Soup and Sandwich earns a spot in Florida Derby

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The colt named Soup and Sandwich will get his shot at making the Kentucky Derby after passing a simple test in an allowance race Wednesday at Tampa Bay Downs.

Soup and Sandwich, a gray Florida-bred by the red-hot sire Into Mischief, faced just two opponents in what amounted to little more than a paid workout when getting a mile and 40 yards in 1:39.65 with jockey Antonio Gallardo up. He earned an 80 Beyer Speed Figure, which followed an eye-catching Jan. 28 debut in a 6 1/2-furlong Gulfstream maiden race that resulted in an 89 Beyer.

Trainer Mark Casse said Soup and Sandwich will now be pointed to the March 27 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park.

“He’s still pretty green, but we think there’s a whole lot of potential there,” said Casse, who traveled from his Ocala base to be on hand at Tampa.

“He’s obviously got a lot to prove, but we’re going to give him a chance.”

Soup and Sandwich comes by his name naturally, as his owner-breeder, Charlotte Weber of the Live Oak Plantation, is an heiress to the Campbell’s Soup fortune. The colt was somewhat erratic Wednesday, “jumping over to his wrong lead and jumping tire tracks” when alone on the lead in the final furlong, said Casse.

“But Antonio was really excited about how he felt,” he said. “He believes there’s a lot more to tap into.”

Casse added that Helium, another of his Derby hopefuls, will run next Saturday in the Tampa Bay Derby. Helium, by Ironicus, will be making his 3-year-old debut after going 2 for 2 last year, with both starts coming at seven furlongs over

the synthetic surface at Woodbine, ending with the Oct. 18 Display Stakes.

Casse, a 2020 inductee into the Racing Hall of Fame, won two legs of the 2019 Triple Crown, with War of Will in the Preakness and Sir Winston in the Belmont Stakes.

The 1 1/8-mile Florida Derby, a 100-40-20-10 points qualifier for the May 1 Kentucky Derby, follows by four weeks this Saturday’s Fountain of Youth.

Top fillies still in Oaks picture

Dayoutoftheoffice was a notable absentee from the Davona Dale lineup Saturday at Gulfstream Park, but trainer Tim Hamm said not to count out the filly from the April 30 Kentucky

Oaks at Churchill Downs. Dayoutoftheoffice, second as the pacesetter in the Nov. 6 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies in her most recent start, has not breezed since Jan. 24 but “will be working in the next few days” at Tampa, said Hamm.

“I just wanted to give her a little more time,” said Hamm. “She really is doing well and it’s a long year ahead. I’d say making the Oaks is about 50-50 right now, even though she’d only have one race before then, probably in early April.”

Dayoutoftheoffice, by Into Mischief, won all three of her races before the Breeders’ Cup, including the Schuylerville and Grade 1 Frizette in New York.

Another top 3-year-old filly who has not raced since the Breeders’ Cup and wasn’t ready for the Davona Dale is Simply Ravishing, winner of the Grade 1 Alcibiades in October. Trainer

Kenny McPeek said she, too, would have only one prep if she is able to make the Oaks.

“I’m actually ahead of schedule with her, but I haven’t been able to find the right race for her,” said McPeek, who said he intends to run two other 3-yearold fillies in the Honeybee next Saturday at Oaklawn and two in the March 20 Fair Grounds Oaks.

Simply Ravishing was one of three star McPeek fillies out for five-furlong breezes early Friday at Gulfstream, going in 59.20 seconds. Swiss Skydiver, the 3-year-old filly champion of 2020, went in 1:00.90 ahead of the March 13 Beholder Mile at Santa Anita, while Envoutante went in 59.11 seconds ahead of the March 13 Azeri at Oaklawn Park.

Imprimis came out of his runner-up finish behind The Critical Way in the Turf Dash on Wednesday at Tampa in great shape, said trainer Joe Orseno, and will go next in the April 3 Shakertown at Keeneland.

Jockey Tyler Gaffalione notched his 1,500th career victory when Awesome Pudding was part of a three-win Wednesday at Gulfstream for the 26-year-old Florida native. Gaffalione swept riding titles at all of the major meets last year on the Kentucky circuit.

Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano was back in the winner’s circle for the first time since recently returning from elective surgery when Una Luna prevailed in a photo finish in the seventh race Thursday at Gulfstream.

Effective Wednesday, Gulfstream purses will be raised 10 percent for the final four weeks of the championship meet, which runs through March 28.

LAUREN KING/COGLIANESE PHOTOS Soup and Sandwich has won both his starts, including this 89-Beyer debut victory on Jan. 28 at Gulfstream Park.