Zito gives Frammento’s longshot bid credibility

It is likely Frammento will be one of the longest shots on the board in the Belmont Stakes on June 6, when American Pharoah will attempt to become Thoroughbred racing’s 12th Triple Crown winner. But before you dismiss Frammento and his 1-for-8 record, just look who trains the chestnut son of Midshipman.

The Hall of Fame conditioner Nick Zito has worked his magic before in the Belmont Stakes, winning the race twice, with Birdstone at 36-1 in 2004 and Da’ Tara at 38-1 in 2008. Both years, a horse was attempting to win the Triple Crown.

Moreover, Zito has finished second in the Belmont an amazing seven times and has two thirds, with Royal Assault at 27-1 and Anak Nakal at 34-1.

After a four-year absence from the third leg of the Triple Crown, Zito is back in the Belmont with Frammento, who comes off an 11th-place finish in the Kentucky Derby as the longest shot in the 18-horse field at 69-1. He is eligible for a first-level allowance race or even the $150,000 Easy Goer Stakes on the Belmont undercard.

“That’s for fancy guys and their win percentages,” Zito said of those options. “I’m not fancy.”

On an otherwise quiet Saturday morning on the Belmont Stakes front, Frammento worked at Saratoga. He was timed by clocker David Norton going a half-mile in 49.30 seconds with a first quarter of 24.60 seconds and a second quarter of 24.70. He galloped out five furlongs in 1:03.99, and Zito had him out in six furlongs in 1:16 and change.

“The track is heavy as can be,” Zito said from Saratoga. “It was like what I did with Birdstone.”

Birdstone was a Grade 1 winner at 2 and he finished eighth in the Kentucky Derby.

Frammento won a maiden race in his second start, a 1 1/16-mile race at Keeneland last Oct. 4. After two losses in allowance company, Frammento competed in four stakes, finishing third in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth and fourth in the Blue Grass, earning him enough points to get into the Kentucky Derby.

In the Derby, Frammento broke from the outside post under Corey Nakatani. He was wide throughout, and in the stretch he took a pretty hard bump from Keen Ice, who went on to finish seventh.

“The one thing I was impressed about was he got slammed pretty good and he got knocked off stride, but Frammento kept running,” Zito said. “He could have chucked it. I was pretty happy with that.”

Zito, who is removing blinkers from Frammento’s equipment, said it is a combination of his own past success in the Belmont and his belief that Frammento can handle the 1 1/2 miles that is making him continue down the Triple Crown trail.

“Anytime you have a horse that you think can get the trip, you’re going to take it,” Zito said. “Obviously, you need the horse that has the quality and the class, which I think he does. I think he’s got the class, and a mile and a half will help him. I’m happy to have a chance.”

Zito will take that chance with fellow Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith, who won the Belmont in 2010 with Drosselmeyer and 2013 with Palace Malice, both 13-1 longshots.

◗ Mubtaahij, who finished eighth in the Kentucky Derby, had a strong gallop over the Belmont main track Saturday morning, three days after he breezed a sharp half-mile over the dirt and a day before he was to breeze again.

Though he came through the stretch on his incorrect lead, Mubtaahij did gallop at better than a two-minute clip, galloping seven-eighths in 1:40.59.

It was announced earlier this week by trainer Michael de Kock that Irad Ortiz Jr., the leading rider on this circuit, would ride Mubtaahij in the Belmont.

– additional reporting by Mike Welsch