by Keith McCalmont
Live Oak Plantation’s Souper Sensational rallied to an impressive score in Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Victory Ride, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for sophomore fillies at Belmont Park.
Trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse and piloted by Flavien Prat, Souper Sensational was slowest away from the gate but quick when it mattered most, demonstrating a smart turn-of-foot late in the turn en route to a 3 1/4-length win.
Miss Brazil, with Jose Ortiz up, set a contested pace of 22.81 and 45.68 seconds on the main track rated good, with Ova Charged on her flank and Red Ghost outside of that one as Souper Sensational settled in fifth.
Ove Charged loomed large but Souper Sensation, rallying wide outside of rivals, found her best foot through the turn and was 1 1/2-lengths in front at the stretch call. A game Ova Charged continued to find more, but there was no reeling in the runaway Souper Sensational, who stopped the clock in 1:15.79.
Prat, aboard Souper Sensational for the first time, said the talented chestnut provided an immediate response when asked.
“She was traveling well and when I got her in the clear, she really kicked on well,” said Prat. “It didn’t feel like we were going crazy fast. I thought she broke well. I bided my time and got off to a nice rhythm. In the end, she really responded.”
Ova Charged, with Luis Saez up, completed the exacta by two lengths over Inject. Red Ghost, Miss Brazil and the previously undefeated Australasia completed the order of finish. Bella Sofia and Shop Girl were scratched.
“It was a very nice trip. She broke beautifully,” said Saez. “She never gave up and kept trying the whole way. We just got beat by a good one.”
Bred in Kentucky by Newtownanner Stud, Souper Sensational banked $82,500 in victory. She returned $13.80 for a $2 win wager.
The victory marked the first graded stakes win for Souper Sensational, who turned back in distance in the Victory Ride off a trio of Grade 2 efforts, finishing sixth in the 1 1/16-mile Rachel Alexandra at Fair Grounds in February, third in the 1 1/16-mile Fair Grounds Oaks in March and fourth in the seven-furlong Eight Belles at Churchill Downs in April.
Live racing resumes Sunday at Belmont for Closing Day of the 48-day spring/summer meet. First post on the nine-race card, featuring the $150,000 River Memories, is 12:30 p.m. Eastern.
NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont Park, and the best way to bet every race of the spring/summer meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.
Keith McCalmont
August Dawn Farm’s Maple Leaf Mel remained perfect through five starts with a powerful gate-to-wire effort to provide her namesake trainer Melanie Giddings her first career stakes win in Saturday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Victory Ride, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for sophomore fillies, at Belmont Park.
Mary Eddy
LSU Stables’ Far Bridge endured his share of bad luck when second in two starts at the graded level, but found no trouble in securing an off-the-pace Grade 1 triumph under Jose Ortiz in Saturday’s $750,000 Belmont Derby Invitational, a 10-furlong test for sophomores over the inner turf, at Belmont Park.
Keith McCalmont
Breeder Glen Hill Farm and Mrs. John Magnier’s Irish-bred European shipper Aspen Grove, patiently handled by Oisin Murphy, arrived in the final strides to capture Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Fasig-Tipton Belmont Oaks Invitational, at Belmont Park.
Ryan Martin
Whisper Hill Farm’s Kentucky homebred Charge It ran exactly how his 3-5 odds suggested he would, setting a moderate tempo down the backstretch and drawing away in the stretch under little urging to earn his second graded win in Saturday’s 137th running of the 10-furlong Grade 2, $350,000 Suburban for older horses, at Belmont Park.
Keith McCalmont
Victory Racing Partners’ More Than Looks made the grade with a last-to-first score under Hall of Famer John Velazquez in Friday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Manila, a one-mile Widener turf test for sophomores, at Belmont Park.
Keith McCalmont
Whatlovelookslike made her stakes debut a winning one under a sharp ride by Flavien Prat in Tuesday’s inaugural running of the $125,000 Port Washington, a 1 1/16-mile inner turf test for older New York-bred fillies and mares, at Belmont Park.