Zito still formulating plans for Dialed In

Now that Dialed In's campaign got started a little later on January 30, he

might end up skipping the Fountain of Youth.

"It'll be a little tricky," Zito observed. "When you bring a horse back 26

days, 27 days, there's going to be a lot of second-guessers.

"There's not much secret: you either run in an overnight stake race and wait

for the Florida Derby, or just go into the Florida Derby, which is highly

unusual because you have to have a two-turn race. So it's going to be quite

interesting."

Dialed In has yet to try two turns, having broken his maiden in a 6

1/2-furlong sprint prior to his conquest of the Holy Bull around a one-turn

mile.

Zito's primary concern is preparing Dialed In for a peak performance in the

May 7 Kentucky Derby, which will be a major challenge if his colt doesn't have a

prep race for the Florida Derby. The two-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer

would prefer not to bring Dialed In to the Derby with just three races under his

belt.

"I learned a long time ago to never say 'never.' Things are always meant to

change. With the cards you get, you either throw them down or you play. I like

to play the game. I don't like to be on the sidelines."

Zito loves his hand after watching Dialed In close from a distant last in a

nine-horse field to capture the Holy Bull going away by 1 1/2 lengths while

dominating a Grade 3 race in only his second lifetime start.

"Don't ask me how he could win that race -- come back into the Holy Bull and

show the performance he did was beyond belief," said Zito, whose colt broke his

maiden at Churchill Downs last November despite enduring an eventful trip.

"I've got to thank the fans who bet on him. I couldn't believe he was almost

the favorite (5-2 second choice). It was a great, great performance."

Zito, who saddled Strike the Gold (1991) and Go for Gin (1994) for victories

in the Kentucky Derby, is as amazed as everyone else at Dialed In's fast-track

development.

"War Pass was a special horse, but he went through his (conditions)," said

Zito, referring to his 2007 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) winner and Eclipse Award

champion.

"This is very unusual, because you break your maiden in November and come

back almost three months in a race like that and to run the way he ran is quite

remarkable.

"We thank God for a special horse."