Andrew Caulfield, March 23, 2010- PEDIGREE INSIGHTS BY ANDREW CAULFIELD

Saturday, -GI, $750,000, GPX, 3-20, 3yo, 1 1/8m, 1:49, ft. 1Bs#@ICE BOX, 122, c, 3, by 1st Dam: Spice Island (GSW, $487,376), by 2nd Dam: Crown of Sheba, by 3rd Dam: Belle de Jour, by Speak John ($125,000 yrl '08 KEESEP). O-Robert V LaPenta; B-Denlea Park Ltd (KY); T-Nicholas P Zito; J-Jose Lezcano; $450,000. Lifetime Record: 7-3-0-0, $506,534. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report and 5-cross pedigree.

Click for the brisnet.com chart, the brisnet.com PPs o r the free brisnet.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Taylor Made.

The race is heating up for the title of A.P. Indy=s most accomplished living stallion son, as last weekend demonstrated. The two main contenders for the title are Ice Box's sire Pulpit, who entered stud in 1998, and Devil May Care's sire Malibu Moon, who retired only two years later. Anyone could be forgiven for thinking that the respective merits of these two stallions would be well and truly established by now. Pulpit claibornefarm.com However, the two spent a sizeable portion of their careers standing at very different fees, which clouds the picture considerably. In the years that Malibu Moon was toiling in Maryland at a fee of $3,000, Pulpit=s services were priced from $40,000 to $75,000. It was only five years ago that the gap began to close, with Malibu Moon=s fee jumping to $17,500 in 2005, when Pulpit stood at $60,000. The next year saw the young pretender at $30,000, compared to Pulpit=s $80,000, and 2007, 2008 and 2009 saw the gap close to $40,000, when Malibu Moon=s fee rose to its Malibu Moon spendthriftfarm current level of $40,000. With Malibu Moon regularly being asked to cover bigger books than Pulpit, there wasn=t much difference in their number of racing-age offspring to the end of last year. Interestingly, their totals of stakes winners was also similar, the one significant area of difference being in their number of graded/group winners. Caulfield cont. www.coolmore.com Caulfield cont. There=s good reason for thinking that Ice Box could As might be expected, the higher-priced stallion holds be the first to break through this barrier. Not only is his a significant lead in this department, with Ice Box=s style of racing that of a horse who is likely to victory in the Florida Derby three days ago making him appreciate a mile and a quarter, but he is also out of a the 27th such winner on the flat for Pulpit (sire also of by Tabasco Cat. This tough horse established the Grade II hurdle winner Orison). Although Malibu himself as one of =s best stayers when he Moon has also been in defeated to add the 1994 Belmont S. to his excellent form with such as earlier victory in the Preakness. Devil May Care and Of course, this is by no means the first time that Odysseus, his total of Storm Cat=s name has cropped up in connection with graded winners stands at Pulpit=s. Sky Mesa is the best of Pulpit=s three graded 14, so in this respect he winners out of daughters of Storm Cat, and Mi Sueno-- remains the contender, like Ice Box--is out of a granddaughter. while Pulpit holds the title. Tabasco Cat was only 13 when he succumbed to a Don=t forget, though, that heart attack in Japan. He had spent five seasons at it took $80,000 to produce Overbrook between 1996 and 2000, with his fee Ice Box Adam Coglianese Ice Box, Mi Sueno and ranging from $25,000 to $35,000. He was still Ailalea, the leaders of awaiting his first graded winner, despite having two Pulpit=s 2007 crop, whereas Devil May Care and crops of racing age, when he was sold to Japan. As so Odysseus were produced at less than half the cost. The often happens, Tabasco Cat=s progeny began to shine gap between the two stallions= fees is down to soon after his departure. He ended up with 11 graded $20,000 this year, so we could see Malibu Moon winners from his five American crops, the best of them making inroads into Pulpit=s lead over the next few being the GI Hollywood Starlet and GI Del Mar years. Debutante winner Habibti, the GI Acorn S. winner Incidentally, there is an interesting difference Island Sand, and the Grade I-winning sprinter Snow between the two stallions. Whereas colts dominate Ridge. Pulpit=s list of graded winners, accounting for two- Several of Tabasco Cat=s graded winners were thirds of the 27, Malibu Moon=s daughters are successful over a mile and a quarter or more, and one responsible for much of the good work done by the of the best stayers among them was Ice Box=s dam resident. They account for nine of his 14 Spice Island. This talented mare landed the GII Long graded winners, and Odysseus and Rodman are the Island H. over a mile and a half. only colts among the 14, as Declan=s Moon, Perfect Ice Box=s second dam, Crown of Sheba, should also Moon and Ah Day were all geldings. have stayed quite well. Her sire, Alysheba, won the Ice Box=s late lunge for victory at Gulfstream Park first two legs of the Triple Crown, and her half-brother makes him the seventh son of Pulpit to score at Grade I Spend a Buck also triumphed in the Derby. In level, and the records of some of his predecessors other words, Ice Box has plenty of links to winners of suggest that the Robert LaPenta colt has the makings Triple Crown races, and he too merits serious of an interesting stallion prospect, providing he consideration, even though his victory--and the fine run continues to progress. Of the six previous Grade by Pleasant Prince--reflects even greater glory on I-winning sons of Pulpit, has so far supplied five Eskendereya, their easy conqueror in the GII Fountain of graded winners, including three at the highest level, and Youth S. Sky Mesa has two Grade I winners among his eight ICE BOX, c, 2007 graded scorers. Even the unconsidered Stroll has Reasoning demonstrated his potential, with a pair of Grade III winners. No wonder the first weanlings by A.P. Indy were so popular last November. Lassie Dear Ice Box has already gone one better than Pulpit by Pulpit winning the Florida Derby, a race in which Pulpit lost Mr. Prospector Gold Digger his unbeaten record when runner-up to Preach in 1997. Pulpit rebounded to win the GII Blue Grass S. Narrate State in good style, only to fade into fourth in the Kentucky Derby on what proved to be his final appearance. Storm Cat I never expect a son of A.P. Indy to fail through lack Tabasco Cat Sauce Boat of stamina, but Pulpit=s stallion career supports the Spice Island Barbicue Sauce Lady Barbizon theory that he probably didn=t possess as much stamina GSW Alydar as his Belmont S.-winning sire. Although they are 4Fls, 1GSW Alysheba Crown of Sheba Bel Sheba generally well suited by two turns, none of Pulpit=s Race Record Belle de Jour Speak John Grade I winners has so far won over a distance longer 7Fls, 1GSW 14Fls, 1GISW Battle Dress than a mile and an eighth.