Zito under pressure to win the big one
The Derby has created a lot of duds in the past, but they've been horses. Never before has a trainer been a bust.
He says he's lucky and blessed, can't believe how fortunate he is to have five horses in the Kentucky Derby and to have won so many prep races along the way. Win, lose or whatever, he says he's on top of the world. Pressure? What pressure, says Nick Zito. "I'd have to be an absolute joke to feel anything but very blessed to be in this situation," Zito said. "I am grateful. I am humble. How else can I feel any other way? What do I want, everything in life."
It' an admirable outlook on his situation, but, at the same time, a bit unrealistic. This is not an occasion where Zito should be happy to merely to be coming into the race with a strong hand. He's got five horses. He's got the favorite. He trains for the impossibly difficult George Steinbrenner.
Nick, you need to win this thing.
Someone else has come into the Kentucky Derby with five horses. Wayne Lukas started five in 1996 and won the race with Grindstone. But Lukas' quintet does not begin to compare with this one. A better comparison may be the Calumet Farm duo of Citation and Coaltown in 1948. The two best horse in the race, they competed as a 2-5 entry and one ran one-two for trainer Ben Jones. That was probably the strongest team any trainer ever had in a Derby, at least before Zito showed up this year.
Bellamy Road won the Wood Memorial by 17 1/4 lengths, will be the Derby favorite and might just be a very special horse. High Fly won the Fountain of Youth and the Florida Derby. Sun King finished third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Noble Causeway cost $1.15 million at the sales and is a beautifully bred horse who is improving with each start. Of Zito's five starters, only Andromeda's Hero has no shot.
"It's a unique situation I'm in and I don't think it will ever happen again," Zito said.
That's just one of many reasons why he needs to win this. After it's over, no one is going to care that Zito tied a record for having the most starters in a single Kentucky Derby or that he won the Fountain of Youth, Florida Derby, Wood Memorial and the Tampa Bay Derby or that Bellamy Road, coming into the Kentucky Derby, looked like the second coming of Secretariat.
"His Wood Memorial was unbelievable," Zito said. "It was absolutely sensational. He has a chance to get into the (superstar) category."
Losing with Bellamy Road and his four stablemates, would be like a good college basketball team that goes 29-1 during the regular season and then loses in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The regular season becomes meaningless, overshadowed by a painful loss when it really counts.
It only gets worse that the Zito-trainee that has everyone excited just happens to be owned by the impetuous Mr. Steinbrenner. So maybe a defeat doesn't mean that Steinbrenner will fire Zito, but it would surely mean a very disappointed owner. Steinbrenner is getting up in his years, his baseball team is having a terrible season and everyone is telling the Boss his horse can't lose.
"I got along great with George when I trained for him," Wayne Lukas said. "I had great success with him. But he's impulsive and he reacts. I think anything short of a win will be a disappointment to him because he is so competitive."
Steinbrenner may be his most difficult owner, but he's got to deal with four others who are hopingmaybe even expectingto win the Kentucky Derby. Then there's the problem of keeping them all happy, making sure that no one gets jealous of anyone else. These may be nice problems to have, but they are problems, nonetheless.
Wisely, Zito is taking nothing for granted. In Afleet Alex and Bandini, there are at least two horses in the field who might be good enough to topple his army. Another problem could be the pace. As talented as he may be, can Bellamy Road survive what is likely going to be a very fast pace?
"This is not a gimme," Zito said. "They're not handing us anything. Of course, I feel like I have five legitimate chances. I am a human being, but I'm going to take everything in stride and will keep remembering what a great accomplishment it is (to have five horses in a Derby)."
The Derby has created a lot of duds in the past, but they've been horses. Never before has a trainer been a bust. Unfair or not, come Saturday, that could be Nick Zito. Pressure? You better believe it.
Watch the Kentucky Derby on NBC (Saturday at 5 p.m. ET).
