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Trainer is 'honored just being here' after spending three of the last five Derbys .His cup overflows, but fresh in his memory are the years when it was empty. You can ask Nick Zito about his five strong entries in Saturday's Kentucky Derby 131, and you will have plenty of company. But don't forget, too, the years he didn't make it here, when the trainer with two Derby victories couldn't find his way back for the first Saturday in May. Nick Zito has seen the Derby from every side now. "The older I get, the more humbled I am by winning," he said last week. "When you put everything in the proper perspective, it's an honor just being here." Kim Zito fell in love with horses first, the trainer second. She is a native Californian, a free spirit who, in 1994, up and moved to Kentucky. "My family says I must have some gypsy blood in me," she said last week. In truth, the horses brought her here. She loved them enough to want to live and work in "the horse capital of the world." Then one day at Keeneland in 1998, just by happenstance, she was introduced to Nick Zito. They became friends. If Nick was going somewhere, he might ask Kim along. And she likewise. No big deal. They enjoyed each other's company. "We were friends at first," she said, "then eventually, it turned into a romance." A year later, it turned into more, for on June 4, 2000, they were married -- Nick's second marriage. "Have you ever been to Disneyland?" she asked with a smile. "Have you ever been on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride? That's what it's like being married to a trainer. Never a dull moment." There are ups and downs, twists and turns. Some days are good. Some are bad. No two are the same. Long about 2002, the days were not as good. Zito was winning races, just not big races. He had good horses, just not Derby horses. This wasn't natural; it wasn't right. Nick Zito had made his name in the Derby, winning in 1991 with Strike the Gold, then again in 1994 with Go for Gin. From '94 through 1999, Zito had at least one horse in the Kentucky Derby, sometimes two. Some ran better than others, but he was there, on the Churchill Downs backstretch, giving interviews, visiting Wagner's up the block, chatting with the fans in the grandstands. Kentucky was where he belonged. Lexington. Louisville. He knew it the first time he came here, back in 1966, an 18-year-old boy from Ozone Park, N.Y., who had caught a ride in a horse van from Aqueduct to Keeneland just so he could see what everyone was talking about. He knew then this was where he wanted to be. He knew it when he worked for John Campo, and then LeRoy Jolley. He knew it when he went out on his own as a trainer in 1972. "You're looking at the red, white and blue here," he said last week. "How could a guy who grew up where I grew up, born in Brooklyn, grew up in Queens, how could he get to the Kentucky Derby? The first time I got here, I was just overwhelmed." And he kept coming back, until in 2000, he had nothing to come back with. He didn't have a Derby horse that year. Though he had AP Valentine, the seventh-place finisher in 2001, he missed out in 2002 and 2003, as well. That was three of four Derbys without Nick Zito. That was unthinkable. "He never lost faith," said Kim Zito. "Not for one second. He just rode it out. "I think right now, if you took all of his horses away and gave him just a cart horse, he'd train it for the Kentucky Derby. That would be his goal." Then finally, the days turned around, bad luck to good, thanks not to the Derby, but the race the day before the Derby. "We won I think 90 races in 2002," Zito said. "We just hadn't won any races people paid attention to, until the Oaks." This was 2003 when Zito was in Louisville, not for the first Saturday in May, but the first Friday, to run Birdtown, owned by Marylou Whitney, in the Kentucky Oaks. "And I remember I was standing with my daughter, and (Birdtown) stumbled