BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Souper Williwaw and Souper Zonda, a pair of homebred fillies for Live Oak Plantation; and Palm Beach Racing V’s Miss Mary Nell, make up a strong Florida-bred contingent entered for Saturday’s $125,000 Tropical Park Oaks at Gulfstream Park. Set for a mile-and-one-sixteenth on the grass, the Tropical Park Oaks has a full gate of a dozen 3-year-old fillies plus two on the also eligible list.
Souper Williwaw looks to extend her winning streak to three as she also tries for her first stakes victory.
Trained by Michael Trombetta, who also conditions Tropical Park Oaks-entrant Mischief in Motion for Live Oak, Souper Williwaw was not immediately successful as she did not break her maiden until her fourth start. However, it was a notable performance against special weight fillies going a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the turf at Monmouth Park in June, winning by seven lengths. She was given three months away from the races then returned in good form most recently to win a first condition allowance race, again at a mile-and-sixteenth on the grass at Laurel Park by a half-length on Oct. 24.
By Hard Spun out of Souper Striking, by Brilliant Speed, Souper Williwaw has earned $75,870 from five starts with two wins, a second and a third.
Jorge Ruiz will ride Souper Williwaw for the first time and they will depart post two. Souper Williawaw is 12-1 on the morning line.
Souper Zonda will be saddled by Mark Casse and exits an off-the-board finish in the $127,000 Ontario Damsel over a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the all-weather main track at Woodbine Racetrack on Oct. 11.
Unlike Souper Williwaw, Souper Zonda got off to fast start in her career, winning a maiden special weight for fillies on the Gulfstream turf on debut in July. Awkward away from the gate in her next out at Gulfstream, she finished tenth in the $85,000 Hallandale Beach going a mile in September of last year. In her next race three weeks later in October, she again had a bad start when sixth in a non-winners of two, $75,000 optional claiming on the Gulfstream synthetic.
Casse then took her to Woodbine where she won a non-winners of two, $50,000 optional claiming going a mile on the grass before her last race in the Ontario Damsel.
“She’s two-for-two on the grass,” Casse said of Souper Zonda. “Her first race back this year at Woodbine was very impressive. We felt that she wasn’t as good on the Tapeta but we wanted to give her a try. When you have these 3-year-olds as you’re seeing now with how big and how nice this field is, you have limited opportunities and that was the case in Toronto with Souper Zonda. So, we tried her on the synthetic, she didn’t like it [and] we won’t do that anymore.
“She’s trained well,” he added. “I’m not sure she’s the same caliber as And One More Time but we’re limited where we can run so we’re going to give it a shot. It’s a last chance to run against straight 3-year-olds and that’s important. That’s why you see these races, as they have been for years, they’re always filled. They’re great races.”
Souper Zonda is by Curlin out of Zonda, by Scat Daddy and booked $75,329 from two wins in five starts.
Miguel Vasquez takes the call and they have post eight. Souper Zonda is 12-1 in the program.
Miss Mary Nell, who has made all of her 14 career starts at Gulfstream, returns to the grass after winning her last race by five-and-a-quarter lengths against first tier, $75,000 optional claiming fillies on synthetic on July 11.
Two starts back, the Carlos David-trained daughter of Girvin was second to Starship Impulsive in the $75,000 Martha Washington going a mile-and-a-sixteenth on June 7 in one of only three career starts on grass. She broke her maiden going seven furlongs on the turf in August of 2024 and finished off the board in the $75,000 Our Dear Peggy on grass in October of last year.
Since the Our Dear Peggy, Miss Mary Nell has finished first or second in seven of eight starts including two straight wins going a mile-and-70-yards on synthetic earlier this year. She won a first condition allowance race on March 23 and an upper-level allowance on April 10.
Out of the It’s No Joke mare Tempest’s Flash, Miss Mary Nell has been a model of consistency throughout her career with five wins, three seconds and two thirds with earnings of $225,913.
She has the outside post 12 and jockey Joe Bravo and is listed as 30-1 on the morning line.
Also entered are Smart Union with John Velazquez as the rider, Destino d’Oro with jockey Edgard Zayas, Emisael Jaramillo rides Mischief in Motion, Ramsey Pond with Tyler Gaffalione in the irons, Crafty Collector has Edwin Gonzalez taking the assignment, David Egan will guide It Ain’t Two (GB), Junior Alvarado will have the reins on Supa Speed and Nosleeptillbrooklyn will have Mario Gutierrez in the saddle.
Return to the December 11 issue of Wire to Wire
