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Stevil

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With War Pass going down with an injury and Cool Coal Man finishing a disappointing 15th in the Kentucky Derby, the Robert LaPenta Jr. mantle now falls to Stevil for a run in the Preakness Stakes.     He was fourth in Keeneland’s Toyota Blue Grass Stakes and didn’t earn enough graded money to get into the Kentucky Derby, so the Preakness was a natural second target.     Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito is in search of his second Preakness victory, having won the 1996 running with Louis Quatorze.

TRAINER - Nick Zito, originally from New York, N.Y., now resides in Garden City, N.Y. Triple Crown victories: Kentucky Derby – Strike the Gold (1991); Go for Gin (1994). Preakness Stakes – Louis Quatorze (1996); Belmont Stakes – Birdstone (2004). Breeders’ Cup victories: Juvenile Fillies – Storm Song (1996); Juvenile – War Pass (2007).     Nick Zito, in search of his second Preakness victory, has been one of the major players in Thoroughbred racing since the early 1990s, sharing the spotlight in his easy manner with D. Wayne Lukas and Bob Baffert. Among them, they have won 22 Triple Crown events since 1991. Zito accounted for four, Baffert eight and Lukas 10.     He entered racing’s Hall of Fame in 2005.     Zito captured the 1991 and 1994 Kentucky Derbys with Strike the Gold and Go for Gin, respectively, and stopped Lukas’ string of six straight Triple Crown wins by nabbing the 1996 Preakness Stakes with Louis Quatorze.     But after all that success, Zito found himself off the Triple Crown trail in 2000, only to return in 2001 with A P Valentine, who finished seventh in the Kentucky Derby, and second in both the Preakness and Belmont Stakes. He skipped the Derby in 2002 and 2003, but rebounded in 2004 and 2005, though without a victory. He was a non-starter in 2006 and 2007. In 2004, The Cliff’s Edge finished fifth in the Derby and Birdstone was eighth, and in 2005, Zito saddled five prospects, but could get no higher than seventh with Bellamy Road, who was the favorite after registering a stunningly easy Wood Memorial victory. Following Bellamy Road was Andromeda’s Hero in eighth place, High Fly 10th, Noble Causeway 14th and Sun King 15th.     After five second-place finishes over the years, the trainer finally got his Belmont Stakes victory to complete the Triple Crown cycle when Birdstone defeated Smarty Jones’ 2004 bid for racing immortality by winning the 1 1/2-mile “Test of the Champion.” To add emphasis to the victory, a second Zito runner, Royal Assault, finished third. Those placings, plus Birdstone’s victory in the Travers Stakes, helped Zito chalk up purse earnings for the year of $6,967,792 and the 10th spot on the national trainers’ list. For 2005, the trainer upped his earnings to $8,199,368 and eighth place in the nation.     In 2006, Zito totaled purse earnings of $4,298,811. In 2007, Zito posted purse earnings of $5,140,794, and rang up 62 victories. Tops among his runners on the year was War Pass, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Eclipse Award as the country’s top 2-year-old male, and stakes winners Wanderin Boy and Most Distinguished.     Zito’s two Derby victories were as opposite as they could be. Strike the Gold, as was his style throughout his career, came from out of the clouds to win in 1991 and Go for Gin led nearly every step of the way in garnering the Run for the Roses in 1994.     Zito, who used to go to the races with his father, was overtaken by horse fever at the age of 12, and at 16 he went to the racetrack as a hotwalker for Buddy Jacobsen. In 1966, he fell in love with the Bluegrass when he went to Keeneland with trainer Woods Garth. "I couldn't believe what I saw there," said the New York City native who was 18 at the time and wasn't used to the lush horse country around Lexington, Ky.     Later, he worked with John Campo for four years and then moved on to work with LeRoy Jolley. At that point 1973 Zito felt confident enough to try training on his own. He's had a public stable ever since and usually has 20 25 horses in training.     The veteran trainer won the Kentucky Derby on his second try, after finishing ninth with Thirty Six Red in 1990. After partners William Condren and Joseph Cornacchia bought Strike the Gold to eliminate the earlier three partner set up with B. Giles Brophy, Zito trained the Alydar colt to a comeback in 1993 before the colt was sent to stud duty.     Other top winners for the New Yorker: Adonis, Agincourt, Albert the Great, Chelsey Flower, Doneraile Court, Greenwood Lake, Halory Hunter, Ride Sally, Schematic, Star Standard, Stephen Got Even and Storm Song.

