BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Stakes-placed twice including a second in the $108,000 Get Serious at Monmouth two starts back, Live Oak Plantation homebred Souper Quest looks for his first added-money victory in Monday’s $150,000 Harvey Pack at Saratoga Race Course. The Florida-bred colt will face eight other 4-year-olds and older in the five-and-a-half-furlong contest on the turf.
The quick Souper Quest will try to replicate his gate to wire victory last out on the Saratoga turf July 28 when winning an upper level, $80,000 optional claiming at five-and-a-half furlongs. Trained by Mark Casse and ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., Souper Quest was a nose faster than the late-running runner-up Our Shot, who also returns in the Harvey Pack. The two turf sprinters are familiar foes as Our Shot was fourth in the Get Serious.
Souper Quest earned his first black type last year in September when finishing third behind winner Nobals in the $153,000 Da Hoss going five-and-a-half furlongs on the Colonial Downs grass. That race was sandwiched between two turf allowance wins at the same distance at Saratoga in August and Keeneland in October.
The reliable Souper Quest has won half of his eight career starts with three seconds and a third while earning $288,042. He is by Munnings out of Lady of Victory, by War Front and will be ridden from post six by Jose Ortiz.
Souper Quest in 3-1 on the morning line.
Arzak is the 7-5 morning line favorite for the Harvey Pack as the 6-year-old veteran has several graded stakes to his credit—the most recent being a length victory in the Grade 2 Shakertown at Keeneland in April.
Trained by Michael Trombetta for Sonata Stable, Arzak exits a third-place finish in the $104,000 Wolf Hill while sprinting on the Monmouth Park grass on July 20. Sent to the post as the 1-2 favorite in the Wolf Hill after finishing second in the Grade 1 Jaipur at Saratoga in June, Arzak’s late run fell less than a length shy of winner Nothing Better.
The chestnut son of Not This Time finished last year defeating Our Shot in the Grade 2 Woodford at Keeneland before finishing sixth, but less than two lengths behind winner Nobals in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita.
Arzak has won eight of 27 career starts with four seconds and two thirds and sports a bankroll of $934,019. He is a graduate of Ocala Breeders’ Sales where he brought $575,000 on a final bid from Marc Tacher out of the Julie Davies consignment at the 2020 Spring Sale.
Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride Arzak from post five.
Our Shot breaks from the outside post nine and is 6-1 on the morning line.
In addition to trying to break through against Souper Quest and Arzak, the 5-year-old gelding hopes to improve on his third-place finish in last year’s Harvey Pack won by Thin White Duke.
Our Shot is trained by John Terranova II, who owns the son of Kantharos with Gatsas Stables and Steven Schoenfeld and will be ridden by Luis Saez.
Rounding out the field are Smithwick’s Spice and jockey Jorge Gonzalez, Charging will have Ramon Vasquez aboard, John Velazquez rides Survellance, High Front has Ricardo Santana Jr. taking the call, Mister Mmmmm will have Tyler Gaffalione up and Dylan Davis rides Big Invasion.
