Being Justin Zayat: Looking Back on American Pharoah’s Career

Justin Zayat (center) looked back on some of the highlights of his experiences with American Pharoah throughout his storybook career. (Photo by Eclipse Sportswire)
Before the sun rose over Keeneland today, American Pharoah closed another chapter on a racing career that Justin Zayat hopes will climax with a victory in Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Classic. Added to the first Triple Crown in 37 years, that would complete an unprecedented grand slam. But first, in much quieter, darker surroundings at 7 a.m. ET, Pharoah had his final prerace gallop ever – one turn around the dirt track on which he will run his last race before being retired to stud. It will end a career that Zayat, 23, the racing and stable manager of Zayat Stables, has had an important hand in running. It is a story that did not have the best of beginnings and did not do him any favors in his personal life. He explained to America’s Best Racing not in 10 questions but just five (although one was a 10-parter).
1. American Pharoah just finished his last morning gallop, followed by his walk around the shedrow and one more bath in front of the barn. Is it surreal to think that you will not be seeing all this happen with him again?
For sure. I don’t think it’s really hit me yet. I don’t think I’m getting the feeling of it until after the race. It was a little sad, seeing as it was his last gallop today, but it was also exciting, because he looked so ready to me. It’s like Super Bowl day. The season is over. You worked so hard for that day, and then it’s on to next season. But for Pharoah, there’s no next season. Next season is breeding.

Photo by Eclipse Sportswire
2. Zayat Stables also had Paynter. He wound up with colic after winning the 2012 Haskell Invitational Stakes, and he nearly died of laminitis. Then he rallied, got back to the track and eventually finished seventh in the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Classic and is now a healthy stallion. How would you compare the emotions of seeing his last workout vs. those you have now with Pharoah?
Paynter was a different feeling, because he was so tough and courageous with what he went through. Running the Breeders’ Cup Classic with Pharoah and running the Breeders’ Cup Classic with Paynter, it’s a 180-degree difference. Paynter going into the race was a little more of a longshot, and we were taking a punt at it. If he won it would have been a fairy tale. American Pharoah – we’re going for the grand slam as a 4-to-5 favorite. Both horses were unbelievable. For connections, Paynter was more about the horse in general. I didn’t miss seeing Paynter racing, but I missed seeing Paynter training and hearing [trainer] Bob [Baffert] talking about him, too. I really believe he’s going to be a really good stallion.
3. Where are you spending this first day of the Breeders’ Cup?
We have the corporate suite upstairs with a small group of family and friends —about 20 people. Some of the people from our farms are going to come and some the external team.
4. I want to depart from our usual 10 questions to have you take me through 10 races - the 10 that American Pharoah has run so far. I would love to hear something you took from each race day that maybe we haven’t heard before. Let’s start at the beginning:
Aug. 9, 2014 – fifth place in a maiden race at Del Mar
I was at my girlfriend [Michelle]’s house [on Long Island, N.Y.] for the first time. We had been dating for about four months, and I was trying to show off in front of her parents and family. ‘I have a really nice horse. He’s going to run.’ They didn’t follow horses. They were probably thinking, ‘This guy works on a farm and gallops horses.’ And I said, ‘No, I think I have a really, really good horse running. I think this horse is special.’ So I’m talking him up. We turn on TVG, and all of a sudden he runs fifth. I wanted to put my head between my legs. They were mocking me saying, ‘Oh, he’s the one. He’s the real deal.’ I was, like, are you kidding me? We’re still together, but I want to thank you, Pharoah, for that one.
Sept. 3, 2014 – won the Del Mar Futurity
I was in my apartment in New York. It was my first day of class for NYU, and I actually left class early to watch the race. I was hoping that Pharoah had it in him, especially since he was a maiden horse in a Grade 1. He started out 8-to-1. Then right before post time, the toteboard clicks, and he’s 5-to-2. I went, whoa, someone likes that horse. All of a sudden – pshew – he explodes. I was thinking, ‘oh, my God.’ I was jumping and going nuts. I wasn’t even thinking of the Kentucky Derby or the Breeders’ Cup. I was just thinking, wow, a 2-year-old just won a Grade 1 by 4¾ lengths and how powerfully he did. What can happen from here?
Sept. 27, 2014 – won the FrontRunner Stakes
We wanted to see if the horse could go two turns going 1 1/16 miles for the first time. Not that I didn’t think that he could make the distance, but they need to prove it to you before. I was sitting with my family at home [in New Jersey] watching it from Santa Anita, and he won it in command. We were so excited thinking when does a 2-year-old win two Grade 1s? Now, we’re going to the Breeders’ Cup [Juvenile] as the favorite. We’ve had bad luck in the Breeders’ Cup all the time. We were thinking we may get a win. Then boom. Three days before the Breeders’ Cup he gets [a bruised foot]. It was a gut-wrencher, but look how much patience rewarded us in the long run.

