Zayat Brings Derby Trio, High Hopes to Churchill
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Ahmed Zayat with Mr. Z, one of his three 2015 Kentucky Derby contenders. (Photos by Eclipse Sportswire)
By Tom Pedulla, America’s Best Racing
LOUISVILLE – Ahmed Zayat stood outside Barn 33 at Churchill Downs, speaking excitedly as he always does and wearing his emotions on his sleeve as he anxiously awaited the opportunity to send three starters, including scintillating 2-year-old champion American Pharoah, into the 141st Kentucky Derby on Saturday.
“I’m a nervous wreck,” Zayat admitted. “Can’t sleep. Excitement. Anticipation. Day-dreaming. A lot of emotions I’m going through. It’s so much fun, but so much pressure.”
These are the kinds of emotions owners experience at every level of the game. But for Zayat, driven to compete at the highest level, everything is kicked up several notches in keeping with his personality and his ambition.
He established Zayat Stables in 2005 and it seemingly rose to prominence overnight, producing two Grade 1 winners in the first 12 months. He has already ranked among the top five leading owners in North America seven times. He broke through as the leading owner just three years after he entered the game.
For all he has accomplished in a relatively short time, his sleeplessness stems from knowing how treacherous the Road to the Derby can be -- and how maddeningly elusive the Derby is.
When he arrives at the track in the chill of the early morning to check on the condition of American Pharoah, El Kabeir and Mr. Z, will they be as happy and healthy as they were the day before?
ZAYAT AND VICTOR ESPINOZA, JOCKEY OF AMERICAN PHAROAH
Zayat learned how swiftly racing fortunes can change after Eskendereya positioned himself as a clear Derby favorite in 2010 in dominating the Fountain of Youth Stakes by 8 ½ lengths and taking the Wood Memorial even more emphatically, by 9 ¾ widening lengths. John Velazquez, a jockey who needed to be nothing more than a passenger, told the connections afterward that he had never been aboard a horse that won so easily with so much in reserve for the Run for the Roses.
And then there was no run for the roses. A career-ending soft tissue injury led Eskendereya to be withdrawn from consideration the week of the Derby. Zayat views that as his lowest moment in this game of extreme emotions.
“You’ve got talent, you’ve got looks, you’ve got breeding, you’ve got speed,” Zayat said. “You don’t know what would happen.”
Which is worse, that lingering “What if?” or watching three horses run second in races that could easily have gone their way? Zayat was down that road, too.
He believes a muddy track was more responsible for beating Pioneerof the Nile in 2009 than 50-1 Mine That Bird, who had vanned in from New Mexico, was. “It was raining that day,” he noted. “If it was a dry track, I don’t think I would ever lose.” Tom Durkin, the stunned announcer, called it “an impossible result” after Mine That Bird’s late surge.
In 2011, 21-1 Animal Kingdom did not figure to be a threat, having never run on dirt before the mile-and-a-quarter opening leg of the Triple Crown. And yet there he was, flying at the end. Nehro, wearing Zayat’s flashy blue and yellow silks, settled for second.
ZAYAT AND BODEMEISTER BEFORE KENTUCKY DERBY 2012
In 2012, Zayat watched prized colt Bodemeister spurt to an early lead under Mike Smith and tear through the first five splits faster than any horse in history. He looked to be a sure winner as he powered into the turn for home. But the stretch run loomed and I’ll Have Another began gaining with every stride, overtaking a withering Bodemeister in the final furlong.
“The beats were insane,” Zayat said.
If American Pharoah, El Kabeir or Mr. Z wins on Saturday, the party will be even more insane.
$2-million Kentucky DerbySaturday, May 2, Churchill Downs, 6:34 p.m. ET1 ¼ miles, dirt, 3-year-olds TV: NBC 4-7:30 p.m. ET
No.
PP
Horse
Jockey
Trainer
Owner
ML Odds
1
1
Ocho Ocho Ocho
Elvis Trujillo
Jim Cassidy
DP Racing
50-1
2
2
Carpe Diem
John Velazquez
Todd Pletcher
WinStar Farm and Stonestreet Stable
8-1
3
3
Materiality
Javier Castellano
Todd Pletcher
Alto Racing
12-1
4
4
Tencendur
Manny Franco
George Weaver
Phillip S. Birsh
30-1
5
5
Danzig Moon
Julien Leparoux
Mark Casse
John Oxley
30-1
6
6
Mubtaahij
Christophe Soumillon
Mike de Kock
Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al Maktoum
20-1
7
7
El Kabeir
Calvin Borel
John Terranova
Zayat Stables
30-1
8
8
Dortmund
Martin Garcia
Bob Baffert
Kaleem Shah
3-1
9
9
Bolo
Rafael Bejarano
Carla Gaines
Golden Pegasus Racing and Earle Mack
30-1
10
10
Firing Line
Gary Stevens
Simon Callaghan
Arnold Zetcher
12-1
11
N/A
Stanford
SCRATCHED
SCRATCHED
SCRATCHED
N/A
12
11
International Star
Miguel Mena
Mike Maker
Ken and Sarah Ramsey
20-1
13
12
Itsaknockout
Luis Saez
Todd Pletcher
Starlight Racing
30-1
14
13
Keen Ice
Kent Desormeaux
Dale Romans
Donegal Racing
50-1
15
14
Frosted
Joel Rosario
Kiaran McLaughlin
Godolphin Racing
15-1
16
15
War Story
Joe Talamo
Tom Amoss
Loooch Racing Stables Glenn K. Ellis and Christopher T. Dunn
50-1
17
16
Mr. Z
Ramon Vazquez
D. Wayne Lukas
Zayat Stables
50-1
18
17
American Pharoah
Victor Espinoza
Bob Baffert
Zayat Stables
5-2
19
18
Upstart
Jose Ortiz
Rick Violette
Ralph Evans and WinStar Farm
15-1
20
19
Far Right
Mike Smith
Ron Moquett
Robert LaPenta and Harry Rosenblum
30-1
21
20
Frammento
Corey Nakatani
Nick Zito
Mossarosa
50-1
22 (AE)
21
Tale of Verve
Brian Hernandez
Dallas Stewart
Charles Fipke
50-1
AE- Denotes also-eligible entrant, meaning another entrant would need to be scratched for Tale of Verve to draw into the field.