out of the gate," Zito said. "I said to Sara, 'This can't be happening.' " Then the most wonderful thing did happen. Birdtown regained her balance, picked up speed and won. It was almost like Zito himself, stumbling, then regaining his balance, finding his stride. "Psychologically, I think that was very important for Nick," said John Hendrickson, the husband of Whitney, who also runs Whitney Farm. "That race was huge," Zito said. "That was the springboard. "I remember at the press conference, I had that feeling like, 'I'm back.' " Oh baby, is he back, and bigger than ever. Zito won the 2004 Blue Grass Stakes with The Cliff's Edge -- who ran fifth in the Derby -- then the Belmont and the Travers with Birdstone. The trainer already boasted three top-notch Derby candidates this year -- Sun King, Andromeda's Hero and Noble Causeway -- when he picked up two more in High Fly and Bellamy Road. "I'm blessed," said Zito. He is also the man in demand. For the first time in his Derby career, there is a white plastic fence around his Barn 36 to keep gawkers at arm's length. There is a daily news conference. "There won't be a fence up here next year, I can promise you that," Zito said. "This is a great honor, a great thing to do. But it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience, I know that." He was 43 when he won his first Derby. Now he's 57, and life is good. The Zitos own a home in Lexington to go with their home in Saratoga, N.Y. Kim has five horses of her own, including Straight Gin, a gift from Whitney after the horse suffered a bowed tendon in the 2002 Preakness. Straight Gin is now being trained for steeplechase races. They are both active in the anti-slaughter campaign for the retirement of racehorses. "They are both wonderful people," Hendrickson said. "They give back to the game. They don't just take. "We think Nick is probably one of the best trainers in the history of the sport. What he's done this year is tremendous." But come Saturday, what if Zito doesn't win? "I don't think he feels pressure at all," Kim said. "He's so happy, so relaxed. He would never say this, but I think he feels like he's done something now. I think he's very proud of himself." Proud, but humble. He's won, he's lost. What's worse is not being here at all. "Disappointment is inevitable in this game," Zito said. "But I think not being here, I realize what a great thrill it is just to be in the Kentucky Derby. "There's so many that don't even get the opportunity. To be in this position, no matter what happens, it's just a very humbling experience. It really is." Zito's Derby record. 2004 -- The Cliff's Edge (5th); Birdstone (8th) 2001 -- AP Valentine (7th) 1999 -- Stephen Got Even (14th); Adonis (17th) 1998 -- Halory Hunter (4th) 1997 -- Jack Flash (7th); Shammy Davis (12th) 1996 -- Diligence (9th); Louis Quatorze (16th) 1995 -- Suave Prospect (11th) 1994 -- Go for Gin (1st) 1991 -- Strike the Gold (1st) 1990 -- Thirty Six Red (9th) Nick Zito Age: 57 Hometown: New York Residence: Garden City, N.Y. Family: Kim (wife); Alexander (son); Sara (daughter) Top wins: Birdstone (2004 Belmont Stakes, Travers); Go for Gin (1994 Kentucky Derby); Louis Quatorze (1996 Preakness); Storm Song (1996 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies); Strike the Gold (1991 Kentucky Derby); Birdtown (2003 Kentucky Oaks) Derby record: 2-for-14 (Strike the Gold, 1991; Go for Gin, 1994) Accomplishments: Two-time Kentucky Derby winner ... won 2004 Belmont with Birdstone, spoiling Smarty Jones' Triple Crown bid ... three-time Blue Grass Stakes winner ... trains for Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, Louisville basketball Coach Rick Pitino, Saratoga philanthropist Marylou Whitney How he got started: Went to track at age 9 with father, who exercised horses for trainer Max Hirsch ... hotwalker, groom for trainer Buddy Jacobson, assistant for trainers John Campo and LeRoy Jolley ... went out on his own in early 1970s.

