Bailey, Hayward, Zito Guests at Saratoga Preview Forum

Newly elected Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito, multiple Eclipse Award-winning jockey Jerry Bailey, and New York Racing Association president and CEO Charles E. Hayward will be panel guests at the July 25 "Saratoga Preview" program at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.

Free and open to the public, the program will begin at 7 p.m. in the Hall of Fame gallery. The roundtable discussion will include a review of the 2004 season and also look ahead to the 2005 meeting at historic Saratoga Race Course.

Nick Kling, a racing journalist and handicapper based in the Capital Region and a museum panel regular, is also scheduled to participate. The forum will be driven by questions from the audience. Mike Kane, communications officer at the museum, will moderate.

Zito's two Kentucky Derby (gr. I) victories are part of a distinguished career as a head trainer that began in 1972. Last summer at Saratoga the conditioner took the Travers Stakes (gr. I) with Birdstone and unveiled many of the young horses that would emerge as the stars of his powerful stable.

Zito was elected to the Hall of Fame this year and will be formally inducted during a ceremony Aug. 8.

Bailey is widely known as one of the most talented and successful jockeys in American racing history. Elected into the Hall of Fame in 1995, the seven-time Eclipse Award-winner leads all riders in the history of the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships with 13 victories.

Bailey has won the Breeders' Cup Classic -- Powered by Dodge (gr. I) four times, the Dubai World Cup (UAE-I) four times, and each of the Triple Crown races. The native Texan was the first rider to surpass $20 million in purse winnings in a single year.

Bailey has been a shining star at Saratoga Race Course for two decades. On Aug. 6, 2004 he notched his 641st victory at Saratoga to move past Angel Cordero as the winningest jockey in the track's illustrious history. Bailey's autobiography, "Against the Odds: Riding For My Life," was published this year.

Bailey will also appear at the Museum for book signings on July 27 and Aug. 27 from 10:00 a.m. to noon.

Hayward was named NYRA's president and CEO in November 2004. He is a former trustee of the association and prior to his NYRA posts, had a long career in the publishing business, including time as the publisher of the Daily Racing Form.