HALLANDALE BEACH - Live Oak Plantation’s Souper Forces will bring an unblemished record into Saturday’s $125,000 Tropical Park Derby at Gulfstream Park with little fanfare.

    “He’s one of those kind of horses that blends into the crowd,” trainer Michael Trombetta said. “He just does his job and when he races, he gives it his best.”

    Souper Forces will seek his fourth victory in as many career starts in the 50th running of the Tropical Park Derby, a 1 1/16-mile turf stakes for 3-year-olds that will co-headline Saturday’s 11-race program with the $125,000 Tropical Park Oaks, a 1 1/16-mile turf stakes for 3-year-old fillies.

    The homebred son of Laoban has won his three races at three different racetracks. After breaking his maiden in his debut over Presque Isle Downs’ synthetic surface at six furlongs with a late rally on Aug. 5, he stretched out to a mile on turf to capture an entry-level allowance with an off-the-pace performance at Colonial Downs a month later. In his stakes debut in the Nov. 1 Showing Up at Gulfstream Park, he surged from well off the pace at the top of the stretch to register an 18-1 upset victory in the 1 1/16-mile turf stakes.

    “The only thing I can say about this guy is: everything I’ve asked him to do, he’s done very, very well,” Trombetta said. “He’s been a very pleasant surprise.”

    Souper Forces, who drew the far-outside post position in a field of 12 and an also-eligible, is rated at 8-1. Trombetta, who saddled Live Oak Plantation’s Souper Blessing for a 12-1 upset victory in the 2023 Tropical Park Derby, has awarded the return mount aboard Souper Forces to Cipriano Gil.

    Arindel’s Tank will make a highly anticipated return to Gulfstream, where he won back-to-back races before shipping to Saratoga for his last three starts. The son of Adios Charlie followed up a victory in the Sophomore Turf Stakes at Tampa Bay with forwardly placed turf victories in the English Channel and Not Surprising during Gulfstream’s Royal Palm Meet.

    The homebred colt was shipped to Saratoga, where he set the pace in the Aug. 4 Belmont Derby before finishing fourth, beaten by just 1 ½ lengths. He followed up with off-the-board finishes in the Hall of Fame and Saranac without displaying his usual early speed.

    “He was going really good, but in the last race, he broke really bad for Jaramillo. He can rate, but he needs to be close. He needs to break,” trainer Carlos David said. “Those were really tough races against open company. I figured I’d give him a break and bring him back for this meet.”

    Emisael Jaramillo, who was also aboard for Tank’s English Channel and Not Surprising wins, has the return mount on the Florida-bred colt, who is 8-1 on the morning line and who will break from the gate one stall inside Souper Forces.

    Late-developing Chapman’s Peak is favored on the morning line at 5-2 after finishing second in the Nov. 22 Commonwealth Turf at Churchill Downs, where he dueled from the start of the 1 1 1/6-mile stakes for 3-year-olds only to come up just a head short of winning.

    The Brad Cox-trained Godolphin homebred had won his two prior starts, graduating at Kentucky Downs in his fourth career start before winning a Keeneland allowance with a front-running performance. Tyler Gaffalione is scheduled to ride Chapman’s Peak for the first time Saturday.

    Sackatoga Stable’s Tiz Dashing is rated second on the morning line at 7-2. The son of 2020 Florida Derby (G1) and Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Tiz the Law is coming off a victory in the 1 1/8-mile Hill Prince (G3) at Aqueduct. Trainer Barclay Tagg has given the return mount aboard Tiz Dashing to Hall of Famer Javier Castellano.

    Dominic Dilalla’s Church and State, a multiple-stakes winner at Woodbine, will take on Tiz Dashing again after finishing third in the Hill Prince, beaten by 1 ¾ lengths. Micah Husbands is slated to ride the Steve Owens-trained son of Caravaggio for the first time.

    Calumet Farm’s Candytown, rated at 8-1 on the morning line along with Church and State, Souper Forces and Tank, enters the Tropical Park Derby off a troubled fourth-place finish in the Showing Up, in which he encountered traffic before rallying to finish fourth, beaten just over a length. Edgard Zayas, who was aboard the son of Speightstown for a turf allowance victory at Saratoga as well as fourth-place finishes in the Gio Ponti at Aqueduct and the Showing Up, has the return mount on the Calumet homebred who is trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher.

    Kevin Doyle’s Layabout (10-1), who came up a half-length short of holding off Souper Forces after building a two-length lead in the Showing Up; Adele Dilschneider and Claiborne Farm’s Simulate (12-1), who has made his last three starts in graded company at Colonial Downs, Kentucky Downs and Keeneland; and James Conner’s Day and Age (20-1), who was a troubled seventh in the Showing Up after capturing a Churchill Downs allowance: are also entered in a highly competitive Tropical Park Derby.

    “I don’t know where he fits in there,” said Day and Age’s Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse. “It’s a great race. He ran great in Kentucky. He didn’t have a great trip in his last start. He needs to have a great trip. It’s a strong field, so the trip can make the race.”

    Dastur Racing’s Thundering, (20-1), Lawson Racing Stables’ Roar of the Beast (20-1), and Eduardo Soto’s Discreet Dancer (30-1), round out the field. Joseph Allen’s McRavin (20-1) is also-eligible.

comments powered by Disqus