The colt that drew the most attention at the start of the season was the star of the show at the end. High Fly, the early leader of the 3-year-old division in South Florida, captured the $1 million Florida Derby Saturday afternoon at Gulfstream Park to re-establish himself as one of the top contenders for the Kentucky Derby coming up in just five weeks. The winner, trained by two-time Kentucky Derby winning trainer Nick Zito, paid $4.40 to win and finished 1-1/2 lengths in front of his stablemate Noble Causeway. Locally based B.B. Best was third.

"All the way down the lane I was yelling show me your heart. Show me your heart. And they did," said a jubilant Zito who was winning his first Florida Derby and who saddled both the winner and the runner-up. "They both can go a mile and a quarter. No question."

"It was very gratifying to watch them both today. You know, a week ago, High Fly had a slight temperature. But all week there has been no humidity and that really helped. God takes care of me. High Fly should just train for the Derby now. We'll see what happens."

Owned by Live Oak Plantation's Charlotte Weber, heiress to the Campbell Soup empire, High Fly started his career in South Florida with Calder-based trainer Bill White, for whom he won three of his first four starts including the Aventura Stakes in January. After a third-place finish in the Holy Bull, the Atticus colt's first try around two turns, he was transferred to trainer Nick Zito, who guided him to wins in the Fountain of Youth and now Florida Derby. Jockey Jerry Bailey, aboard High Fly in both the Fountain of Youth and Florida Derby was more than satisfied.

"He was just as impressive as he was in the Fountain of Youth," said Bailey. "He's got a lot of plusses. He gets you out of trouble. And he's got a lot of number ones. The only time he wasn't number one, it wasn't his fault--he got caught wide. The instant you move your hands on him, he's going to know it. He's very impressive to me."

As for the winner's stablemate Noble Causeway, who was making his stakes debut, both Zito and jockey Edgar Prado were equally pleased.

"You can't give Noble Causeway enough credit, coming out of an allowance race and the only horse that can beat him is High Fly," said Zito. "He's got a great future in the Kentucky Derby, too."

"You'll hear from him in the future," Prado added of the second-place finisher. "Nick's done a super job with him. I'm very proud of him."

Quick out of the gate, High Fly and longshot Mighty Mecke sat just off the early pacesetter B.B. Best for much of the mile and an eighth race, setting a solid pace of :45.89 for the half and 1:09.92 for three-quarters of a mile. B.B. Best hung on to the lead until deep in the stretch, as High Fly moved to challenge and Noble Causeway rallied from well off the pace. Noble Causeway's gallant late bid took him past everyone except the winner, who crossed the line in a final time of 1:49.43. It was only the fourth time in Gulfstream Park history that a 3-year-old was able to win three stakes races during a single Gulfstream meeting, the others being Easy Spur, Fly So Free and Kentucky Derby winner Spectacular Bid.

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