Souper Colossal a Hot Juvenile Longshot

He has a funny name and isn’t mentioned when people discuss the top tier of contenders for the Nov. 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (gr. I), but he’s got talent, and that makes Souper Colossal dangerous in the $2 million contest at 1 1/16 miles.

Souper Colossal has done nothing wrong in his three starts aside from making them at Monmouth Park, away from the bright lights of New York, Kentucky, or California. But he is undefeated and has barely been headed in any of his races, which include the Tyro Stakes and Sapling Stakes. He has won by daylight at 4 1/2 furlongs, five furlongs, and a mile.

The peppermint-loving son of War Front  —Soaring Emotions, by Kingmambo, was bred in Kentucky by Moyglare Stud and brought $350,000 from Charlotte Weber’s Live Oak Plantation at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga auction. He is a compact, powerfully built individual who has taken just fine to the Golden State.

“He’s done everything we’ve asked of him and showed everybody he was something out of the ordinary right away,” said his trainer, Eddie Plesa Jr. “People might find fault with the horses he’s run against, but I don’t agree with them. He was just the best horse by far in any of those races."

A Juvenile victory became more attainable for everyone when favorite American Pharoah was withdrawn from the race Oct. 28. But Souper Colossal was listed at 12-1 on the morning line and is clearly not getting the buzz of contenders like Carpe Diem and Daredevil. Which is fine with Plesa.

“I’ve been doing this a long time,” Plesa said of training Thoroughbreds, “and I’m not in this business to prove things to onlookers. I’m in this to do the right thing by the horse and by the owners.  I don’t worry about naysayers.”

A week before the race Souper Colossal took hold of the Santa Anita Park oval, working four furlongs in 45 and change. Plesa caught him at 58 and change for five furlongs, and out in 1:12.

“It was a bit faster than I would have liked, but he did it in a way where I looked at the time and said, ‘Whoo.’ Watching him gallop out and seeing what he’s done since, it didn’t take anything out of him. It says a lot about who he is and what he’s capable of doing.

“Some do things easier than others. As I’m preparing 2-year-olds you compare them. He’s always done whatever we’ve asked. Mentally, he’s nice and calm. You don’t even know he’s around.”

With both War Front and Kingmambo prominent in his pedigree, the compactly-built Souper Colossal may well be destined for turf down the line,  but not quite yet. For now, Plesa is hoping to have a Triple Crown successor to last year’s Itsmyluckyday  , who has excelled as a 4-year-old to win the Woodward Stakes (gr. I).

About that name: Live Oak Plantation is owned by Charlotte Weber and is one of the few remaining large family operations still excelling at the highest level. Weber is the granddaughter of Campbell Soup founder John T. Dorrance, and so Souper Colossal will not win any spelling bees.

He might, however, prove that a horse that has thus far performed Off-Broadway is ready for the bright lights.