Kentucky Derby contender Consolidator was retired Monday because of a fractured bone in his right front ankle.The San Felipe Stakes winner galloped Sunday and took some bad steps coming off the Churchill Downs track, where the Derby will be run this Saturday."These type of things always seem to happen," trainer D. Wayne Lukas said. "You just hope it doesn't happen to you."Lukas said he grew concerned when the colt was tentative during his Sunday afternoon walk around the barn. The Hall of Fame trainer had an X-ray taken Monday that showed Consolidator had fractured his sesamoid.Lukas said the colt would not require surgery; he will be treated with stall rest."I think he'll stay with me for a while," Lukas said. "He will not run again. I think he'll have a stud career. With sesamoid injuries, you can bring back a $25,000 claimer on Wednesday, but not this level of horse."Consolidator is owned by Bob and Beverly Lewis, who won the Derby in 1997 with Silver Charm and in 1999 with Charismatic. The couple will still have a horse in the race with Going Wild, who also is trained by Lukas."We've been blessed -- Bob and Beverly and especially myself -- in this race," Lukas said. "It would be selfish of me to say, 'Oh, my gosh' and feel sorry for our situation."The Lewises paid $1.25 million for the son of Storm Cat in 2003. Consolidator had three wins in 10 career stars and earnings of $661,760. He won the Grade 1 Lane's End Breeders' Futurity as a 2-year-old and the Grade 2 San Felipe on March 19.The withdrawal of Consolidator opens a spot in the anticipated 20-horse field for Illinois Derby winner Greeley's Galaxy. His owner, B. Wayne Hughes, will have to pay a $200,000 supplemental fee because the colt wasn't nominated to the Triple Crown series.Hughes also owns Don't Get Mad, who is expected to run in the Derby.

Jeremy Martin (ArriveNet Editorials - Apr 12, 2005) -- Three major races involving Kentucky Derby contenders took place last Saturday. The three races where held in different regions of the country and had enough interest that NBC televised all three of the races live. Two out of the three races went as expected with the chalk coming in, but that was not the case in California. Any winning ticket from the Santa Anita Derby would have netted one a substantial profit. The following will recap the stakes races from Santa Anita, Aqueduct, and Hawthorne and give you the current state of some of the Kentucky Derby contenders. The first of the three took place in New York with the Wood Memorial. The field of eight featured little excitement as the favorite Bellamy Road went wire-to-wire. The only surprise was the performance of Going Wild. Victor Espinoza traveled up from California to ride this horse that finished last due to a tiring stretch run. Nick Zito trained the winning horse and he appears to be well on his way with yet another Kentucky Derby contender. With this dominating performance, Bellamy Road will likely come in at single digits once post time arrives on May 7. He set the track record at 1 minute and 47 seconds and appears to be the fourth horse out of Zito's powerful barn. Rounding out the trifecta were Survivalist and Scrappy T. Scrappy T's ability to hit the board along with Going Wild's last place finish gave a little boost to the trifecta as it paid $254.00. Jerry Bailey and Victor Espinoza will certainly be looking for different horses to ride once May approaches. Moving west, we stop in Chicago for the Illinois Derby. On paper this appeared to be a weak field with the possibility to produce zero Kentucky Derby contenders. But that changed with a dominating performance by the favorite, Greeley's Galaxy. Galaxy went off at under 2-1 and pulled away for an easy victory. Owner B. Wayne Hughes has been quoted as saying that he will pony up the $200,000 to enter the horse in the Derby. This horse will enter the Derby at around 17-1, but I feel that is to low as this horse cannot compete with the strength of the Derby class. There was very little value on the board as the race pretty much ran as expected. The $2 trifecta paid just under $100 and this race was completely dominated by the inside horses. Numbers 1-2-3-4 finished in exactly that order. Monarch Lane held on for second place and Magna Graduate took the show money. Neither one of these two horses will be in Churchill Downs. Finishing out the day, we travel to the Pacific to Santa Anita Park for its annual Derby. The favorite in this race was a Philly named Sweet Catomine, who left the starting gate at even money. She ran into all kinds of trouble, was bumped, and could not rally back into contention. The winner was a Jeff Mullins trained horse, Buzzards Bay. The Buzz went off at over 30-1 and that was just the start of a humungous paying board. Coming in