NEW YORK -- Standing outside his barn at Belmont Park, Nick
Zito was preoccupied with Hurricane Wilma, not Saturday's Breeders'
Cup.
His son, Alex, attends the University of Miami, and Zito was
hoping he had decided to leave his apartment for safer shelter in a
school building. "I've got to check on that now," the trainer
said Monday morning.
A few minutes earlier, during a break on a busy morning of
workouts, the Hall of Famer was in low-profile racing mode chatting
with a single visitor.
The scene was a far cry from his rock star status a few months
ago during Kentucky Derby week, when hundreds gathered daily before
Zito saddled a record five horses, including favorite Bellamy Road,
but came away empty.
"That was once in a lifetime," Zito said.
For the eight-race, $14 million Breeders' Cup, Zito has four
horses in three races: Sun King and Sir Shackleton in the $4
million Classic, In the Gold in the $2 million Distaff and Superfly
in the $1.5 million Juvenile.
Far from the spotlight -- no makeshift fence surrounding his barn
like at the Derby -- Zito is just happy to be competing.
"We're lucky enough to be hanging in for the Breeders' Cup, and
that's just fine," he said. "They're all long shots, but they're
all good horses."
It's not like Zito is having a bad year because his horses went
0-for-11 in the Triple Crown, and his top charge Bellamy Road
remains sidelined in Ocala, Fla., at owner George Steinbrenner's
farm. It's just that Zito is driven by the Derby, the Preakness and
the Belmont Stakes, and getting to those races is his top priority.
Nonetheless, Zito is enjoying one of the best seasons of his
30-plus year career. The 57-year-old New Yorker is sixth nationally
in trainer earnings with more than $7.5 million.
Among his big wins this year? Bellamy Road romped in the Wood
Memorial by an incredible 17½ lengths; High Fly took the Fountain
of Youth and Florida Derby; Commentator won the Whitney Handicap
over Classic favorite Saint Liam; and Sun King took the
Pennsylvania Derby. Some didn't win, but collected hefty runner-up
checks in the Belmont (Andromeda's Hero); the Travers (Bellamy
Road); the Haskell (Sun King); and the Florida Derby (Noble
Causeway).
On Sunday, he was reminded again how quickly racing fortunes
change.
High Fly, preparing for the $1 million Sprint, fractured his
right front leg during a weekend workout and was scheduled to have
two screws inserted Monday at the New Jersey Equine Center.
"It was tough yesterday. I just had to leave really early. It
all just got to me with High Fly," Zito said. "I've got a
headache right now just talking about it. But that's the way it
goes."
In the big picture, though, racing setbacks are nothing.
"I can handle it," he said. After the Derby, "when they stuck
a microphone in front of me I walked down and said when you think
what happens in life, this is not so bad. That was before the
earthquake, before Rita and now Wilma. That's how I approach it."
Zito may not be the talk of the backstretch, but discount him at
your own risk.
Superfly is one of his 2006 Derby prospects, and enters the
Juvenile in tiptop shape after a five-furlong workout Monday. The
son of 2000 Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus finished third in the
Champagne, behind likely Juvenile favorites First Samurai and Henny
Hughes.
"We'll see who develops," said Zito, a two-time Derby winner.
"That's what I'm hoping for."
In the Gold comes into the Distaff off a 2\-length win in the
Gazelle at Belmont. The 3-year-old filly takes on older horses for
the first time, including likely favorite Ashado.
"She's been very consistent, a sweetheart," Zito said. In the
Gold has never been off the board in eight starts this year with
three wins, three seconds and two thirds.
His Classic horses -- Sun King and Sir Shackleton --are coming up
to the race in good shape. Sun King was third in the Jockey Club
Gold Cup and Sir Shackleton was second in the Woodward.
"You've got to take a shot,' Zito said.