Ice Box drills half-mile for Florida Derby

Robert LaPenta's ICE BOX (Pulpit) drilled a co-bullet half-mile in :47 1/5

Saturday morning over the fast dirt at Palm Meadows for trainer Nick Zito as he

tunes up for his engagement in next Saturday's $750,000 Florida Derby (G1) at

Gulfstream Park. The chestnut colt will bid to improve on his fifth-place finish

last out in the February 20 Fountain of Youth S. (G2) over the same track and 1

1/8-mile distance of the Florida Derby.

Ice Box broke from the far outside 10 post in the Fountain of Youth, ran in

that spot for the opening half-mile and made up some marginal ground to take

fifth by a neck over PULSION (Include). He was beaten a total of 12 lengths by

ESKENDEREYA (Giant's Causeway), who won by 8 1/2 lengths over Zito-trained

Jackson Bend (Hear No Evil). Ice Box raced much closer to the pace when winning

a nine-furlong allowance at Gulfstream on January 18 in his sophomore debut.

"He's an up and coming horse," Zito said Friday afternoon. "He likes the

surface and won a 'one other than' (allowance) and was very impressive doing it.

Every time you win an allowance race (at Gulfstream) you know you're racing with

the best horses in the country.

"In regards to the Fountain of Youth, he finished a respectable fifth. He

made a good move. I think he's going to be a lot closer that people think (early

in the Florida Derby). I know we have to beat Eskendereya."

Zito had another promising three-year-old on Saturday morning's Palm Meadows

work tab as Richard Pell's FLY DOWN (Mineshaft) was timed in a sharp :48 for the

half-mile. The chestnut has won his last two of three career starts, most

recently a 1 1/8-mile allowance at Gulfstream on February 21 in his

three-year-old bow and is eligible for the Florida Derby.

Eskendereya leads the list of probable/possible starters for the 59th edition

of the Florida Derby. Others in addition to Ice Box include Pulsion, RADIOHEAD

(GB) (Johannesburg), RULE (Roman Ruler), SOARING EMPIRE (Empire Make), PLEASANT

PRINCE (Indy King), FIRST DUDE (Stephen Got Even) and GAME ON DUDE (Awesome

Again).