With the Kentucky Derby prep races in their final few weeks, usracing.com is publishing profiles of the contenders for the $750,000 Florida Derby (G1) on Saturday [March 27], a Derby points-qualifier offering 100-40-20-10 points to the first four finishers. Post-position and odds will be updated following Wednesday’s draw.
By Margaret Ransom
Undefeated in two starts, Soup and Sandwich got a later start than most of his fellow Derby hopefuls and didn’t debut until the end of January at Gulfstream Park.
In that debut, he posted an eye-popping 7¼-length score in a 6 ½-furlong maiden special weight test. A month later, trainer Mark Casse shipped the colt to Tampa Bay Downs where he again impressed by an open-length victory, winning a 1-mile, 40-yard allowance test by 2 ¾ lengths.
Though he only defeated two rivals that day and displayed a very erratic trip, which included bumping in tight quarters, goofing off on the lead and ducking out at the wire, Casse is confident in his room for improvement level heading into this race and expects a smoother effort.
Soup and Sandwich has spent the winter with Casse’s Palm Meadows string and hasn’t missed a beat while training.
Florida Derby Contender Profile: Soup and Sandwich
Post position: TBD
Odds: TBD
Trainer: Mark Casse
Jockey: Antonio Gallardo
Owner: Live Oak Plantation (Charlotte Weber)
Age: 3
Career record: 2-2-0-0
Career earnings: $42,875
Top Equibase speed figure: 99
Pedigree: Into Mischief-Souper Scoop, by Tapit
Color: Gray
Running style: Stalker
Notes: Soup and Sandwich comes by his name quite honestly as owner Weber is the heir to the Campbell’s Soup company … Colt is a grandson of Grade 3 winner Scoop, who Weber purchased for $2.1 million at Keeneland in 2005 in foal to El Prado and who she sold for $80,000 through the same ring nine years later, three years after she produced this colt’s winning dam, who Weber kept in her breeding program … A son of Into Mischief, who is currently sitting second on the general sires list through early March after taking top honors in 2019 and 2020 … Into Mischief is also the sire of last year’s Kentucky Derby (G1)/Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner Authentic and 2018 Florida Derby winner Audible, who was third in the Derby, among dozens of other stakes winners.
