King of Upsets Seeks Hat Trick

By Christie DeBernardis 

Hall of Famer Nick Zito is a trainer who knows a thing or two about upsetting a Triple Crown bid with a big longshot. Both of Zito's GI Belmont S. wins came from double-digit longshots who spoiled Triple Crown dreams. 

The first was 36-1 shot Birdstone (Grindstone), who brought Smarty Jones (Elusive Quality)'s charge into history to a screeching halt when he came flying late to overtake the popular Pennsylvania-bred in the final strides of the 2004 Belmont.

Da'Tara (Tiznow) provided Zito with his second win in the “Test of the Champion” in 2008. The longest shot on the board that year at 38-1, the dark bay went wire-to-wire to upset Big Brown (Boundary), who was pulled up in the stretch. 
Zito hopes history will repeat itself this year as he sends out Frammento (Midshipman), quoted at 30-1 on the morning line, to challenge dual Classic winner American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile). Zito feels that Frammento shares an important characteristic with his past two Belmont winners. 

“They both had good energy like him and that's what you need for that mile and a half,” said Zito while Frammento enjoyed his morning bath outside of Barn 12. “A lot of people don't realize you need energy. You need a horse with energy going a mile and a half and stamina. He's got to be ready, so I think he's ready. I'm happy about that.” 

A late-running third in Gulfstream's GII Fountain of Youth S. Feb. 21, the handsome chestnut was fourth behind Carpe Diem (Giant's Causeway) in Keeneland's GI Blue Grass S. Apr. 4, after which Zito entered him in the GI Kentucky Derby May 2 where he was stuck on the also-eligible list. The Mossarosa colorbearer drew into the Derby the day after the draw when Todd Pletcher announced the scratch of GII Louisiana Derby runner-up Stanford (Malibu Moon). He would go on to finish 11th beneath the Twin Spires at odds of 69-1 under Corey Nakatani. 

“Obviously the Fountain of Youth is the one race I thought he would run back to,” Zito said when asked what made him enter Frammento in one of the toughest renewals of the Derby in recent history. “That was a great, great race. I mean, nobody closes at Gulfstream. Nobody makes up that kind of ground and he just flew, so that was the reason. In the Bluegrass, that was kind of disappointing. He was fourth and he just kept coming. He was down on the fence and the fence was dead that day. He got into the Derby, which was okay. I wasn't disappointed. He didn't disgrace himself and now he is running in the Belmont.” 

Zito thinks his charge will do very well at the Belmont's mile-and-a-half distance given his pedigree. Frammento is out of a stakes-winning Golden Missile mare and by champion Midshipman, who is a son of Unbridled's Song. 

“I'm thinking the distance will suit him well,” the conditioner commented. “That's the whole thing. He's got a pedigree for it and that's what I am thinking, you know?” 

Besides distance, the other plus for Frammento is two-time Belmont winning rider Mike Smith, who will climb aboard the colt for the first time Saturday. 

“Mike Smith is great,” Zito remarked. “The first big horse that Mike ever rode and the first big horse that got me going was Thirty Six Red [who finished second in the 1990 Belmont]. That was his horse and that was my horse. We won the [GI] Wood Memorial [S.] together and the [GII] Gotham [S.], so it's a good combination Mike and I.” 

While confident in Frammento's ability, Zito knows that taking on juvenile champion American Pharoah again is a tall task. 

“Well, obviously he is a great horse and everybody will have to go through him, so that's the key,” Zito said. “That's the whole deal. Everybody is running and trying to get their best position wherever they can. American Pharoah is a great horse, and we will see what happens.” 

When asked how he felt about his chances to spoil a third Triple Crown attempt, Zito was humble, but hopeful. 

“Like everything else, the same way it was with those two, with Smarty Jones and then, of course, with Big Brown, we just felt if we could hit the board we'd be fine,” Zito commented. “I feel the same way now, but something happens sometimes that works in our favor.”