Souper Forces again silences doubters with Showing Up win
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Souper Forces, an 18-1 longshot trained by Mike Trombetta, flew home late to win the $75,000 Showing Up Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Saturday. The Florida-bred was making his stakes debut in his third career start and charged home under Cipriano Gil to win by a half-length.
The 3-year-old gelding won his first two starts at Presque Isle and Colonial Downs, but bettors were hesitant to back the new face in a deep field of 11 at Gulfstream. He paid $38.60 to win on Saturday, his third straight victory in which he had not been favored.
When 27-1 longshot X Y Prime took the early lead, completing the opening quarter-mile in 22.59 seconds and half-mile in 45.43, he set the table for a slew of closers in the 1 1/16-mile race on turf. The top six finishers, separated by less than five lengths at the wire, all started the race outside the top four and came calling in a stampeding stretch run.
Layabout, the 3-1 second choice trained by Patrick Biancone, got the jump on those behind him when he started the Showing Up in fifth and advanced to third on the backstretch. Before most of the late runners could get involved, he and jockey Jonathan Ocasio easily picked off X Y Prime to take a two-length lead turning for home.
Advancing from ninth and traveling wide into the stretch, Souper Forces seemed destined to scrap with the small cavalry to his inside for second when the gelding suddenly found more. He and 37-1 longshot Win With Faith surged forward to challenge for the victory, and Gil’s swinging move around the turn gave his gelding a clear path past Layabout near the wire. He completed the distance in 1:38.37.
The Ron Spatz gelding Win With Faith, who ran just as hard as the winner in the stretch, lacked room between horses in the final lunge and had to settle for third. He finished a half-length behind Layabout and prevailed by a neck over Candytown, the favorite who came flying much too late for trainer Todd Pletcher.
Armed Forces
It took Behold the King four tries to earn his maiden victory, but the juvenile colt made his stakes debut a winning one in the $75,000 Armed Forces at Gulfstream Park on Saturday. With a stalking trip in a short field under Edwin Gonzalez, the 4-5 favorite had plenty left in a half-length victory.
Before the race, trainer Mark Casse described the Not This Time colt as an “underachiever” when he came up just short in each of his first three career starts. In August, he crossed the line first at Colonial Downs but was disqualified for bumping in the stretch. On Oct. 2, he finally broke through when he improved to win an $85,000 maiden special weight at Aqueduct.
As he did in New York last month, Behold the King had a clear target in front of him when 5-1 third choice Skipping Stars took an uncontested early lead. The third-time starter completed the opening quarter-mile in 23.51 seconds and the half-mile in 47.75, honest fractions in the field of five.
Gonzalez had to navigate in tight quarters entering the first turn, but as soon as Behold the King settled into a pocket on the rail, he essentially managed an ideal trip behind the early leader.
Teleport, the 7-5 second choice trained by Todd Pletcher, was the first runner to make a move on Skipping Stars, who promptly repelled that bid to take a half-length lead turning for home. His advantage didn’t last much longer, however, as Behold the King angled out in the final furlong and made up steady ground all the way to the wire. He completed the turf mile in 1:34.76 and paid $3.80 to win.
Though the short field compressed near the wire, Skipping Stars managed to hold on for second by a half-length for trainer Jose D’Angelo. Longshots My Rich Uncle and Thunder Zeus traded places at the rear of the field throughout the race and dead-heated for third. Teleport brought up the rear after fading in the final furlong.
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