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.

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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 unusual 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.”

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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.