Zip Quik, who races for the
partnership of Flying Zee Kona Imperio & Schettine, brings a real story
into Sunday’s $65,000 Wolf Hill Stakes at five and a half furlongs on the turf.
Two years ago at this time,
Zip Quik held a special place as one of the leaders of the 2-year-old division.
The son of City Zip ran second in the Hollywood Juvenile Championship (G3), and
then second behind D’Funnybone in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special. After finishing
5 ½ lengths behind Lookin at Lucky in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity, he ran in
the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf on Nov. 7. And then he was gone for 17 months.
“He chipped his right knee in
the Breeders’ Cup race,” trainer Patrick Biancone said. “After the surgery, he
nearly foundered.
“He needed a lot of time to
recover, and the owners gave him that time. He was on Bill Schettine’s farm in Florida for many
months.”
Biancone got the colt ready
to race again early this spring, and Zip Quik returned on March 27 with a neck
victory in a turf sprint at Gulfstream.
“We weren’t expecting much in
that race,” Biancone said, “but he ran really well. Because he ran such a big
race off such a long layoff, we gave him a lot of time before his next race.”
Zip Quik’s most recent try
came on June 16 at Belmont, when he met a group of New York-breds in a turf
sprint, went off the 9-5 favorite and finished next-to-last.
“It was the first time he
ever vanned to a race,” Biancone said, “and perhaps that’s why he ran so bad.
He was anxious all day before the race.
“But he’s a very good horse,”
the trainer said, “and I expect him to run well.”