BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Live Oak Plantation homebreds Souper Zonda and Souper Williwaw will face off for the fourth time and third this year in Saturday’s $100,000 Violet Stakes scheduled for a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the grass at Monmouth Park. The Florida-bred pair are among 11 fillies and mares, 3-years-old and older, entered, including two under main track only conditions.
In addition to the winner’s share of the purse, an out-of-state victory in the Violet by either Souper Zonda or Souper Williwaw would earn Charlotte Weber’s Live Oak Stud as breeder a $4,000 Export Incentive paid by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association.
Souper Zonda has won four of five races this year, all on grass, including her last three. In her first start of 2026, she won the $75,000 Sunshine Filly and Mare Turf by a half-length going a mile at Gulfstream Park on January 10, a race in which Souper Williwaw was three-and-three-quarters length behind in fourth. Unsuccessful next out when seventh after a difficult trip in the mile-and-one-sixteenth Honey Fox (Grade 3) at Gulfstream in February, Souper Zonda has since gone undefeated. She won the $100,000 Pleasant Acres Distaff by a half-length over a mile-and-a-sixteenth at Tampa Bay Downs on March 29—again Souper Williwaw was fourth—then took the one-mile, $100,000 FHBPA Filly and Mare Turf back at Gulfstream on April 25. Most recently, trainer Mark Casse sent her to Colonial Downs for a neck victory in a second condition, $50,000 optional claiming going a mile-and-a-sixteenth on July 19.
Souper Zonda is by Curlin out of Zonda, by Scat Daddy and has a career record of six wins in 11 starts and earnings of $289,282.
Sonny Leon has ridden Souper Zonda in her last three starts and will be back aboard Saturday from post one.
Trained by Michael Trombetta, Souper Williwaw rebounded nicely since the FHBA Distaff Turf, winning a second level, $32,000 optional claiming by two-and-a-half lengths going a mile on the grass at Delaware Park on June 3. She should enjoy returning to the Monmouth Park grass, a surface over which she is undefeated in one start. In June of last year, she broke her maiden by seven lengths while leading from start to finish.
Souper Williwaw is by Hard Spun out of the Brilliant Speed mare Souper Striking and has banked $116,167 from three wins, a second and a third in 10 lifetime races.
Charlie Marquez will ride Souper Williwaw for the first time Saturday and they have post three.
Others entered are Unreasonable with jockey Luis Rivera Jr., Reylu Gutierrez has the call on Shore War, Midway Memories will have Jose A. Gomez up, City Girl (Fr) has Jorge Vargas Jr. named to ride, Mischief in Motion does not have a rider named, Chantal Sutherland will guide Amalfi Drive, Long Ago (GB) has Jose Ferrer in the saddle. Aeolian and Rhee Wall are entered under main track only conditions.
Return to the August 20 issue of Wire to Wire