second was a 60-1 shot name General John B. The next four finishers were all favorites, but the damage had already been done and any winning ticket on this race meant a smile to one's face. The exacta paid $751 and the trifecta paid and amazing $6,635. Buzzards Bay should qualify for the Derby with this surprising win and I expect him to enter the race at around 15-1. As for Sweet Catomine, this was a devastating loss and I have to question if she will be able to recover from such a disappointment. Buzzards Bay will try and carry this momentum into the Kentucky Derby betting, but I question his style of racing. He had everything go right for him at Santa Anita, with trouble behind him and the hardness of the track. The Kentucky Derby appears to be full of early speedsters like the Buzz and that compition will likely wear them all down and allow the closers to blow past them. Nick Zito appears to be the hot trainer as the race is now less the one month away. He could have as many as five Kentucky Derby contenders in the field and at this moment three of them appear to be serious contenders for the crown. For Zito, it starts with Sun King, who is far and away the best of his crop. Sun King is scheduled to race this Saturday in the Bluegrass Stakes and a win here would propel him into the morning line favorite for the Derby. Zito's other two powers are High Fly and Noble Causeway. These two horses finished first and second in a very competitive Florida Derby. The only thing that troubles me about these two is their long layoff between races. If either of them would happen to win the Derby, that would mark the first time in nearly 50 years that the winner of the roses had a layoff of five weeks or more. That is about the only black mark on High Fly, who continues to dominate the three-year old field. Next up are two more stakes races held in the South. The Bluegrass Stakes will go from Keeland and the Arkansas Derby will draw from Oaklawn. These are two important races that will play a major role in determining the field for the Kentucky Derby. Be sure to check back for a recap of the stakes races each week. Doc's is your place for finding the winner of the Kentucky Derby. We have grabbed the money five out of the last ten Derby's including the 30-1 shot Charismatic in 1999. Doc's Sports will be writing several weekly articles regarding the Kentucky Derby up to the day of the race and we will be following the Kentucky Derby contenders until the race lineup is set.

Rockport Harbor will not participate in Saturday's $1 million Arkansas Derby, one of the final preparatory races for next month's Kentucky Derby.The 3-year-old Rockport Harbor, who has been hampered by a series of ailments, including foot problems and a blood clot in his neck, completed a 7/8-mile run in 1:25.6 at Oaklawn Park on Sunday before the decision was made by trainer John Servis. Horse bettingRockport Harbor instead will start the $325,000 Lexington Stakes at Keeneland Race Track on April 23.

Over 500 people attended the "Ponies On Parade" Unbridled Gala and Auction to benefit the Northwest Center for disabled people. "Ponies on Parade" was sponsored by The Wells Fargo Bank, a public art project produced by the Downtown Seattle Association. The Gala was held at the Bell Harbor International Pavilion at Pier 66

A colt by Tale of the Cat set a world record for a two-year-old at auction Tuesday during the Fasig-Tipton Calder sale of selected two-year-olds in training on a $5.2-million bid by John Ferguson on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum.
Ferguson, connected by cell phone to Sheikh Mohammed, outlasted a long duel with Demi O'Byrne on the opposite side of the podium to land the first foal of the winning Devil's Bag mare Carry All.
"Obviously he's everything you want to see in a racehorse," said Jimmy Bell, who signed the ticket in the name of Darley. "He's a lovely, balanced horse, and obviously has a stallion's pedigree."
Carry All won one of six career starts and earned $33,020 racing for the Phipps Stable and trainer Shug McGaughey. She is one of two winners out of the Mr. Prospector mare Looking for Gold, a full sister to Grade 1 winner Seeking the Gold and half sister to Grade 1 winner Fast Play and Grade 3 winner Stacked Pack.
The $5.2-million price shattered the previous world record of $4.5-million paid by Fusao Sekiguchi for the Fusaichi Pegasus colt Fusaichi Samurai at last year's Fasig-Tipton Calder sale.
The world-record Tale of the Cat breezed an eighth in :10.60 during the sale's first under-tack show on February 20 at Calder Race Course.
"That's twice what I thought he'd bring," said consignor Robert Scanlon. "I thought if we got real lucky he might bring $3-million."--

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