JOCKEY - John Velazquez, Born: Nov. 24, 1971 in Carolina, Puerto Rico now resides in West Hempstead, N.Y     Had another big year in 2007 after returning from injury in late 2006; purse earnings were $18,059,713, good for third in the nation . He posted 199 victories on the year, including the win by Rags to Riches making her the first filly in more than 100 years to win the Belmont Stakes and topped off his comeback with his seventh Breeders’ Cup championship victory by guiding English Channel to the winner’s circle in the Turf. He also won the Eclipse Award as top male grass runner of the year. He finished fourth in the Mile with Nobiz Like Shobiz, second in the Filly & mare Turf with Honey Rider and third in the Juvenile with Kodiak Kowboy. Other major winners in 2007: Eclipse Award older male Lawyer Ron, Octave, Cotton Blossom, Ramazutti, Scat Daddy, Master Command, Indian Vale, High Finance, Ready’s Image, Magna Graduate, Wait a While and The Leopard .     He enjoyed career-best year in 2005, breaking Jerry Bailey’s North American record of $23.3 million by posting purse earnings of $24,474,923; it gave him two straight years at the top of the earnings list, having put up $22.2 million in 2004. He apparently was rolling along toward what could have been another top earnings year before suffering a major injury in the spring of 2006; gave way to Garrett Gomez as first-call rider for Eclipse Award trainer Todd Pletcher. He still came back to wind up fourth on the earnings list with $16,502,754.     Among top horses ridden in 2006: Flower Alley, English Channel, Pool Land, Araafa, Henny Hughes, Honey Rider, Scat Daddy and Cotton Blossom . He won second straight Eclipse Award as North America’s premier rider in 2005. Close connection to Pletcher put him in position to put up his big numbers in 2005, repeating that connection from 2004. For 2005, rider scored 44 graded stakes wins, 30 aboard Pletcher trainees, and 65 stakes victories all told. Among those stakes winners ridden: champion older female Ashado, champion turf male Leroidesanimaux, Dubai World Cup victor Roses in May, Travers Stakes winner and Breeders’ Cup Classic runner-up Flower Alley and other Grade I winners Bandini, Sand Springs, Happy Ticket, Luas Line, Honey Rider and Adieu. In 2004, rode two Breeders’ Cup winners (Ashado in the Distaff and Speightstown in the Sprint, both trained by Pletcher); went to winner’s circle 335 times, third best behind Rafael Bejarano and Ramon Dominguez.     Velazquez partnered with trainer Pletcher to dominate New York racing four years in a row. As an example, they combined for five victories on one day at Saratoga during 2004. He broke his record of 61 victories at Saratoga meeting set in 2003 by posting 65 wins in the six-week 2004 season. In spite of all of those highlights, fared poorly in Triple Crown races, finishing 17th of 18 in the Kentucky Derby aboard Pollard’s Vision and last of nine aboard Purge in the Belmont Stakes. Endured similar fate in 2005 Triple Crown action, finishing 19th of 20 in the Derby aboard Bandini and last of 11 in the Belmont Stakes on Pinpoint and won his 3,000th career race in 2004. In 2001, set a Saratoga record when he won six races on Sept. 3. He picked up third and fourth Breeders’ Cup winners in 2002 with Starine in the Filly and Mare Turf and Storm Flag Flying in Juvenile Fillies. He won his first Breeders’ Cup championship race in the 1998 Mile with Da Hoss and came back for No. 2 with 2000 Juvenile Fillies winner Caressing and finished second in the 2001 Kentucky Derby with Invisible Ink; previous best finish was fourth in 2000 aboard More Than Ready. He was 10th with Saarland in 2002 and has ridden in eight Derbys. Ranked among the top 10 riders in New York in each of the past 10 years.     His first win came in 1990 aboard Rodas at El Commandante Racetrack in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Entered Puerto Rican jockey school in June 1988 and a year and a half later began riding in his homeland. In March 1990 came to New York under the guidance of Hall of Fame rider Angel Cordero Jr. Ironically, was injured in the four-horse accident that ultimately ended Cordero’s riding career in January 1992 and put the Hall of Fame rider in line to take over the agent reins for Velazquez.     Other outstanding horses ridden over the years: Cetewayo, Sir Bear, Three Ring, Marley Vale, Circle of Life, Lodge Hill, Valor Lady, Smokin Mel, Capote Belle, Yanks Music, Ordway, Honour and Glory, Signal Tap, Perfect Arc and Irish Linnet.

