Souper Blessing came up short last out, finishing second by a neck to Amstrong in the Showing Up Stakes over the Gulfstream Park all-weather track. Switched to turf for just his second start on the surface, the Temple City colt turned the tables on that returning rival and 11 others in the $125,000 Tropical Park Derby Dec. 23.
The Florida-bred sophomore burst to the lead in the stretch between horses, holding off a fast-closing Irish Aces by a neck under the wire. Boppy O held on for show honors in a photo over Anglophile .
Ridden by Edwin Gonzalez, Souper Blessing raced the 1 1/16 miles in 1:40.53 over a firm turf course.
Already a black-type performer, Souper Blessing ($26.20) earned his first stakes win and third overall for owner/breeder Live Oak Plantation and trainer Michael Trombetta.
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Video: Tropical Park Derby (BT)
Be My Sunshine Outlasts Breath Away in Oaks
With a masterful trip under Edgard Zayas, Be My Sunshine ($19.40) outlasted a surging Breath Away by a head to take the Tropical Park Oaks three races earlier on the card. The gray/roan filly covered the 1 1/16 miles on the turf in a snappy 1:39.94.
Be My Sunshine takes the Tropical Oaks over Breath Away
A homebred for Ken Ramsey, the Frosted filly entered the Oaks off an allowance win Dec. 2 over the same course and distance. The Saffie Joseph Jr. trainee notched her first stakes win for a 3-2-1 record in seven lifetime starts and earnings of $207,912.
Alpha Bella was third and favored Cairo Consort , making her first start since May, finished fourth.
