New York – The gleaming Triple Crown Trophy that went unclaimed for nearly four decades was in the firm grasp of American Pharoah’s owner, Ahmed Zayat.
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“This is for the sport,” he proclaimed after his brilliant colt won the Belmont Stakes on Saturday. “Thirty-seven years! This is for all of you.”
And then he turned and handed off the three-sided trophy created by Cartier to his trainer, Bob Baffert, who then gave it to jockey Victor Espinoza.
Like the rest of the racing world, Zayat has dreamed of being part of a Triple Crown. Now he owns the 12th horse to sweep the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont, and the first since Affirmed in 1978.
The 52-year-old entrepreneur from Egypt, who lives in Teaneck, New Jersey, has known all along he had a champion in American Pharoah. All that was needed was a clear path to the finish line.
He got it in the Belmont.
Zayat entered the racing business only 10 years ago. He’s had many tough losses, including three seconds in the Derby, with Pioneerof the Nile, Nehro and Bodemeister.
“I don’t think it’s sunk in yet,” Zayat said.
“I have been extremely confident all week. I looked at my wife in the post parade and I told her get ready to be the owner of the 12th Triple Crown winner. He looked unbelievable: focused, relaxed, full of energy.”
Zayat, wearing a sponsor cap with his suit, sat at the dais with Espinoza waiting for Baffert to arrive at the post-race news conference. He stared at a replay loop of the race on a TV behind him. How much did he win by, he asked.
Someone said 5 1/2 lengths. His jaw dropped. It was that kind of day for him, his family and roaring crowd of 90,000 at Belmont Park. Since Affirmed’s sweep, there had been 12 attempts to complete a Triple Crown. All failed, until lucky No. 13.
“He (American Pharoah) does everything so easy. … He moves like a Ferrari,” said Zayat, who sold the breeding rights to his horse after the Preakness to Coolmore’s Ashford Stud in a deal that might now be worth $30 million — or more. “We all wanted it. We wanted it for the sport.”
Zayat and his family, who are Orthodox Jews, and friends spent the night before the race in four large RVs, and then walked to the track. Throughout the Triple Crown, he has exuded confidence his son of Pioneerof the Nile was the best of his generation.
He grew up in Cairo, the son of well-off parents. After attending college in the United States, he eventually set out on his own. He managed New York City skyscrapers, bought a beverage business and then came his first love, horses. He currently owns 144 horses. He also breeds and sells horses, and nearly sold American Pharoah last year, but bought him back at auction for $300,000 because the bidding was not going as high as he thought it would.
Good move.
Now that his horse has won the Triple Crown and joined a most exclusive club, what’s next for American Pharoah? Zayat would not give a definitive answer.
“We need to enjoy our stars and race them as long as we possibly could,” Zayat said. “He most probably will retire at the end of this year.”
eileh barechev veileh basusim vanachnu bsheim hashem.
Oh, well, he walked to the race from his RV. that’s OK then.
Someone should sit down with him and teach SIMPLE halocha. Start with the d’oraysas and then the d’rabanan. EVEN BY THE SEPHARDIC.
Let’s not get all excited here that the owners are sh’shab.
Limud zchus
Mr Zayat doesnt own the horse personally but through a corporate entity of some sort, and thus he got a heter for it to race on Shabbos as its not his personally technically, like owning stocks of companys that do business on Shabbos. He likely didnt personally place a wager on Shabbos race but his corporation may have or he made his money differently. Being at the race was maybe an issue of oovdah d’chol. From what I saw he did speak into the microphone which likely he had a heter for as well.
very well said ”mrs boro parker”
Wouldn’t hiring a jockey to ride a horse on Shabbos be amira l’akum ?( its forbidden to ride a horse on Shabbos see Beitza 36b.)
What kind of Jew would go by one of the most contemptible names in existence – Ahmed! If he indeed want to regarded a respectable Yid, he should change his name at once!
I assume he and his wife maintain a STABLE relationship.
The halacha states that animals belonging to a Jew are supposed to rest on the Shabbat.
Any animal belonging to a Jew is supposed to rest on the Shabbat.
If he uses a significant amount of his winnings, to feed the hungry, help the sick, pay tuition for the poor, and do other good things with, rather than buy more condos and luxury cars and such, than we can overlook certain things, otherwise, it’s all for vain.
Why is everyone getting bent out of shape. He appears on TV on shabbos not wearing a yarmulkah (BH) celebrating his horse winning and he making lots of money. What do you expect from the MO?
I’m going to go to the same Rabbi’s who gave this man a heter and ask if I can work on Shabbos too. But I won’t be able to give a donation so they’ll say no.
Let’s be honest about these things and not twist things around so that bad is good. He got permission because he is rich and gives money. Period. I’m not saying he’s bad; if I had that kind of power maybe I’d do the same thing. Probably not, but maybe. Once I wanted to go to a workshop that spanned a whole weekend. I could have stayed in the hotel where the workshop was and just walk to the workshop. On my own, without asking any Rabbi’s I decided that would not be the right thing to do, even though I wouldn’t be doing anything other than listening. But I have learned from this that it is indeed okay to go to a workshop on Shabbos and just listen. So from now on that is what I’ll do.
Rabbis have the responsibility to say no to everyone when it comes to the laws of Shabbos-not just the poor.
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It is not our place to judge or pasken. Stop with the negative comments.
When Zayat was in Baltimore at Pimlico Racetrack, he had minyanim and served kosher food on Shabbos.
Also, by the way, he is a graduate of Yeshiva University.
Regarding shevisas behemto, not sure what melacha the animal is doing… he’s not carrying because it’s in an enclosed area.
Regarding the corporate entity and divesting himself etc, I think it might be problematic due to a Chassam Sofer that says selling your factory for a shabbos doesn’t work if it’s well known that the factory is yours….