By Christie DeBernardis
World of Trouble (Kantharos) has proven to be a top-class sprinter on both turf and dirt and will look to cement that status by scoring his first Grade I victory in the GI Carter H. at Aqueduct Saturday. Dominant winner of the Pasco S. on the Tampa main track last year, he also scored a pair of stakes wins on turf in the Quick Call S. and Allied Forces S. last summer. Missing to champion Stormy Liberal (Stormy Atlantic) by just a neck in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, the bay made a mockery of the FTBOA Marion County Florida Sire S. Dec. 15, galloping home to a 13 3/4-length success at Tampa. He was last seen taking a sloppy off-the-turf renewal of the Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint S. Jan. 26.
“He's shown he has ability on both the dirt and turf,” conditioner Jason Servis told the NYRA notes team. “We're just trying to keep him happy and healthy and hopefully he can run his race.”
Vino Rosso (Curlin) is undefeated at Aqueduct, starting with his debut win over that strip back in 2017. The chestnut won the GII Wood Memorial S. on this card last year and won his seasonal bow in this venue's Stymie S. going a mile Mar. 9. He closed out his sophomore campaign last term with a third in the GII Jim Dandy S. and a fifth in the GI Travers S. in August.
“I felt he ran sharply enough at a mile that backing up to seven-eighths would be within his range,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “He was able to break his maiden at Aqueduct going seven furlongs. He also has a three-for-three record at Aqueduct, so that's encouraging also.”
Identity Politics (Into Mischief) has never been off the board in six starts. A neck second behind the ill-fated Tommy T (Shackleford) in an allowance here last November, the bay completed the exacta behind McKinzie (Street Sense) in the GI Malibu S. Dec. 26. He was last seen finishing a head second in a Gulfstream optional claimer Mar. 3.
Honor Up (To Honor and Serve) takes a big step up in class here, but enters on a three-race win streak over the local strip. Capturing a Dec. 15 allowance, the dark bay reeled off a pair of wins against fellow New York-breds in the Say Florida Sandy S. Jan. 12 and Haynesfield S. Feb. 17.
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