Zito anticipates end for another streak

He’s running his undefeated colt War Pass in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

NEW YORK (AP) — Now that one losing streak is over, Nick Zito is looking to end another in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile with his undefeated colt War Pass.

The Hall of Fame trainer took great joy in watching War Pass win the Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park a few weeks ago, a victory that ended a two-year run of 18 second- or third-place finishes in Grade 1 races.

“Winning that race really took a load off my back,” Zito said. “We’ve been close for so long, so it’s satisfying to get back to the deal again.”

He’d like to do the same in the Juvenile, where he’s 0-for-9 with an overall Breeders’ Cup record of 1-for-29. His lone win came in the 1996 Juveniles Fillies with Storm Song.

In War Pass, Zito has one very fast 2-year-old colt, a son of 1994 BC Sprint winner Cherokee Run who easily won his first two starts at Saratoga before a gate-to-wire victory in the Champagne on Oct. 6.

“He’s been training super,” Zito said. “There are a lot of talented horses in the race, and we’re fortunate to have one of them.”

A full field of 14 is expected for the 1 1-16-mile Juvenile when post positions are drawn today for the 11-race, $23 million Breeders’ Cup to be run over two days at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J. The $2 million Juvenile is Saturday.

Wicked Style also comes into the race unbeaten after upping his mark to 3-for-3 with a victory in the Lane’s End Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland Oct. 6.

“He hasn’t done anything wrong since I got him in mid-April,” Wicked Style trainer Rusty Arnold said.

Not only is the 2-year-old championship on the line, but the Juvenile winner also inherits the role as early favorite for the Kentucky Derby.

Wicked Style, a chestnut son of 2000 Juvenile winner Macho Uno, will be Arnold’s first Breeders’ Cup starter since 1999 and just his fifth overall. He says War Pass is the horse to beat, perhaps since Wicked Style will be running on dirt for the first time.

Another top contender is Tale of Ekati, who won the Belmont Futurity Sept. 15 over Juvenile pre-entry Kodiak Kowboy. The colt trained by Barclay Tagg has won two of three starts, his only loss a runner-up finish in the Sanford after banging into the starting gate.

Dixie Chatter comes into the Juvenile off a winning effort in the Norfolk Stakes at Santa Anita Sept. 3.