Nick Zito is a Hall of Fame trainer who has won the Kentucky Derby (twice), Preakness Stakes (once) and Belmont Stakes (twice). He has been coming to Saratoga since–“we can't count that high,” Zito says–well, for a long, time. The glory days might be behind him, but he'll never give in. He'll still look for the big horse. Zito trains his modest stable in a beautiful barn down the street from the main backstretch, refurbished by clients Tom and Kathy Carney. Nick sat down with Tim Wilkin to talk about life, the past the future and, of course, the origin of his catch phrase, 'Right or wrong?' Here is the Saratoga conversation.TDN: How many times have you said, 'right or wrong?' today?Nick Zito: A bunch of times, a whole bunch of times.TDN: Where did that come from?NZ: I have been saying it forever. I remember Abraham Lincoln quoted it once. There was a movie about Lincoln–there were a lot of movies about Lincoln–and he was trying a case and there was a woman who had two sons. They were going to hang one of them and she said, 'My sons didn't do it.' Abraham Lincoln won the case through an almanac, which gave details aboutthe weather which proved they were innocent. An old-time lawyer, a codger lawyer, who was going against Abraham Lincoln in the case, said he obviously did not know the law. The great Abraham Lincoln said, 'Counselor, I don't know the law like you, but I do know right and wrong.'TDN: So, that's where it came from. Honest Abe. People equate Nick Zito with that line, 'Right or wrong?'NZ: One hundred percent. It just kind of stayed with me. I kept saying it. Right or wrong? Right or wrong? Right or wrong? Everyone keeps saying it.TDN: In your career right now, are you happy where you are? (he is 0-40 this year)?NZ: I love the game. Am I happy with my career? Do I wish you could find Citation and bring him in the barn? Yeah. But I got a couple 2-year-olds that are going to be ready down the road. I am still in the game. You've got to have live horses. My son said to me, 'Dad, unless you are single digits (odds), you better think of something!'TDN: You go back to the 1990s and the faces of the sport in the training ranks were Bob Baffert, D. Wayne Lukas and Nick Zito. You must miss those days?NZ: I do. You have to create a brand. Lukas created a brand, Baffert created a brand, I know Nick Zito created a brand. They still know 'right or wrong?'TDN: Do you miss being in the Triple Crown (his last starter was Frammento, who was fifth in the 2015 Belmont Stakes)?NZ: One billion percent. You know what? I see a lot of trainers, and I feel bad for them. They should enjoy the Triple Crown, but instead they are nervous as hell. I was nervous, too. Joe Hirsch always told me, 'Remember, this ain't combat.' Press people would be walking up to talk to trainers and they would get (nervous) and he told me that many times. And I was like, 'duh. He's right.' Big deal. I miss it. It was easy for me, dealing with the media. It would be great to be back.TDN: You embraced the Triple Crown, right?NZ: I did. Thank you for that. To get back to it would be a blessing.TDN: You walk through the crowd here and everyone knows you. A lot of people stop you. You always said, 'no one is bigger than the game.' You always give time to people who want to talk with you, don't you?NZ: Yes. When I was growing up, they would have a $5 (betting) window, $10 window, $50 window and these tough guys I knew would all go there. And then, to the right, were all the $2 windows. These tough guys always told me to never be disrespectful to the $2 bettor because without the $2 bettor, there is no $50 window. I never forgot that. Whenever I see a fan, I am going to give them time, no matter who they are. I think that has helped me as a person and it helps the brand.TDN: You have had big horses come into your barn during your career. You still have the optimism that will happen again.NZ: You have to. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe in the fall. We'll see. I have a horse called Big Time Tommy by Jackie's Warrior and I really like him. He just needs time. I have 2-year-olds that were breezing and I had to stop. Two-year-old interruptions. But they could be good. I have three 2-year-olds right now. I need more.TDN: How many do you have, total?NZ: Right now, I have 11. But we're in the game. We will get more.TDN: Even though you don't have the success that you once had, you still have the optimism that it's going to come back.NZ: You know why? This is probably the only game played outdoors where a guy can get up, hit the home run and the next year, his $147,000 contract could be $2 million. It's the same with the horse. That horse hits the home run; you could get back in the game easy.TDN: So, you never thought