—Jan 6— If Jason Servis, trainer of race favorite, World of Trouble, intended the $100,000 Mucho Macho Man Stakes at Gulfstream Park to be an easy prep for the Tampa Bay Derby in March, he was mistaken. His over-achieving colt, a $10,000 purchase at the August, 2016 Ocala Breeders’ Sale, could do no better than third.
As it happened, Servis wasn’t the only trainer using the race as a springboard to a more lucrative future. The winner, Quip, was also using the race as a prep race for the Tampa Bay Derby. In Quip’s case, though, the plan is even more complicated. Before the race, trainer Rodolphe Brisset said he intends to use the Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs in February as a prep for the Tampa Bay Derby followed by the Arkansas Derby and finally, with luck, the Kentucky Derby in May. If his colt’s victory in the Mucho Macho Stakes is any indication, Brisset’s plan seems to be working.
Retro Horse Racing Game 