[OLD HEAD]

Anak Nahal


Trainer: Nick Zito

Zito, a New York City native, started in racing as a teenager as a hotwalker and groom for trainer Buddy Jacobson. He later worked as an assistant to trainers LeRoy Jolley and John Campo. He saddled his first winner in 1972 and is one of only 17 trainers in history to saddle two or more Kentucky Derby winners (Strike The Gold and Go For Gin), as well as the 2003 Kentucky Oaks winner Bird Town. Zito saddled 2005 Kentucky Derby favorite Bellamy Road to a seventh place finish. This year his stable is stocked full of Derby contenders including War Pass, Anak Nakal, Cool Coal Man, Paint, Stevil and Web Gem.

Jockey: Julien Leparoux

Leparoux was born on July 15, 1983 in Senlis, France. He moved to Southern California in 2003, to work as an exercise rider for trainer Patrick Biancone, a fellow French native. He began riding at Saratoga in 2005 and was quick to make an impact on the racing scene. Leparoux had a breakout year in 2006 which culminated in an Eclipse Award as outstanding apprentice jockey; his accolades in '06 included two record breaking meets at Turfway Park, meet leading titles at Churchill Downs and Keeneland Race Course, 403 wins and $12,491,316 in earnings for the year, as well as his first stakes win (in February) and first Grade 1 win (in August). The gravy train did not stop in 2007 as Leparoux picked up meet titles at Turfway Park, Keeneland, and Churchill Downs' spring and fall meets; he also won his first Breeders' Cup race in the Juvenile Turf with Nownownow. Leparoux contested his first Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks in 2007 and was unplaced in each event.

Owner: Four Roses Thoroughbreds LLC

Kassem Masri raced under the name Three Roses Thoroughbreds prior to acquiring the assets of Buckram Oak in a private transaction following Fustok’s death in February 2006 … Top horse raced by Three Roses was Last Song, winner of the 2004 G2 Bonnie Miss Stakes at Gulfstream … Three Roses owned about 17 horses prior to Masri’s acquiring Buckram Oak’s assets and renaming the company Four Roses Thoroughbreds … Now owns more than 100 horses, including about 40 in training and about 28 horses at the farm … A 200-acre facility named Four Roses Training Center in Citra, Fla., and about 45 broodmares based in Kentucky under the supervision of Four Roses Kentucky manager Hanzly Albina. The broodmare band includes most of Buckram Oak’s top producers, including Russian Tango, the dam of graded winner Eurosilver … The majority of the broodmares were dispersed at Keeneland in November 2006 ... Most of his horses in training are based with Nick Zito, Richard Dutrow and Helen Pitts, although Four Roses uses Tom Albertrani and Larry Pilotti as well …Top horses in 2007 have been Silver Wagon and Diamond Stripes ... Silver Wagon won the G2 General George Breeders' Cup Handicap and the G1 Carter Handicap prior to finishing sixth in the G1 Met Mile, his final career start. Silver Wagon was offered as a stallion prospect at the 2007 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November breeding stock sale, but he was listed as reserve not attained on final bid of $1 million. The multiple Grade 1 winner and millionaire will stand at Hurricane Hall in Lexington for $5,000 during the 2008 breeding season ... Diamond Stripes, a Classic contender, stamped his ticket to Monmouth with a breakthrough performance in the G2 Meadowlands Cup on Oct. 5. In his previous two races, he had finished third in the G1 Whitney and G1 Woodward at Saratoga ... Diamond Stripes, the first Breeders' Cup starter for Four Roses Thoroughbreds, finished eighth in the Classic ... Through Dec. 31, 2007, the stable was ranked 13th in North America with earnings of $2,969,978. In 2007, their runners won 46 of 255 starts.

Breeder: Buckram Oak Farm

Buckram Oak Farm was owned by Mahmoud Fustok, who died after being struck by an automobile during a jog. His affiliation with thoroughbred racing began in Chicago during his college years; he had horse operations in Saudi Arabia prior to that. Notable horses to race in the Buckram Oak colors include Eurosilver, Last Song, Mint, Silver Train and Silver Wagon. Buckram Oak was sold in 2005 to Jess Jackson and renamed Stonestreet Farm.


Finish.... Date.... Race

5th 04.5.2008 Wood Memorial (GI) - Aqueduct
Well back early, passed tiring foes late, even effort

7th 03.15.2008 Rebel Stakes (GII) - Oaklawn Park
Failed to fire

8th 02.24.2008 Fountain Of Youth (GII) - Gulfstream Park

1st 11.24.2007 Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) - Churchill Downs
Determined stretch run

2nd 10.27.2007 Nashua (GIII) - Aqueduct
Clearly second best

1st 09.27.2007 Maiden Special Weight - Belmont Park
Rallied outside, got up late