Eddie Woods training grad Coppola scored his first stakes victory with a rallying stretch run on Feb. 10 in the $125,000 Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint S.

The 5-year-old son of Into Mischief, who placed in last year’s Turf Sprint S. at Pimlico, got an ideal pace scenario in Saturday’s five-furlong race. He sat several lengths back off what was a blistering early pace of :20.38 for the first quarter-mile before launching his bid midway on the turn. After a half-mile in :42.62, Coppola surged past the fading pacesetters and outran Panther Island to win by a half—length in :54.39 on the firm turf.

“The trip came up perfect. There was a lot of speed up front that backed up,” trainer Dale Romans said. “He’s run some of his best races just sitting off of them. It was probably his best race yet today.”

Coppola is owned by Hammer Time Stable and S.O.K. Racing. Saturday’s win upped his record to 6-1-1 in 17 starts, with earnings now at $437,793. The bay was bred in Kentucky by Fifth Avenue Bloodstock. Coppola was sold by Elite Sales for $105,000 at the 2022 Keeneland November sale.