BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Live Oak Plantation homebred Souper Williwaw will try for her third consecutive victory and second straight added-money score when the Florida-bred daughter of Hard Spun returns to Delaware Park for Saturday’s $100,000 George Rosenberger Memorial.
Souper Williwaw began her win streak on the Delaware Park grass on June 3 and returns to face fillies and mares, 3-years-old and older, going a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the lawn. Restricted to those which have started at Delaware Park in 2026, the dozen Rosenberger entries include two with main track only stipulations.
A victory by Souper Williwaw would earn FTBOA Hall of Fame member Charlotte Weber’s Live Oak Stud as breeder a $4,000 Export Incentive paid by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association.
Trainer Michael Trombetta had Souper Williwaw in Florida to begin the year where in three starts, all on grass, she finished off the board in two stakes won by Live Oak’s Souper Zonda.
Souper Williwaw was fourth in the $75,000 Sunshine Filly and Mare Turf at Gulfstream on January 10 and fifth in the $100,000 Pleasant Acres Stallions Distaff Turf at Tampa Bay Downs on March 29.
But she is undefeated in two turf races outside the Sunshine State since, taking a second condition, $32,000 optional claiming going a mile at Delaware Park on June 3 and winning the $98,000 Violet at Monmouth Park over a mile-and-a-sixteenth on August 22.
For her career, Souper Williwaw has four wins with a second and a third with earnings of $176,167.
She is out of Souper Striking, by Brilliant Speed and will be ridden by Paco Lopez. Souper Williwaw has drawn post 10 but may scratch one slot in with main track entrant Intrepid Mo having in post eight.
Florida-bred Expecting a Winner also presents a challenge in the Rosenberger from the barn of trainer William Downing and owner Frederick R. Stancato.
The 5-year-old daughter of Pleasant Acres Stallions mainstay Neolithic looks to snap a series of being close without getting the victory her last four starts, the last three of which came on the grass at Delaware Park. She exits two seconds, both behind Rosenberger foes.
Expecting a Winner was just a half-length off Mopo in an about seven-and-a-half-furlong allowance race on August 28 and a length behind Kindred Hearts in a $25,000 optional claiming, $16,000 starter allowance on July 21, both going about seven-and-a-half furlongs.
Expecting a Winner has won five with five seconds and six thirds in 25 career starts with earnings of $128,625. She is out of Expect an Entry, by Point of Entry and was bred in Florida by Patricia Generazio.
Jose Batista has the riding chores on Expecting a Winner and they will start from the immediate right of Souper Williwaw having drawn post 12.
Their main competition looks to come from J Candy and Sophie’s Cruiser, who were first and second respectively in the restricted Peach Blossom Handicap run at about seven-and-a-half furlongs on the Delaware Park grass course on July 25.
Trained and owned by Jose Rodriguez, J Candy has started one time since the Peach Blossom, finishing second to For the Ladies in the $25,000 optional claiming starter allowance going five-and-a-half furlongs on the Delware Park main track on August 15.
J Candy has two career wins with four seconds in seven races and earnings of $98,000.
Paul Luna rides J Candy from post three.
Sophie’s Cruiser was also fifth behind Souper Williwaw after pressing the pace in the optional claiming at Delaware Park on June 3 and has not raced since the Peach Blossom.
By Catalina Cruiser, Sophie’s Cruiser has earned $229,630 from two wins in 16 starts for owner Sugarland Thoroughbreds and trainer Brett Brinkman.
Julio Hernandez has the assignment on Sophie’s Cruiser and they have post two.
Completing the Rosenberger entries are Caprichosainfront with Emanuel Rosario in the saddle, Kindred Hearts teams with jockey Cipriano Gil, Flowers for Me has Raul Mena taking the call, Daniel Centeno has the engagement on Starship Athena, Citana (Arg) will have Martin Chuan aboard and Yedsit Hazlewood will pilot Mopo. Intrepids Fantasy is also entered for main track only.
Return to the September 10 issue of Wire to Wire
