BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Florida-bred Forever Souper will be trying for his third consecutive stakes victory Saturday at Laurel Park in the $100,000 Henry S. Clark, featuring a field of nine 3-year-olds and older going a mile on the turf.
The 5-year-old Live Oak Plantation homebred won his first career added-money event on Jan. 21 at Gulfstream Park, taking the $95,000 Sunshine Turf by a length against fellow Florida-breds over a mile-and-a-sixteenth. He then shipped to Tampa Bay Downs most recently to face Florida-breds again and won the $100,000 Pleasant Acres Stallions Turf Classic by a length-and-a-quarter at nine furlongs on March 24.
Trained by Michael Trombetta, Forever Souper is by American Pharoah out of Mighty Souper, by War Front. He has won six of 13 career starts with one second and two thirds with earnings of $272,255.
Mychel Sanchez will ride Forever Souper for the first time and they have drawn post four.
Set to line up against Forever Souper is Eons, who makes his first start in more than six months and has shown an affinity for the Laurel turf with two stakes wins there.
In his last race, the Arnaud Delacour trainee was second to Yamato in the $100,000 Japan Turf Cup going a mile-and-a-half on the turf at Laurel in September. His first win on the Laurel turf came through a disqualification after finishing second by a nose to English Tavern in the 2022 Prince George’s County. He defended his title in the $99,000 Prince George’s County three starts back, winning by a nose in July of last year.
Owned by Mark B. Grier, Eons is by Giant’s Causeway and has a career record of eight wins, four seconds and three thirds in 30 starts while earning $703,485.
Eons will be ridden by Victor Carrasco from post eight.
Other strong contenders are Gray’s Fable, winner of the 2022 Evan Williams Turf Mile at Ellis Park and Dataman, who took the $100,000 Bald Eagle Derby going a mile-and-three-sixteenths on the turf at Laurel in August.
Gray’s Fable makes his first start for trainer Michael Stidham and will be ridden from post three by Ben Curtis. Trainer Graham Motion has given the riding assignment on Dataman to Jorge Ruiz.
Completing the field are Adero with Abenr Adorno named to ride, Luigi’s Spirit with Jaime Rodriguez in the irons, English Bee and jockey Kevin Gomez, Daniel Centeno will be aboard Heaven Street and Hay Chief with Abel Cruz up.