about getting out.NZ: (the late jockey agent) Lenny Goodman had a great line. He said, 'Nick, I want you to do me a favor.' This was when I was a groom, I think. I go way back with these stories, right? (smiles). He said to me, 'just keep quiet, do what you're doing and stay out of trouble because I don't think you could be a good bartender!' (laughs). What else are you gonna do? That's what he meant. No offense to bartenders. Some of them are my best friends. At the end of the day, he's right.TDN: You still get up in the morning and love coming here.NZ: Yeah. I get up at 5. I am here all day long. That is what I cherish about the racetrack. A reporter got me angry one time–not many do because I get along good with all of them–because he told me he could not find me. I said, 'What was I doing? Playing hide and seek?' I am either at the races or at the barn. He could not find me. That wasn't right. He didn't want a quote from me!TDN: You have five empty stalls in your barn. You can put five horses from history in there, but none of your own. Who will they be?NZ: It's boring, but it's a fact, you have to put Secretariat in. He is moving like a tremendous machine! You'll never see a horse go faster the last part of a race going a mile and a half (Belmont Stakes) than Secretariat. You'll never see that. Exceptional. Citation. I was not around for him, but I've seen the tapes. A tremendous animal. Spectacular Bid, I would put in there. I would put Seattle Slew in there. And Kelso for sure. Five-time Horse of the Year. I tell you what. I am going to throw people a curve. I would love to see a sound Ruffian run. And Zenyatta. Have to put the fillies in.Nick Zito and Katie Davis in Saratoga paddock | Sarah AndrewTDN: Nick, we are at seven. You only get five.NZ: I'm breaking the rules today. (laughs).TDN: There is a movie being made about your life and you can pick the actor to play you. Who you got?NZ: A lot of people like Richard Gere, but I don't know if that's me. He is a pretty cool guy. Maybe Ed Harris. When he had hair. Kevin Costner. That would be great. Maybe one of them.TDN: If you could have dinner with three people, living or dead, who would they be?NZ: What a question! I never met him, but I am a little bit of a history buff. I would say Booker T. Washington. I liked his quotes and one of them is, “one doesn't measure one's success. One measures how many obstacles he or she has overcome.' I like that. I would probably enjoy the average guy. I like to meet people and some of them are very interesting. Two average Joes and Booker T. Washington. That's it.TDN: Favorite horse you ever trained.NZ: I could get in trouble. There are a bunch of them. I can't pick one horse. There are so many that I got close to. Strike the Gold, my first Derby horse. Thirty Six Red got me on the map. Commentator. Dialed In. Birdstone. Bird Town. War Pass. Ice Box. Louis Quatorze. Go for Gin.TDN: How about this. You are in a big race, and you can pick one jockey from all time to ride.NZ: That is a great question. You've got tough questions. One rider? To have a safe bet, in his prime, I would say Gary Stevens. There are so many good ones. Bill Hartack. Chris Antley. (Laffit) Pincay. (Jerry) Bailey. (Angel) Cordero! There are so many.TDN: Favorite racetrack.NZ: I love them all. I love Churchill Downs, I love Keeneland. But Saratoga stands on its own. You need good people running it, but anyone can run Saratoga. Sorry.TDN: Do you watch much TV?NZ: I'll tell you what I watch. You'll crack up. I watch news, which I don't even want to watch anymore. I watch one show that I am addicted to. “Gunsmoke.”TDN: Wow.NZ: One thing about racing. You can meet all kinds of people. I will leave you with this one: Tell me if you can name any trainer that has met three presidents of the United States. I have. First one was George Bush, Sr. at Keeneland. He came to the paddock with Mattress Mack–Jim McIngvale–and he said, 'I know this guy.' The second one was Bill Clinton. I knew his mom (Virginia Kelley). The third one; in 1999 I had a horse named Stephen Got Even. Shane Sellers rode him. Guy comes in the paddock and he was friends with the owner, Stephen Hilbert, and he says, 'you are the greatest.' It was Donald Trump.TDN: You've met a lot of famous people.NZ: I have. I met Joe DiMaggio. Tommy Lasorda. Billy Martin. I worked for George Steinbrenner for a long time. I loved George. I got a World Series ring.TDN: Really? He gave you one?NZ: Yes, he did. 1996 World Series ring. I got it. Give Jessica Steinbrenner (his daughter) a call. She'll tell you. Ask her who her dad's favorite trainer was. She'll tell you. NPZ. Right or wrong?The post The Saratoga Conversation: Nick Zito appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.