BALTIMORE – Several trainers suffered crushing defeats in this year’s Kentucky Derby. Bob Baffert, who failed to win his third in a row; Elliott Walden, a close second for the second straight year; Eddie Plesa, whose star filly Three Ring finished last.
But none was more dejected after the race than Nick Zito, who went into the Derby with high hopes for Stephen Got Even and Adonis, only to see them straggle home 14th and 17th, respectively.
“It was one of my most disappointing races ever,” Zito said outside the Pimlico stakes barn yesterday morning after both colts worked for Saturday’s Preakness. “Because I had two this time that really qualified.
“If you run second, third, fourth, you have good vibes. But I was very down. Both horses were coming off wins (Stephen Got Even in the Gallery Furniture Stakes, Adonis in the Wood Memorial). Both trained well, both looked well.”
Stephen Got Even looked so well, in fact, he was bet down to 5-1 from 12-1 on the morning line and actually was the favorite until a few minutes before post time. Adonis was 18-1.
“The fact of the matter is, they should have run better,” Zito said.
If either rebounds to win the Preakness, it won’t be the first time for a Zito horse. Remember Louis Quatorze, who won here in 1996 after finishing 16th at Churchill Downs?
“‘Louis’ should have run better in the Derby,” he said. “It was the worst race of his life. Hopefully with ‘Stephen’ and Adonis I can say that down the road.”
Zito places much of the blame for their sub-par performances on bad trips in a strange race whose complexion changed at the break when Three Ring failed to make the lead.
“If the filly would have broke straight and did what she was doing all her life, instead of being wherever she was that day – no one can still figure it out – it would have been a much different race,” Zito said. “(Instead) it was a funny situation, almost like it was in slow motion.
“The first turn ‘Stephen’ got murdered and lost tons of energy. He wanted to go after that and now you’re trying to rate him.
“[Jockey Chris McCarron] would have looked like a genius if he went out [to press the early pace] because he would have been out of trouble. It’s a split-second decision, but how does he know?”
McCarron broke his foot working a horse Monday morning and won’t be able ride in the Preakness. Zito has yet to name a replacement.
Adonis, coming from post 1, got pushed into the gap soon after the break, never had much running room and rallied widest of all into the stretch.
“He went from post half-1 to post 27,” said Zito. “It was unbelievable.
“The reason we took (post) 1 was because the filly drew 2. We said ‘hey let’s gamble here. She’s going to go, we save all the ground, and if he gets any shot of running we’re going to look smart.’
“I know a bunch of extremely intelligent guys who bet on horses and that’s the oldest trick in the book. You’re inside saving ground, you’re going to be in the gimmicks. They went for their lungs because they thought the worst he’d be was third or fourth.”
Ridden by exercise rider Jamie Sanders, both Zito colts worked faster at Pimlico yesterday than they did before the Derby, when they went 1:02 and change. Adonis drilled five furlongs in 1:01.3. Stephen Got Even went the same distance in 1:01.4.
“Adonis had blinkers on and was real sharp with them,” Zito said. “Coming down the stretch Jamie had to keep his mind on business, he was looking around, but that’s how he is. He came off the track just beautiful.
“‘Stephen’ did it effortlessly like he always does. If you didn’t have a clock on him, you’d think he was just galloping.
“They just ran 10 days ago. I’m just trying to get them over the effects of the race and keep them in a position where they can hopefully run well this time.
“Whether Adonis or ‘Stephen’ wins the Preakness or not, both these horses deserve to run,” Zito said. “I don’t have to apologize to nobody why these horses are here.” *Valhol, the only other Preakness horse on the grounds, worked an easy half-mile in :50. He finished 15th in the Derby after setting the pace.
The controversial winner of the Arkansas Derby was stripped of his $300,000 winner’s share of the purse by the Arkansas stewards after they ruled his jockey used an electric “buzzer” in the race. But the state racing commission stayed that decision on appeal, meaning that Valhol will have enough earnings to run in the Preakness. *The 14th and final Preakness starter is still undetermined and comes down to either Torrid Sand, who flies in today from Churchill Downs, or local horse Lead Em Home.
“It’s not true,” Lead Em Home’s trainer Phil Marino said to reports his horse was out of the race. “I still might run, especially after the way he worked this morning. He went a half-mile in :49 and galloped out in 1:01. That’s faster than Zito’s horses went.
“I’m still in the picture. I’m going to wake up in the morning and then decide.”