BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Trainer Michael Trombetta sent Florida-bred Souper Blessing through his final serious work at Gulfstream Park Sunday morning in preparation for the $125,000 Tropical Park Derby to be run Saturday on the new turf course at the Hallandale Beach oval.
The 3-year-old colt went four furlongs in :47.02 to log the second fastest of 26 half-mile works on the all-weather course.
Souper Blessing and Florida-bred Boppy O will be running for an extra $25,000 Florida-bred win bonus presented by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association in the mile-and-one-sixteenth Tropical Park Derby.
Souper Blessing has post seven with Edwin Gonzalez named to ride while Boppy O has post three and will carry jockey Javier Castellano.
A Live Oak Plantation homebred, Souper Blessing exits a second-place finish in the $65,000 Showing Up going a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the synthetic course at Gulfstream on Nov. 4 when just a neck shy of winner Amstrong, who is also entered for the Tropical Park Derby. That was just the third start of the year for Souper Blessing after finishing third, a length-and-a-quarter shy of winner Love to Shop in the CA$127,000 Toronto Cup going a mile on the Woodbine turf on Sept. 3. Souper Blessing won a first level allowance race by three-and-a-quarter lengths going six furlongs on the synthetic main track at Presque Isle Downs on Aug. 2
Souper Blessing is by Temple City out of Bird of Paradise, by Summer Bird and has won two of six career starts with one second and two thirds while banking $70,986.
Trombetta also worked Florida-bred Forever Souper, a two-time allowance winner at Monmouth Park in July and September, on the synthetic course. Also a Live Oak Plantation homebred, Forever Souper went four furlongs in :49.57, the 14th fastest of 26 works.
Forever Souper is by American Pharoah out of Mighty Souper, by War Front. He has won four of 10 career starts with two thirds while earning $144,980.
