Bio for Brave Victory
Earnings: $110,533
Strengths: He finished third in the Peter Pan with a nice late run, suggesting he will appreciate more ground. That also gave him a recent race over the track, and he has a win at Belmont, having won his maiden here last September. He certainly has the right connections in his corner, as owner Robert LaPenta and trainer Nick Zito won this race last year with Da' Tara. Zito, who has sent out 20 Belmont starters, also won with longshot Birdstone in 2004.
Weaknesses: There has to be some question as to whether he is fast enough, as he earned a Beyer Speed Figure of only 89 in his latest, and that's not going to get it done on Saturday. That light figure was despite a nice setup behind a rapid pace, which he is not likely to get on Saturday, since there's not a whole lot of speed in the race. His running style suggests he may get better with longer distances, but the only two wins he has managed have come in sprints.
Strategy: His best Beyer Figures have come when he has been close to the pace, but those were at shorter distances. If he's too close to quick fractions on Saturday, he's going to have a tough time lasting. He may be best served taking back off the pace and making a late run, hoping the speed horses come back to him and the others struggle to get 12 furlongs. Value: It's hard to make a strong case for him just on numbers, but the reality is this: It's Zito at a price in the Belmont. On that basis alone he's worth including in exotics, at least.
ROBERT V. LaPENTA
Owner Robert V. LaPenta is trying for his second straight Belmont Stakes winner. He won last year’s Belmont Stakes with Da’ Tara; he also ran second in 2005 with Andromeda’s Hero and fifth in 2007 with C.P. West. Meadow Stable, with Riva Ridge in 1972 and 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat, is the most recent of 10 owners to win consecutive runnings of the Belmont Stakes. LaPenta, the Chairman, President and CEO of L-1 Identity Solutions, started as a horse owner in partnership with University of Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino in 1998. His silks are maroon and gold, the colors of his alma mater, Iona College.
NICK ZITO
Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005, Zito won his second Belmont Stakes in 2008 when Da’ Tara led wire to wire in the race that ended Big Brown’s Triple Crown bid. His first victory in the race came in 2004, also snapping a Triple Crown try by Smarty Jones, when Birdstone won before 120,139 fans. Zito is a two-time winner of the Kentucky Derby (Strike the Gold, 1991; Go for Gin, 1994) and also won the Preakness in 1996 with Louis Quatorze. Thirty Six Red helped establish Zito as a national presence in 1990 when he won the Wood Memorial. He trains for several high-profile clients including New York Yankees principal owner George Steinbrenner, basketball coach Rick Pitino and Marylou Whitney.
RAJIV MARAGH
Maragh, a native of Jamaica, was the second-leading jockey in New York in 2008 with 203 victories. He scored his first Grade 1 victory last year in the Ashland with Little Belle and this year his stakes victories include the Ruthless (Justwhistledixie), Apple Blossom (Seventh Street), Correction (Distorted Passion) and Broadway (Lights Off Annie). Born on July 9, 1985, he rode his first winner (Pricedale Kid) at Tampa Bay Downs on February 1, 2004.