Nick Zito Saddles his 2,000th Winner
Nick Zito saddled the 2000th winner of his career Monday at Gulfstream Park, where Forever Plus registered a gate-to-wire victory under Nik Juarez in the second race to help his Hall of Fame trainer reach the milestone.
“The way these young trainers win 4000 and 5000, I feel like the oldest guy in Little League,” said the 68-year-old trainer following a winner’s circle ceremony marking his career milestone.
Forever Plus, sent to post at 3-1, held gamely to prevail by a head in the 1 1/16 mile turf race for $16,000 claiming fillies and mares.
“It feels great. It’s been a long journey. Thank God, were probably at the top of the stretch, where we still have a quarter of a mile left. That’s what we’re trying to do, keep it going,” Zito said.
Zito’s horses have earned nearly $110 million during a training career that began in 1972, when he saddled Palais for his first victory at Liberty Bell in Pennsylvania after serving as an assistant to John Campo and LeRoy Jolley.
Zito’s 2000 career victories include a pair of triumphs in the Kentucky Derby (G1) with Strike the Gold (1991) and Go for Gin (1994), as well as successes in the Preakness Stakes (G1) with Louis Quatorze in 1996 and the Belmont Stakes (G1) with Birdstone in 2004 and Da’Tara in 2008. He also captured the Kentucky Oaks (G1) in 2003 with Bird Town.
Zito also enjoyed Breeders’ Cup success with Storm Song (1996 Juvenile Fillies) and War Pass (2007 Juvenile), both of whom were honored with Eclipse Awards.
The native New Yorker was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005, the same year in which he saddled High Fly for the first of three Florida Derby (G1) successes. He also saddled back-to-back winners of the tradition-rich Triple Crown prep in 2010-2011 with Ice Box and Dialed In, respectively. Stephen Got Even’s victory in the 2000 Donn Handicap (G1) is also among Zito’s many career highlights at Gulfstream.
“The Florida Derbys were special, and the Donn isn’t a bad race either,” Zito said. “I’ve had a lot of great memories here and hopefully we’ll keep it going.”
Other Zito-trained graded-stakes winners at Gulfstream include Cool Coal Man (2008 Fountain of Youth) Mr. Greeley (1995 Spectacular Bid and Swale), Sir Shackleton (2005 Richter Scale), Commentator (2008 Richter Scale), S.S. Stone (2011 Skip Away), Jackson Bend (2012 Hal’s Hope), Fort Loudon (2013 Gulfstream Park Sprint Championship) and Spot (2014 Swale).
“I’m really appreciative of Gulfstream. They do a good job with everything – horsemen, fans – so I appreciate that. This thing happened here, and I’m happy for that,” Zito said.
Source: Gulfstream Park