Sun King hopes to continue winning ways in Tampa Bay.
Tracy Farmer's Sun King, impressive winner of his 3-year-old debut, worked five furlongs in :59 2/5 at Palm Meadows training center Saturday in preparation for the March 19 Tampa Bay Derby (gr. III).The son of Charismatic, who finished a close third in last year's Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) and Champagne Stakes (gr. I), is coming off a 5 3/4-length victory over Survivalist in a one-mile allowance race at Gulfstream Feb. 26, in which he earned a 106 Beyer Speed Figure.Sun King had regular exercise rider Maxine Correa aboard for the work. "He went very smoothly and did it nice and even," trainer Nick Zito said. "He can be tough at times, but he went great today."Zito, who was scheduled to run Indy Storm (A.P. Indy) in (Saturday's) Louisiana Derby (gr. II) and Bellamy Road ((Concerto) in a one-mile allowance at Gulfstream, has several other potential Kentucky Derby (gr. I) horses. High Fly (Atticus), winner of the Fountain of Youth (gr. II), will run next in the Florida Derby (gr. I) April 2, along with stablemate Noble Causeway (Giant's Causeway ), impressive winner of a nine-furlong allowance race the same day. Andromeda's Hero (Fusaichi Pegasus ), winner of the Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay, is being pointed for the Lane's End Stakes (gr. II) on March 26.
