Souper Striking wires Hilltop Stakes

BALTIMORE, Md. – On a chilly, wet Friday evening at Pimlico it was the girl from sunny Florida who turned in a striking performance.

Florida-bred Souper Striking, making her first start of the year outside of her state of origin, rated kindly on the lead and then poured it on when asked to post her first stakes victory, taking the $100,000 Hilltop Stakes by 6 1/4 lengths.

Trainer Michael Trombetta said it wasn't necessarily the plan for Souper Striking, a Live Oak Plantation homebred, to be on the lead. But jockey Julien Pimentel has become familiar with the headstrong filly, who requires a deft touch, and Trombetta trusted him to make the calls on a soft Pimlico turf course unlike anything his charge had seen before.

"He's worked her the last few weeks, she's been working really good on the synthetic," Trombetta said. "But neither one of us knew how she would do with this. She's very heavy-headed, and she really likes to go. [Pimentel] knew what his challenges were."

:: Visit DRF's one-stop shop for Preakness PPs, guides, and more!

Souper Striking ($4.80) briefly bobbled at the break, but quickly recovered to assume command, sitting in hand without a fuss for Pimentel to lead by 1 1/2 lengths through a soft half in 53.40 seconds. She had plenty in the tank from there, as she had extended her lead to four lengths, without much urging, by the quarter pole, and continued to draw clear from there. She finished the mile in 1:51.72.

Secret Message finished second, four lengths clear of Peach of a Gal. Those two are both trained by Graham Motion, whose morning-line favorite, Thewayiam, was among five scratches from the original field of 11 due to the turf conditions.

Souper Striking took some time to put the racing game together, finishing on the board in four of her first five starts, and finally breaking through in her sixth start, a maiden special weight in January at Gulfstream, the first time she went a route of ground on turf. The filly followed up with a 5 1/2-length score in an allowance-optional claiming event in February on that same course, but then finished ninth in the Grade 3 Florida Oaks on March 10 at Tampa.

"She really thrives on the training," Trombetta said. "To come off a layoff and run like she did, I'm really proud of her."