Ice Box Racehorse Belmont Stakes Preview

Ice Box
3-1-0, 8 Races

Notable Past Performances

Race
Kentucky Derby (G1)
Florida Derby (G1)
Fountain of Youth (G2)

Distance
1 1/4
1 1/8
1 1/8

Odds
11.70
20.70
45.70

Post
2
8
10

End Result
2
1
5

Could a star have been born at the Florida Derby in March? It looks like it could be that way, as Ice Box has now proven himself as a legitimate contender amongst three year old horses this year after finishing second in the Kentucky Derby on the first of May. It was the second straight run in which Ice Box came from out of nowhere to hit the board. In the case of the Florida Derby, he won the race. He finished 2.5 lengths behind Super Saver at the Kentucky Derby, but did move up from 11th to 2nd in the final furlong.

Unfortunately for trainer Nick Zito, Ice Box has only run against a pair of very strong fields in his career outside of the Triple Crown, with the other aside from the Florida Derby coming at the Fountain of Youth, where he was totally outclassed by several other contenders.

His sire, Pulpit was a fantastic horse in his own right, winning several G2 races. He has also sired Corinthian and Purge, both of which went on to win major stakes races as well. Stamina is most certainly not going to be an issue whatsoever. His dam, Spice Island, was a turf racer who was known for being able to run for at least a mile and a half with no difficulties. Zito believes that he has a horse with the right mix of speed and stamina to make it the distance in all of the Triple Crown races.

If repeat performances from the Florida and Kentucky Derbies are going to be in the cards, Ice Box is probably going to have to run down the pack at the wire once again at the 1 1/2 mile marker at Belmont. He came from well off the pace at the outset of the race to weave through traffic at the very end, a tactic that is often rewarded in the Triple Crown races. Zito knew that the Preakness Stakes wasn't a race built for his horse, but particularly in a field of very weak three year olds, he knows that he has the favorite if his colt can make it the mile and a half.