NYRA/Chelsea Durand
Thomas Coleman’s 5-year-old homebred Zivo (True Direction) captured his first stakes victory in dramatic style Sunday, charging late down the middle of the track to nail a game Saratoga Snacks at the wire in Aqueduct’s $75,000 one-mile Whodam Stakes for older New York-breds.
In career form for trainer Chad Brown, Zivo came into the Whodam a head shy of three consecutive victories dating back to last October. Two starts back in the Move It Now Stakes, he just lost to multiple stakes winner Awesome Vision, one of several formidable rivals in the Whodam field.
Breaking from post two under jockey Jose Ortiz, Zivo was content to race eight lengths off the pace and last of seven through the first half-mile (48.11), while Modern Child led the way tracked intently by Comandante. Saratoga Snacks, the race favorite, pursued three-wide a close-up third.
Still last entering the far turn Zivo began to loop the field, while Comandante took over the lead and Saratoga Snacks moved into second.
Saratoga Snacks outgamed Comandante in the stretch emerging with a clear lead, but Zivo came charging down the center of the track and just got up in the shadow of the wire to win by a head. Saratoga Snacks finished 1 3/4 lengths clear of a rallying Awesome Vision. Completing the order of finish were Moneyinyour Pocket and This Hard Land, followed by pacesetters Comandante and Modern Child. After three-quarters of a mile in 1:11.98, the final time for a mile over the fast Aqueduct inner track was 1:37.10.
Zivo’s first stakes victory in the Whodam and fifth win in his 11-race career brings his earnings to $290,100.
A maiden-breaker at Belmont third time out on June 15, 2012, Zivo followed up with a victory in his next start an entry-level state-bred allowance and a runner-up finish to runaway winner Willy Beamin in his stakes debut in the Albany, both at Saratoga in August 2012.
After spending the next 12 months on the bench and finishing third in both of his return efforts in August and September of 2013, Zivo cleared his N2X state-bred condition at Belmont on October 17. In three starts since he has been formidable, missing winning the Move It Now Stakes by a nose and winning an open first level allowance last out on December 14 with a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 93, and winning the Whodam.
Zivo is one of three winners from three starters, and the first black type winner out of American Skipper, a three-time winner by Quiet American bred in Kentucky by Brereton C. Jones and campaigned by Stronach Stables ($202,211).
Foaled at Keane Stud in Amenia, Zivo is the first of two registered New York-bred foals by his dam, who also produced the winning 4-year-old Officer filly Clean Eleven. American Skipper has a 2-year-old filly by Northern Afleet, a yearling colt by Birdstone and was bred to Eskendereya in 2013.
