Posted on 06/06/2015 8:56:12 PM PDT by EinNYC
ELMONT, New York - American Pharoah entered the pantheon of US thoroughbred racing's all-time greats by winning the Belmont Stakes on Saturday to become the first horse to capture the coveted Triple Crown in nearly four decades.
In winning his seventh straight race, American Pharoah becomes the 12th horse to sweep the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes and the first since Affirmed in 1978.
According to JTA, a win was a triumphant stand for Ahmed Zayat, an Orthodox Jew from Egypt who has become one of the biggest forces in horse racing but has mostly tasted bitter defeat in recent years.
Before American Pharoah’s victories last month, Zayat had watched horses he owned finish second in the Kentucky Derby three out of the last four years. In 2012, horses owned by Zayat finished second in each of the three Triple Crown races – the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes.
In his history-making attempt, American Pharoah may have some Jewish luck in his favor. Jockey Victor Espinoza, who is not Jewish, visited the Lubavitcher rebbe’s grave on Thursday in Cambria Heights, New York, in the borough of Queens, where he prayed and presumably asked for good luck.
Ahmed Zayat grew up in a wealthy suburb of Cairo, where his father was Egyptian President Anwar Sadat’s doctor.
As a young teenager, Zayat won the under-12 and under-14 national show jumping championships in Egypt (a once-thriving Jewish community, though fewer than 40 Jews remain in the country today).
After graduating from Yeshiva University, Zayat worked for the haredi Orthodox real estate developer Zev Wolfson, a wealthy real estate entrepreneur and major Jewish philanthropist.
Zayat returned to Egypt in 1995 and formed an investment group that bought the newly privatized Al Ahram Beverages company. Zayat helped turn the company around by introducing Fayrouz – a non-alcoholic blend of malt, fruit and sparkling water – into its line of products. In 2002, Zayat sold the company to Heineken for $280 million.
You will find Northern Dancer and Bold Ruler in just about every Thoroughbred pedigree. Foundation sires.
I meant Native Dancer.
Partly that’s due to how long ago they were alive and siring. In the case of Northern Dancer, the horse lived to be 29, greatly increasing the number of descendants.
That’s amazing, thanks for posting this!
THe owner’s son was kind of doing the honors on TV today, he did not seem to be orthodox, but he seemed like a good fellow. Very thrilled with the win, of course.
We didn’t make any money today but that horse dominated and it was fun to see.
I even like that his name is misspelled. Makes him a little more American.
Besides I’ve always spelled “pharoah” that way! Now, no one can change it.
A couple of years ago Zayat put American Pharoah up for auction. He didn’t get the price he wanted ($1 million), so he bought him back for around the minimum. He also owns AP’s sire and had done the same thing with him. So now he owns two very valuable horses that nobody wanted at bargain prices.
Man, that’s just delicious!
Some of the best racing bloodlines (most i believe) descend from Arabians. They have race meets in the middle east with no pari mutual wagering but the horses are running for cash prizes. I imagine they wager among themselves.
Holy,Puta!
The owner is reportedly selling American Pharaoh’s stud rights for $30 million.....
.......the first-born colt is being donated to the Clinton Foundation (/sarc).
I confess that I was actually rooting against that horse yesterday, because (1) I thought the owner was an Arab Muslim (from one of those wealthy countries on the Arabian peninsula) and (2) the name "American Pharaoh" turns me off. (I actually thought he might have been named for Obama. - LOL!)
Not only that, if the race is on a Saturday, the whole family WALKS to the track.
I admire people who put feet to their faith.
If Obama was a race horse he would come in last and already be processed for industrial meat products and gelatin...
Ya know the OBAMA thought...came to my mind..but I didnt post anything related to the American Pharaoh..only because hes not egyptian. The Mooselim possibilities did not however escape me!
“American Imam” wold work in Obie from Nairobi’s case!!
An aging NAG with a bowed back..foud left feet...and a BAD ATTITUDE
Purposefully running LAST in the field....
It sure looked like sarcasm to me. :)
Yeaahh, I bet it was collusion with the judges and staff ...
I think Obama also made that assumption. Twas a veiled reference to Barack.
If Bill Clinton is involved, they’d better check the DNA of the “horse semen”.
Hmmm
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