Nick Zito
Zito, a New York City native, started in racing as a teenager as a hotwalker and groom for trainer Buddy Jacobson. He later worked as an assistant to trainers LeRoy Jolley and John Campo. He saddled his first winner in 1972 and is one of only 17 trainers in history to saddle two or more Kentucky Derby winners (Strike The Gold and Go For Gin), as well as the 2003 Kentucky Oaks winner Bird Town, and Birdstone to upset Smarty Jones in last year's Belmont Stakes (GI). His stable is loaded with potential Derby starters in Andromeda's Hero, Noble Causeway, High Fly, and Bellamy Road. His principal clients include George Steinbrenner, Tracy Farmer and Marylou Whitney. He and his wife, Kim, son Alexander and daughter Sara live in Garden City, N.Y.
Rafael Bejarano
Bejarano, born June 23, 1982, in Peru, currently lives in Louisville. He went to the races as child in his home country, eventually attending that nation's riding school. Began riding in Peru in 1999, winning an apprentice title the same year. Came to the United States in May of 2002, beginning his U.S. riding career at River Downs in Cincinnati. While it took him about five months to win his first race, he's been a top rider on the Kentucky circuit ever since. Won the Churchill Downs 2004 Spring Meet title, as well as winning titles at Turfway Park and Ellis Park. He capped his success in 2004, when he led the nation in wins with 455, 72 more than his closest pursuer. He currently is riding in New York and on the Kentucky circuit.
Robert V. La Penta
Robert La Penta is president and chief operating officer of the New York based L-3 Communication. He got into the racing business in 1999 through a group of racing partnerships formed by University of Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino. Nick Zito is his primary trainer and adviser on buying yearlings, which he subsequently sells in two-year-old in training sales. In 2004, La Penta sold a Fusaichi Pegasus colt for a then world record $4.5 million at the Fasig-Tipton Calder Sale. He generally races the horses that don't meet their reserve or are withdrawn from their sale. A native of Yonkers, New York, the 58 year old La Penta, plans to race only those horses that can compete at the upper levels of the sport.
05.06.05 - Spanish Chestnut Due In Saturday Morning 05.01.05 - Sunday Barn Notes 04.30.05 - Saturday Barn Notes 04.29.05 - Friday Barn Notes 04.28.05 - Thursday Barn Notes 04.16.05 - Afleet Alex Bounces Back In A Big Way
03.26.05 - Flower Alley's Brilliant Display In Lane's End
One of five Derby contenders trained by Nick Zito, this improving son of 2000 Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus figures to do his best running in the stretch. Owned by Robert V. LaPenta, Andromeda's Hero finished a solid third to Afleet Alex in the Arkansas Derby (GII) to earn a spot in the Kentucky Derby starting gate. His lone win of the year came in the Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs and he brings a career record of 2-0-3 and earnings of $180,270 into the Kentucky Derby. Jockey Rafael Bejarano led U.S. jockeys in wins last year and earned a Spring Meet riding crown at Churchill Downs, but is seeking his first Kentucky Derby win.
Andromeda's Hero is from the first crop of 2000 Kentucky Derby champ Fusaichi Pegasus, who got off to a great start at stud -- he was the third leading first crop sire in 2004. Standing at Ashford Stud in Versailles, Kentucky, Fusaichi Pegasus gained plenty of notariety when his son Fusaichi Samurai sold for a two-year-old world record price of $4.5 million at Fasig Tipton in February 2004. The colt won his maiden race sharply for Neil Drysdale, but came up with a minor injury that has knocked him off the Derby trail. Besides Fusaichi Samurai, our subject stallion has sired 24 other winners as of this writing, including the stakes winners Bandini, who took the Blue Grass Stakes (GI) and will start in the Derby, South Bay Cove, winner of the Ontario Debutante Stakes; and Killenaule, who captured the Storm Cat at Keeneland. He is also the sire of the promising three-year-old Roman Ruler, who was on the Derby trail earlier this winter. Fusaichi Pegasus was also a sales sensation, bringing $4 million as a yearling and ultimately became the first favorite to win the Derby since Spectacular Bid in 1979. His Derby win, while not unexpected, marked the first time a son of Mr. Prospector had won the race -- previous thinking had been that the immortal sire could not generally get a 1 1/4 mile horse. However, Fusaichi Pegasus is closely related to Preakness winner Pine Bluff and Arkansas Derby winner Demons Begone, both horses with proven two-turn ability.
Andromeda's Hero is the first stakes winner from his dam Marozia, who has had two previous foals, one raced in Japan and the other in the United Kingdom. Her 2003 foal, a full brother to Andromeda's Hero, sold at last year's Keeneland September yearling sale for $210,000. Marozia raced nine times in England, winning once. Her dam, Make Change, was a multiple Grade One placed filly who won the Miss Liberty Stakes but placed in Mother Goose, Alabama, Ladies Handicap, and Monmouth Oaks, all Grade One route races. Her ability comes from both sides of her family, being by Roberto out of an Arts and Letters mare. The former was champion three-year-old colt in both England and Ireland, and the latter was the champion three-year-old colt, winner of the Belmont Stakes and the only horse to beat 1969 Kentucky Derby winner Majestic Prince.
Dosage Index: 2.78
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