By Alan Carasso
Twelve months removed from his fourth-place effort as the favorite in the GII Woody Stephens S., the versatile World of Trouble (Kantharos) looms one of the afternoon's strongest favorites in the Jaipur Invitational S., bumped to Grade I status for the first time this year. The winner earns an expenses-paid berth in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint this November.
A stakes winner on dirt early last season, the Florida-bred tacked on a pair of black-type turf sprints before running entirely too well in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint only to drop a heart-breaking decision to defending champ Stormy Liberal (Stormy Atlantic). He's run the table in four tries since, returning to the main track to annex an oddly run GI Carter H. Apr. 6 at Aqueduct ahead of a facile 3 3/4-length success in the GII TwinSpires Turf Sprint on the Derby undercard May 4.
New York-bred 7-year-old Disco Partner (Disco Rico) makes a Jaipur appearance for the fourth consecutive season, having finished a neck second to stablemate Pure Sensation (Zensational) in 2016 before proving best in 2017 and again in 2018, stopping the timer in a slick 1:06.74. Third and better than seven lengths behind World of Trouble at Churchill last fall, the Generazio homebred exits a ninth to the Royal Ascot-bound Imprimis (Broken Vow) and Bound For Nowhere (The Factor) in Keeneland's GII Shakertown S. Apr. 6.
Belvoir Bay (GB) (Equiano {Fr}) has proven before that she can mix it with the boys, having defeated male rivals in the 2018 GIII San Simeon S. down the hill at Santa Anita. Far too strong for her peers in the Feb. 16 Wishing Well S. in Arcadia, the Gary Barber colorbearer owns the single strongest piece of form in the field owing to her runner-up effort to Godolphin's Blue Point (Ire) (Shamardal) in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan Mar. 30. Upset at 9-10 in an off-turf renewal of the GIII Monrovia S. May 26, Belvoir Bay can be in the thick of this providing the quick turnaround and cross-country ship haven't taken anything out of her.
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