MANHATTAN MOMENT

By Tom Williams | June 10, 2011 at 12:10a.m.

Zoldan, Team Valor bask in Belmont spotlight

YOUNGSTOWN

As chief executive officer of the B.J. Alan Fireworks Company, Canfield’s Bruce Zoldan had hopes that some day he might be invited to a stock market opening as guest of honor.

“As a businessman, I thought that one day, perhaps close to the Fourth of July, my company might be invited,” Zoldan said Thursday in a telephone interview from New York City.

But instead of his business earning him an invitation, it was his hobby of owning racehorses that delivered “a dream experience.”

As a longtime partner in Team Valor, the horse racing syndicate that owns Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom, Zoldan was part of the group that was at NASDAQ in Times Square on Thursday morning to participate in the ceremonial ringing of the opening bell.

“Being in business my whole life and as someone who has followed the stock market, it was a very, very rewarding experience,” Zoldan said.

Animal Kingdom, which finished second at the Preakness Stakes on May 21 in Baltimore, is the 2-1 favorite to win Saturday’s 143rd Belmont Stakes, the third leg of racing’s Triple Crown.

“In many ways, it’s great,” said Zoldan of Animal Kingdom’s favorite status. ”The best handicappers calculate all the stats and determine who they think will win.

“But you always have longshots — we were a longshot at the Kentucky Derby,” Zoldan said of the 20-1 upset winner on May 7 at Churchill Downs. “For a lot of reasons, they feel that Animal Kingdom is a great horse.”

A veteran of two dozen Kentucky Derbies and a handful of Preakness Stakes, Zoldan will be attending his first Belmont Stakes race.

“The Belmont conflicts with the fireworks business,” said Zoldan, referring to the upcoming Independence Day holiday.

Thursday’s extreme temperatures canceled racing at Belmont Park. Cooler temperatures in the 70s are expected on Saturday.

At the NASDAQ headquarters, Zoldan was among members of the New York Racing Association surrounding Team Valor founder Barry Irwin who pushed the button to ring the opening bell.

“It all happens very quickly,” said Zoldan of the ceremony. “There’s a bunch of us surrounding Barry and we were clapping during the countdown.

“I’ve been to many Super Bowls, the NCAA basketball championships, NBA finals and World Series games, and they are all very, very special in their ways,” Zoldan said. “But there’s been nothing like this in my life.

“The Kentucky Derby win is a gift of a lifetime,” Zoldan said. “Someone said the other day that Animal Kingdom is a gift that keeps giving, every day there has been something new rewarding us.”

In the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, Animal Kingdom started slowly then came on strong down the homestretch. The extra distance of the Belmont Stakes (a mile and a half) favors Amimal Kingdom’s style.

“We have a special horse no matter what happens on Saturday,” Zoldan said. “He had a legitimate chance to be Triple Crown winner.”

Zoldan’s sons Alex and Ron will join him for Saturday’s festivities. For now, they are busy.

“Somebody has to work the fireworks business,” Zoldan said.