Ahmed Zayat, Racing Fan, Pulling for Another Triple Crown

Justify goes for the Triple Crown Saturday at Belmont | Sarah K Andrew photo

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Nearly 1100 days have passed since American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) led every step of the way to end a streak of 37 years of near misses (and not-so-near misses) to become racing's first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed. That was 1978 and was the third sweep of the series in six years, following on from Secretariat in 1973 and Seattle Slew in 1977. Should 'TDN Rising Star' Justify (Scat Daddy) succeed in Saturday's 150th running of the GI Belmont S. to become the 13th to accomplish the feat–and first undefeated Triple Crown winner since Seattle Slew–you can count American Pharoah's owner and breeder Ahmed Zayat among those that will be rooting him home, even if that notion is counter-intuitive to some.

“It's funny. You're posing this question as if the fact that you have been blessed and chosen to be one of 12 [Triple Crown winners] before exclusively means that you would be rooting against somebody else,” Zayat said with a laugh. “I love horses and I want to see stars, I want to see special stars.”

He added, “Winning the Belmont is incredible on its own. Winning the Kentucky Derby or any of these elite races or any Classic is an unbelievable privilege for any owner, let alone if you're able to put it together and win a Triple Crown. It's something where if I care about the sport–which I do–and about stars, you want to see it happen more often than not.”

Given the futility over the course of the previous four decades and within the context of gut-wrenching losses by the Baffert-trained Silver Charm and Real Quiet and Smarty Jones with the Triple Crown literally yards away, the horse racing universe was mobilized in near unanimous support of American Pharoah. And the colt did not let his worldwide fan base down, galloping his rivals into the ground to become 'the one.' But Zayat eschews the notion that there is less buzz or electricity surrounding this Triple Crown attempt.

“I think people are really overthinking this,” he commented. “I don't see any less buzz about it. I think the media are excited about it, people who follow racing are excited and so is the general public–just look at the ratings NBC got for the Preakness. Therefore I don't think that trying to pass this off as not as exciting as Pharoah is legitimate. Just because you waited 37 years and now it's happening again after just three years, I don't really buy that, I don't feel it.

He continued, “We owned and bred American Pharoah and honestly, people loved his persona, even before he won the Triple Crown. If anything, maybe that is what's missing–getting to know the athlete the way they got to know American Pharoah. I do believe it might be a bit different because we were only six, my family and I, who were the direct owners of American Pharoah. If you look at the ownership of Justify, it's much broader. Maybe because there is no one face to the horse, but it was never about the Zayats or the Bafferts, it was always about American Pharoah. For those reasons, maybe the vibes are different. I don't really buy it, but I don't know.”

Nor does Zayat believe that another Triple Crown in relatively rapid succession would in any way diminish or otherwise tarnish what his colt achieved three years ago.

“Honestly, what I think American Pharoah did was restore hope,” he offered. “We had lost hope, it had been 37 years that people had been chasing the dream and then the dream became reality. I think that resonated with people. It becomes something of 'America's' horse and I think having another one like that would be good–good for the fans, good for the sport, good for everyone. For me, actually, I thought it would be hard for me to have another Triple Crown winner, but it makes me believe that I can do it again myself! It keeps the dream alive and well.”

If there is a shred of jealousy in Zayat, it isn't readily apparent.

“I am absolutely elated for Justify to get this done, just as a fan and as a member of this industry,” he said. “But also for selfish reasons. WinStar is a farm that has been very good to me and is very dear and close to my heart. Bob [Baffert] has been my trainer since day one, he has won me 21 Grade Is and a Triple Crown.

” I love him and I love his family, so I am really rooting for these great connections and from the bottom of my heart, I really want to see it happen.”

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