Souper Colossal gives Plesa sweep of 2-year-old stakes in Sapling

Eddie Plesa Jr. swept the 2-year-old stakes Sunday at Monmouth Park as Souper Colossal scored an easy win in the $101,000 Sapling Stakes.

Just as Concealedwithakiss did an hour earlier for Plesa in the Sorority Stakes, Souper Colossal went right to the lead. He was rated through fractions of 23.58 seconds, 47.50, and 1:11.86 by jockey Paco Lopez in the one-mile race before putting the race away in upper stretch. Lopez had the son of War Front geared down late.

“I had the outside post, and I wanted to sit second and teach him something, but he’s so fast and strong that I just had no choice but to go to the front,” Lopez said. “He was doing it so easy. He’s just a really, really good horse.”

Wild Zambezi shadowed the winner to the stretch but could not keep pace with him and was beaten 5 1/2 lengths. Wild Zambezi held second over Pride of Stride by 1 3/4 lengths. It was another two lengths back to Tapitsphere in fourth.

“We knew this horse would run well today,” Plesa said. “That was exactly what we were hoping for, and he certainly showed up. He sure showed that he’s a classy horse with a bright future.”

Souper Colossal is now 3 for 3. He went wire to wire to win a 4 1/2-furlong maiden race at Monmouth Park in June, then won the off-the-turf Tyro Stakes at five furlongs in July. He covered the mile Sunday in 1:38.44 and paid $4 as the favorite in the six-horse field.

Souper Colossal was purchased for $350,000 by the Live Oak Plantation of Charlotte Weber at the Fasig-Tipton August sale last year. He has so far earned $117,000.