $8.70 to place and $5.50 to show, while Honor Up paid $4.40 to show.

Scratched: Timber Ghost