Nick Zito in Perfect Position to Be Triple Crown Spoiler at 2015 Belmont Stakes

"Frammento" is Italian for "snippet, fragment, chip or sliver."

And if you’re a Triple Crown contender, as Bob Baffert’s American Pharoah is, it also is Nick Zito-ian for "be afraid, be very, very afraid."

Frammento, a three-year-old son of Midshipman, will be Zito’s 25th career Belmont Stakes starter and has been stabled up at Saratoga conditioning over the deep Oklahoma Training Track. He drilled four furlongs in 49.30 seconds beneath exercise rider Maxine Correa.

"He worked great," Zito said in a New York Racing Association release. "We're happy with it. He galloped out nicely. Everything went good. He has been developing nicely. I'm excited about going to the Belmont; it's nice to have another chance."

That’s a terrifying thought for anyone wishing to see a Triple Crown winner. Zito relishes the Belmont Stakes like no other and has a special knack for driving a stake through the heart of Triple Crown contenders.

Zito Crashes the Party

The year was 2004, and the Smarty Party kicked into high gear. Smarty Jones had won the Kentucky Derby over Zito’s Birdstone (among others).

Smarty Jones then had a smashing trip in the Preakness Stakes, and this “People’s Horse,” an undersized colt training out of Philadelphia Park, went to Belmont Park as the heavy favorite to win the race and the Triple Crown.

Whatever happened that June day—call it jockey's agenda or pilot error—Smarty Jones was gassed and losing ground down the stretch to the opportunistic Birdstone, who galloped right past the fatigued Smarty Jones for the most gut-wrenching loss at Belmont Park since at least Real Quiet in 1998—maybe even decades before that.

"I think this is my greatest win, obviously," Zito said, according to Dan Liebman of Blood-Horse. "The magnitude, because of what Smarty Jones brought to the table. This is very fulfilling for me after being second five times."

"I'm very sorry," Edgar Prado, Birdstone’s jockey, said, "but I had to do my job. This is just part of the business."

"We kept telling Prado to run second," owner Marylou Whitney said. "We all wanted Smarty Jones to win the Triple Crown. But this means a great deal to us, winning the Belmont with a homebred."

Zito had won the Derby and Preakness before, and this win in the Belmont completed the career Triple Crown for the Hall of Famer.

Zito has a way with long shots, and he’s never daunted, never intimidated, never bullied. He told me once, “If you don’t run, you can’t even lose,” meaning, of course, that you take your shots when you can because anything can happen.

Even if you’re up against a superhorse.

And, no, Smarty Jones wasn’t what you’d call a superhorse. That sobriquet rested solely on the shoulders of Big Brown—in 2008, when Zito struck again.

Zito Strikes Again

Big Brown won the Derby from Post 20, the first horse to do so in the starting-gate era. His trainer, Rick Dutrow Jr., elected Post 20. He felt so confident in Big Brown’s talent that he opted to tax his horse physically and gamble on his having more in the tank. It worked.

Big Brown won going away and came back two weeks later and romped in the Preakness Stakes. The Triple Crown was a “foregone conclusion.” Big Brown was that good.

Then it got hot on the day of the Belmont Stakes, and Big Brown stopped receiving his usual dose of steroids. He got stepped on by Guadalcanal, and he was eased turning for home.

And who was that? Who was that horse galloping out on a free rein? That was Da’Tara, a little-known son of Tiznow, going wire-to-wire. Zito walked down to the winner’s circle again, twice a spoiler of the Triple Crown.

“I salute Big Brown,” said Zito in Joe Drape’s New York Times story. “He’s still a champion. He wasn’t himself today, and we took advantage of it.”

And that’s the thing: Zito may not win the Belmont with Frammento, but his horse will be ready, so everybody else better be as well.

“We always have a good Belmont.”

Al Bello/Getty Images

Frammento drew into the Kentucky Derby after the scratch of Stanford. Frammento finished 11th in the Derby, which was just one spot worse than the highly touted Carpe Diem.

This colt makes 25 Belmont Stakes starters for Zito in a race he’s won twice and finished second seven times.

The son of Midshipman will be a long shot, and Zito wouldn’t have it any other way. Birdstone won at 36-1 odds, and Da’Tara won at odds of 38-1. Frammento will do his running late, and if you have any sense, you’ll be looking at this horse as they turn for home.

"We always have a good Belmont," Zito said in a New York Racing Association release. "Our horses always run good in the Belmont. That's what you hope happens. Hopefully, we'll be OK."

Zito speaks softly and carries a big horse, and that strikes fear into the consciousness of the connections of American Pharoah and for all of those wishing for an end to this historically long Triple Crown drought.

All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.