Zito

Anyone within sound of Nick Zito's voice knows what he thinks about Strike the Gold."He's America's horse," the trainer said.Zito is quite serious and insistent about this. Never mind that Strike Pimlico Specialthe Gold had a 12-race losing streak after winning the 1991 Kentucky Derby.Strike the Gold is still America's horse. Zito ticked off the reasons:"He has charisma. He's been talked about a lot. He won a race called the Kentucky Derby. OK, then he went 0-for-12. But he won the American Championship Racing Series last year.

SALISBURY - Embellished with vivid descriptions of the visions he saw and the voices he heard after killing two police officers last year, the testimony of an Eastern Shore man who has pleaded an insanity defense contradicted the sole eyewitness in the case - a Maryland state trooper who survived the confrontation. In a surprise move yesterday, defense attorneys called Francis Mario Zito to the stand in a two-hour appearance in a Wicomico County courtroom, where the trial was moved because of extensive publicity.

Samuel J. Zito, a sprightly centenarian who had operated Zito Buick Services in Baltimore for 40 years, died of respiratory failure Friday at Gilchrist Center for Hospice Care. He was 100. Mr. Zito, a 51-year resident of East Lake Avenue who would have been 101 next month, was born in Baltimore. One of seven children of Italian immigrant parents, he was raised on Pennsylvania Avenue, where his father owned a confectionery and fruit store. His entrepreneurial instincts began early, when he was delivering newspapers at the age of 6. He swept the floors of a barbershop after school for 50 cents a week, and as a 14-year-old delivered singing telegrams for Western Union.

The families of two slain Eastern Shore police officers have filed a $50 million lawsuit against Dorchester General Hospital, where the killer was released from psychiatric care less than three weeks before turning a shotgun on the lawmen. The parents of Centreville Officer Michael S. Nickerson and Queen Anne's County Deputy Jason C. Schwenz argue that Francis M. Zito, who had a lifelong history of severe mental illness, was released despite assaulting a staff member, threatening fellow patients and other displays of psychotic behavior.

Nick Zito scanned the cloudless sky at high noon, with the Goodyear blimp casting the only shadow."Beautiful, just beautiful," he said. "They say everything's for a reason. I can hear God saying, 'They're knocking my horse. Now we'll prove the Derby was no fluke.'"This horse can run and win anywhere, any time. He won the Preview and Remsen stakes on fast tracks. He's the class of this field."It was about five hours before Go For Gin would race in the Preakness, finishing second to Tabasco Cat. Already Zito and his stable hands were starting to get antsy after two weeks of preparation at Pimlico.

BELMONT, N.Y. -- Unless you were one of the few to place a bid on him, hardly anyone remembers that Da'Tara won the Belmont Stakes last year. All the focus was on Big Brown's bid for the Triple Crown, and when he completely flopped, Da'Tara's improbable wire-to-wire victory at 38-1 odds seemed like an afterthought. Trainer Nick Zito doesn't mind, however. In fact, he kind of likes flying under the radar. He has certainly had success at the Belmont. In 20 chances, he has won twice, finished second six times and third three times.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - It was the simplest of questions: Where are you going to sit Saturday? But Nick Zito stopped and smiled when a reporter asked it yesterday because, for him, the question wasn't simple at all. "Oh, I'll be all alone," the 57-year-old New Yorker rasped. "I'll be off by myself somewhere." That's funny. As trainer of five of the 20 horses in the 2005 Kentucky Derby, including favored Bellamy Road, Zito is the centerpiece of horse racing's biggest show this year; he can barely take a step without being stopped to talk or shake a hand.

What's the Preakness Stakes without Nick Zito?The New York-based trainer announced yesterday that he will have a runner in the race for the fifth consecutive year.Zito is skipping the Preakness with Suave Prospect, who was 11th in the Kentucky Derby, but is entering Star Standard, a speedy son of 1988 Preakness winner Risen Star.Zito said he decided to go in the Preakness after Star Standard, winner of the Lexington Stakes at Keeneland in his last start, worked five furlongs in 59 1/5 seconds over the weekend at Belmont Park.

If the Oakland Athletics continue on their woeful path this season, they may decide to dump former Cy Young Award winner Barry Zito and officially close the book on their once dominant Big Three rotation. Zito, however, won't bring them much if he can't improve on his 1-4 record and 5.53 ERA in his first nine games. At least a pitching coach on another club will have an obvious place to start if he inherits Zito: the first pitch of every at-bat. Zito is among the worst in the majors in getting his first pitch over for a strike (just 48 percent)

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- Yes, this is the same fellow who won the Kentucky Derby with Strike the Gold. Nick Zito still punctuates thoughts with "Ya know what I'm sayin'?" He still jokes about Baltimore the jinx town, "where Dracula lives" and where "everything that could've gone wrong did." He still rationalizes. He still prattles. He still charms.Problem is, Strike the Gold still has as many wins as he did the morning after the Derby. The Alydar colt, winless in three starts since, is staring 0-for-4 in the face despite his likely role as the favorite in today's 122nd Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course.