Soup and Sandwich will get first taste of stakes competition in Florida Derby

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Mark Casse might already be mixing his metaphors when it comes to Soup and Sandwich, the unbeaten gray colt he will saddle Saturday at Gulfstream Park for the 69th Florida Derby.

“This is going to be a different kettle of fish,” Casse said early this week from his Ocala base.

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Indeed, it’s difficult to say how Soup and Sandwich will fare when he is dunked in the deep end of the pool for the first time. An easy winner of a January maiden sprint at Gulfstream and a two-turn Feburary allowance at Tampa Bay Downs, the Into Mischief colt will have John Velazquez aboard in the Grade 1, $750,000 Florida Derby. He is likely to be sternly tested by Greatest Honour, one of the favorites for the May 1 Kentucky Derby. At least 11 3-year-olds were expected for the 1 1/8-mile race. Entries are drawn Wednesday.

“So far, he’s done everything we’ve asked of him,” said Casse.

Soup and Sandwich comes by his name naturally. He was bred and is owned by the Live Oak Plantation of Charlotte Weber, an heiress to the Campbell’s Soup fortune. The Florida-bred colt had his final pre-race workout Friday, going a half-mile in 48.40 seconds at the Palm Meadows training center.

“He’s training extremely well,” said Casse.

After his 2 3/4-length Tampa win, which came against just two opponents, jockey Antonio Gallardo returned to the winner’s circle “as excited as I’ve ever heard him,” said Casse.

“He got him to shut off real nice early, and when he hit the gas, he said the horse just took off with him,” Casse said. “The colt was still a little green, but getting that race into him was very important.”

Velazquez is the leading rider in Florida Derby history, having won the race five times – in 2009, 2013, 2015, and 2017-18. Casse said the post-position draw and the break should be critical in how the race unfolds for Soup and Sandwich and his Hall of Fame jockey.

“I imagine we’re going to be fairly close to the pace,” said Casse. “Hopefully Johnny can get a good position into the first turn.”

Greatest Honour, winner of the Holy Bull and Fountain of Youth, figures as a solid public choice in the Florida Derby, with Spielberg, a California shipper trained by Bob Baffert, among the next wagering choices, perhaps along with Known Agenda for Todd Pletcher and Nova Rags for Bill Mott. Soup and Sandwich and Collaborate, another brilliant but untested colt, should be among that group of secondary favorites, too.

The Florida Derby, which offers Kentucky Derby qualifying points on a 100-40-20-10 scale, is one of 10 stakes on a blockbuster 14-race program that will start at 11:30 a.m. Eastern. Five of the others are graded, including the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks, which offers Kentucky Oaks qualifying points on the same scale. Advance wagering on the card will be available Friday.

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Meanwhile, Casse said that Helium, his other Kentucky Derby hopeful, is nearing his first workout at Palm Meadows since the DJ Stables colt won the March 6 Tampa Bay Derby. Already safely into the Derby field with 50 points, Helium will ship to Churchill Downs “probably about three weeks out,” said Casse.

As for a probable next start for the notable Florida Derby nominee Prevalence, “still no decision yet,” trainer Brendan Walsh said Monday morning. Prevalence is also 2 for 2, having won a March 11 allowance at Gulfstream in his latest.

Ontrack fans will be permitted entry Saturday on a limited basis, with ticketing being handled via pre-purchase and strict pandemic protocols in effect. Simulcasts of racing from Dubai will be available in certain ontrack areas starting at about 8:15.

Gulfstream officials announced over the weekend that the Florida Derby will be part of a forceout of the 20-cent Rainbow 6, which began this race week Wednesday with a jackpot carryover of $735,873. The Rainbow 6 pool, even after being emptied Saturday, also will have to fully disbursed Sunday, closing day of the four-month championship meet. The long spring-summer meet begins next Thursday, April 1.

◗ Malathaat, one of the early favorites for the April 30 Kentucky Oaks, had her final pre-race breeze toward the Gulfstream Oaks, going five furlongs in 1:02.40 Saturday at Palm Beach Downs for trainer Todd Pletcher. Malathaat, with Velazquez riding, will be making her seasonal debut after winning all three starts last year at 2. She was one of about eight 3-year-old fillies expected for the 1 1/16-mile Gulfstream Oaks.

The other graded races Saturday are the Pan American, Orchid, Ghostzapper, and Appleton.

◗ Jockey Tyler Gaffalione will be back in action Friday after serving a three-day suspension stemming from the disqualification of Spanish Loveaffair from first to fourth in the Feb. 27 Herecomesthebride. Gaffalione, who rides Collaborate in the Florida Derby, will ride here through Sunday before leaving for the Keeneland spring meet that starts April 2.