OWNER - Robert V. LaPenta has been a frequent visitor to racing’s Triple Crown in recent years and appeared to be well-armed once again on the Run for the Roses, what with 2007 Eclipse Award-winning juvenile male War Pass and Fountain of Youth winner Cool Coal Man carrying his colors.     Unfortunately, War Pass, 2007’s Eclipse winner as the nation’s top juvenile, was sidelined with an injury prior to the Kentucky Derby, and Cool Coal Man could finish no better than 15th in the 20-horse field.     The owner now comes to the Preakness Stakes with his hopes pinned on Stevil, who finished fourth in Keeneland’s Grade I Blue Grass Stakes as the colt tired to make enough graded stakes money to fit into the Derby field.     LaPenta was born Aug. 20, 1945 in Yonkers, N.Y., and lives in Westport, Conn. His family includes his son, Robert Jr. LaPenta is a graduate of Iona College, where he earned a degree in accounting. In 2000, he received a Doctor of Humane Letters degree from his alma mater.     He is a member of the college’s board of trustees and has donated $7 million toward construction of the LaPenta Student Union Building.     LaPenta is chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer of L-1 Identity Solutions, a provider of solutions and services that protect personal identities and assets. The company is based in Stamford, Conn. He is the co-founder and former president and chief financial officer of L-3 Communications Corporation that provides intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems. Previously, he had served as a vice president of Lockheed Martin Corporation.     He was introduced to racing by his mother when he was a youngster. He became an owner for the first time as a partner with University of Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino in 1998. He created his own stable in 2001 when he bought eight yearlings for a total of $895,000 in the name of Whitehorse Stable.     LaPenta owns 42 horses, with 31 in training. In addition, he has five broodmares. Most of his horses are in training with Hall of Fame conditioner Nick Zito. His The Cliff’s Edge won the 2004 Blue Grass Stakes and was fifth in the Kentucky Derby and second in the Travers Stakes. The owner’s other Derby starter, Andromeda’s Hero, was eighth in the Churchill Downs classic in 2005 but came back to be second in the Belmont Stakes.     LaPenta’s C P West missed the 2007 Derby but was fourth in the Preakness Stakes and fifth in the Belmont. In addition, he finished second to Derby winner Street Sense in the Jim Dandy Stakes.     He has been active both as a buyer and a seller at a variety of Thoroughbred sales. He bought a son of Fusaichi Pegasus for $270,000 at the 2003 Saratoga yearling sale and sold him for $4.5 million at the Fasig-Tipton Calder sale in February 2004. He bought a Dixie Union colt for $160,000 as a weanling and sold him for $1.3 million at the 2004 Keeneland September yearling sale.

BREEDER - John E. Piehl II is the breeder of Stevil, bred in Kentucky.