Ron Mitchell
Two of the five horses trainer Nick Zito is pointing toward the May 7 Kentucky Derby (gr. I) worked Thursday and the conditioner was pleased with how both 3-year-olds did.Before the maintenance break, Tracy Farmer's Tampa Bay Derby (gr. III) winner Sun King went five furlongs in 1:00, working in company with Indy Storm and Chief Commander. After the break, Robert LaPenta's Sam F. Davis Stakes winner Andromeda's Hero drilled five furlongs in 1:01 4/5."I thought he went very, very well," Zito said of Sun King, a son of Charismatic who has won three of seven lifetime starts. "The track was not fast. It was a little heavier earlier so that was a pretty good work."The time was second-fastest of 35 horses working the distance Thursday.Zito said he worked Sun King in company with two stablemates because "sometimes you work a horse psychologically. What we're trying to do is psychologically get into his head. You know, it's a mental thing."The trainer said the colt appeared "mad" following a fourth-place finish in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I). "Sometimes things don't go your way and it certainly wasn't Sun King's fault," Zito said of the Blue Grass outcome. "We always thought he was mad after the Blue Grass. For instance, he was attacking his hay, just grabbing his hay, like he was so mad..."
Of Andromeda's Hero, Zito said the Fusaichi Pegasus colt "worked extremely well because all I wanted was the last part. He's a horse that looks like he's getting better. He's a horse that definitely looks like he can get the trip..."