Kentucky Derby Prep Races 2005 - High Fly and Noble Causeway win first 1-2 for Nick Zito at Florida Derby

02 April 2005 - When High Fly beat stablemate Noble Causeway by 1 1/2 lengths on April 2, Sunday, at Gulfstream Park, no one could have been happier than Nick Zito, who prepped both contenders to the $1 million Florida Derby (G1) stakes race, one of the major prep races to the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. The newly triumphant trainer not only ended a 0-for-16 run in his history at Florida Derby races, he also became the first trainer in 30 years to finish 1-2 in this popular Derby prep race.

Florida Derby victory no doubt came sweetest for Nick Zito on this cool, breezy Saturday at Gulfstream Park. It was, after all, Zito's first ever Florida Derby win - this, after winning his first Belmont Stakes and his first Travers Stakes with Birdstone only last year. Considering his enviable luck, the trainer is hoping that the next streak to fall is his 11-year drought without a Kentucky Derby winner. Zito last won the Kentucky Derby in 1994 with Go for Gin and, previous to that, in 1991 with Strike the Gold.

With Hall-of-famer jockey Jerry Bailey aboard, High Fly won in a time of 1:49.43, and earned $600,000 at the race, raising his total career earnings to $897,300 thus far. A son of Atticus bred in Kentucky, High Fly has won five of six career starts and took three stakes races at Gulfstream Park: the Aventura, the Fountain of Youth, and the 1 1/8 mile (9 furlong) Florida Derby.

2005 Florida Derby champion High Fly, the 8-5 favorite, returned $4.40, $2.60, and $2.60. Runnerup Noble Causeway, ridden by Edgar Prado, paid $3.60 and $2.80. B.B. Best, ridden by Jorge Chavez, placed third and paid $3.80. As he had done at the Fountain of Youth stakes race on March 5, B.B. Best set the pace before giving way to High Fly, with Noble Causeway coming on strong in the end.

Park Avenue Ball placed fourth at Saturday's Florida Derby, followed by Mighty Mecke, Vicarage, Papi Chullo, Evil Minister, and Wallstreet Scandal. Although Vicarage came in at sixth, trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey John Velazquez teamed up to win three of the four stakes on the undercard.

Honey Ryder edged Ellieonthemarch in the $150,000 Orchid Handicap; Value Plus pulled away in the stretch for an easy victory in the $100,000 Artax Handicap; and Navesink River took the lead in the stretch to beat Quest Star in the $150,000 Pan American Handicap. Eurosilver won the $100,000 Skip Away Handicap.

Florida Derby's 1-2 winners High Fly and Noble Causeway are now both headed to Churchill Downs to prepare for the 2005 Kentucky Derby on May 7. Should either of Nick Zito's 3-year-olds win the Kentucky Derby, it would be the first time in close to 50 years that a horse wins the run for the roses off a layoff of at least five weeks. Also, the victorious trainer has three more hopefuls ready to run in the next few weeks: Andromeda's Hero, Bellamy Road, and Sun King.