Zito: Frammento Pedigree Suited to Belmont

Trainer Nick Zito, who saddled horses to dash the Triple Crown hopes of Smarty Jones   and Big Brown  , sees similarities between his two previous longshot winners and Frammento, a son of Midshipman   entered in the Belmont Stakes presented by DraftKings (gr. I) June 6.



Birdstone   shocked the racing world in 2004, when he passed Smarty Jones late to win the 1 1/2-mile Belmont, and Da' Tara won in 2008 when Big Brown   was seeking the classics sweep.



"Here's what I thought, just like I'm thinking now, knock (on) wood," Zito said. "I said the same thing with the other two. If we hit the board—if we're second or something and hit the board—where do I sign? But, I also knew both horses had mile-and-a-half pedigrees, just like this horse. At the end of the day, that goes in my favor."



In his only victory in eight starts, Frammento won a 1 1/16-mile, maiden special weight event last fall at Keeneland. This year, he finished sixth in the grade II Holy Bull and third in the Besilu Stables Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park, then returned to Keeneland to run fourth in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I).



Frammento has done his training and had three works at the Oklahoma Training Track in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. following his most recent start, an 11th-place finish in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I).

 

"He got in Tuesday afternoon and he's doing great," Zito said June 4. "He galloped and I stood him in the gate, and schooled him a little bit and he was fine. He looked beautiful. The other two I took to the training track so I figured, why not?"



Zito spoke highly of his fellow Hall of Famer, Bob Baffert, who trained Frammento's sire and has this year's Triple Crown hopeful, American Pharoah. Baffert is making his fourth attempt at a Triple Crown, having lost the Belmont with Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes (gr. I) winners Silver Charm (1997), Real Quiet (1998), and War Emblem (2002).



"I'm kind of happy Baffert is the trainer. I think it shows you his ability to keep these horses in these races," Zito said. "I've known him a long time, since he came on the scene. I always got along with him. He's got a little different style, him and I, but I've got to give him a lot of credit, because it shows you all those years to know how to do that. Four times? To have a shot? That's a record right there. To have a chance, do you know how good you have to be as a trainer to do that? It'll be good for us if we can do it three times."