Ice Box- 2010 Derby Contender
Ice Box
Pedigree: Pulpit - Spice Island (Tabasco Cat)
Owner: Robert V. LaPenta
Trainer: Nicholas P. Zito
Side: Silks
Back: WHITEHORSE STABLE
$20.95
Ice Box Turns Up Heat on Derby Trail
When the Florida Derby (gr. I) moved to six weeks before the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), many trainers eyed the new calendar with a jaundiced eye. Six weeks was too long a layoff before the first Saturday in May, yet too short to fit in another prep. As a result, when the names were dropped in this year’s entry box, Rule emerged as the only graded stakes winner in the field, making him the automatic favorite. But the scheduling change had its bright side as well, as the lack of established names practically guaranteed a large field of hopefuls willing to take a shot at earning a sure ticket to the big dance.
Two of those hopefuls were from the Nick Zito barn, both owned by Robert LaPenta, who knows a thing or two about having a longshot come through after his Da' Tara upset Big Brown in the 2008 Belmont Stakes (gr. I). One of the pair, Miner's Reserve, was actually fairly well fancied at 6-1, but it was the other, 20-1 Ice Box, who sprang the upset. Coming from last to first, the chestnut just got up in the final strides to nip another longshot, 29-1 Pleasant Prince, who may have punched his ticket for Kentucky as well.
Bred by Denlea Park, Ice Box is from the ninth crop of Pulpit, who stands at Claiborne Farm. The leading son of A.P. Indy by number of stakes winners, number of graded stakes winners, and lifetime progeny earnings, Pulpit has two graded stakes winners so far in 2010, the other being Sabin Stakes (gr. III) winner Aurora Lights. To date, Pulpit has sired 322 winners (55.4%) and 46 stakes winners (7.9%) out of 581 foals from his first nine crops; 72 2-year-olds of 2010 have yet to start racing. His best besides Ice Box have included grade I winners Pyro, Rutherienne, Corinthian, Purge, Stroll, Mi Sueno, Sky Mesa, and Tapit, and the latter two have given notice that Pulpit is likely to continue the Seattle Slew-A.P. Indy sire line into the next several decade
Ice Box wins Florida Derby
Victory in the March 20 Florida Derby (gr. I) propelled Robert LaPenta’s Ice Box into sixth position on the graded earnings list of leading contenders for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I).
According to the list released March 22 by Churchill Downs racing secretary Ben Huffman, the Nick Zito-trained colt has $457.500 in graded earnings, which are used to determine the Derby’s 20-horse starting field.
Lookin At Lucky, the champion 2-year-old colt of 2009, continues to top the list with $1,390,000 in graded stakes earnings., followed by Vale of York, with $1,114,784. Next is filly Blind Luck, with $861,150, followed by Noble's Promise with $708,000. Rule, with $645,000 in graded stakes earnings, rounds out the top five.
