BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Third in last year’s Cliff Hanger behind winner Dataman and runner-up There Are No Words, Live Oak Plantation’s homebred Forever Souper tries again in this year’s edition of the mile-and-a-sixteenth turf contest set for Saturday at Monmouth Park. Thirteen 3-year-olds and older, including Florida-bred Otago, There Are No Words and four others entered with main track only stipulations, are entered in the $100,000 Cliff Hanger with Forever Souper drawing post five for trainer Michael Trombetta.
Honored by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association as the 2024 champion Florida-bred turf male, Forever Souper won five of eight starts last year including setting a mile-and-a-sixteenth course record in the $150,000 Presque Isle Downs Mile in September with a 1:41.23 time on synthetic. He also won the $79,000 Avery Whisman Memorial on synthetic in August at Presque Isle and three other turf stakes at three different tracks.
He started the year winning the $95,000 Sunshine Turf at Gulfstream Park in January and took the $100,00 ESMARK Turf Classic at Tampa Bay Downs in March. He also won the $96,000 Prince George’s County over nine furlongs on the grass at Laurel in July.
In two starts this year, the 6-year-old gelded son of American Pharoah was second to stablemate Crystal Quest in his defense of the Turf Classic at Tampa Bay and was most recently fifth in an upper level, $55,000 optional claiming won by Dataman going a mile on the Laurel Park turf on May 3.
Out of Mighty Souper, by War Front, Forever Souper sports a career record of nine wins, two seconds and four thirds from 21 starts while earning $518,147.
Antonio Gallardo, who rode him in both victories at Presque Isle Downs last year, will be aboard Saturday.
Otago, trained by Kelsey Danner, was second in the aforementioned optional claiming at Laurel on May 3 and ninth in this year’s Turf Classic at Tampa Bay in two starts this year.
A 5-year-old son of Speightstown, Otago won two of seven starts last year, the most recent a half-length score against second level, $50,000 optoinal claimers going a mile on the turf at Colonial Downs on Aug. 3. He also won a first level allowance over a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the Horseshoe Indianapolis turf in May of last year.
Otago has earned $239,825 for owners by Crown’s Way Racing LLC, NBS Stable, Edward Delava and Eli Diamant and has won four of 15 career starts with three seconds and two thirds.
Sold as a 2-year-old at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Selected Two-Year-Olds in Training March Sale, Otago was purchase by NBS Stable and John Ballantyne for $375,000 out of the L.G. consignment.
Otago has post seven with jockey Axel Concepcion.
There Are No Words makes his first start of the year Saturday for trainer Chuck Spina and owner Prancing Horse Farm LLC.
The 6-year-old son of California Chrome finished second in his last race, an upper level, $55,000 optional claiming won by Swiftsure going a mile on the turf at Laurel on Oct. 18.
There Are No Words will be ridden from post three by Frankie Pennington.
Also entered are Signator and jockey Samuel Marin, Highestdistinction with rider Fernando Jara, Samy Camacho will be aboard Belouni (Fr), Offaly Cool has Abner Adorno taking the call, He’spuregold will be guided by Paco Lopez and Fulmineo with Victor Carrasco in the irons. Entered under main track conditions are Speedyness, Otello, Florida-bred Hades and Surface to Air.
Return to the May 22 issue of Wire to Wire