Photo by Eclipse Sportswire
March 14, 2015 – won the Rebel Stakes
That was my first time going to Arkansas. I’d never been to Oaklawn. I heard about how great it was and always wanted to see it. So I finally get there, and it was raining and the track was sloppy, and I was thinking, ‘oh, God, his comeback race, and it’s a heavy track.’ The only thing I didn’t want was a heavy track. But he just exploded out there and won by 6¼, and we were back on target for the [Kentucky] Derby.
April 11, 2015 – won the Arkansas Derby
I was with my family in Cancún. It was Passover. I remember sitting in the hotel room. We were thinking this is the first time the horse is going 1 1/8 miles. Once you go from 1 1/16 miles to 1 1/8 miles, that’s separating the kids from the men. That was the first day he rated – behind [front-running] Bridget’s Big Luvy. It was tough to watch, because we had to watch on line, and the stream was buffering. I was sweating. My little brother [Benjamin] was taking out a phone to put another stream on and hope it would work. Sometimes it’s tough with your battles watching horse racing. Anyway, Pharoah just sat off him, and it was kind of weird. He was on a loose rein, and sometimes that can mean they’re empty. But he was on cruise control, and then [jockey] Víctor [Espinoza] tapped his hand a tiny bit, and the horse just, pshew, ran off and won by eight. Everyone knows the Arkansas Derby was an unbelievable performance.
May 2, 2015 – won the Kentucky Derby
That was the one where I threw up. Everyone knows that. It’s funny to me, because I never expected that that would be my reaction to winning. It was just my adrenaline and emotions. Now, when someone asks me about that I laugh it off. He won the Derby. I’m not ever going to be ashamed. I’ll take that moment every single day of my life. I’m sure my kids one day will make fun of me for this. But I don’t care; we won the Derby.

Photo by Eclipse Sportswire

May 16, 2015 – won the Preakness Stakes
The rain. I had all my friends with me, and it was a freakin’ monsoon. I remember looking at my friend, Jonathan Kranzler, standing under one of the roof gutters. One of them happened to pour smack down on his head. It looked like he was showering. He was totally, totally drenched. He literally looked like he had taken a bath.
June 6, 2015 – won the Belmont Stakes
We slept in RVs, because we’re Sabbath observers, and we’re not allowed to drive to the racetrack on Saturday, so we rent these very nice RVs. They open up into beds. They have TVG inside. It’s great in there. They were a lot of fun. They were parked right outside Barn 1 where Pharoah was staying. I don’t think too many people knew we were in there, except Jeannine Edwards, who did an ESPN interview with us inside. Other than that, only our close friends knew we were in there. Then, we walked to the Belmont Stakes on the craziest day of my whole life.
Aug. 2, 2015 – won the Haskell Invitational Stakes
I felt so much pressure that day. I just wanted him to win that comeback race in front of all of our family and friends. I was nervous before the race, but once the race started running, I was confident. I yelled, ‘Unleash the beast!’ I knew Víctor had a horse that was loaded. That was the most impressive race of his career. It was just pure dominance. He could have won by 30 if he wanted to.

Photo by Eclipse Sportswire
Aug. 29, 2015 – second place in the Travers Stakes
He just wasn’t himself that day and the day before. He also got very hot going in the gate. When I saw him pass by me the first time, I never felt it that day. He was a little wet on his neck. He was lathering. That’s not Pharoah. When he’s not pulling Víctor, and when Víctor is pushing him, then he just wasn’t himself. But hey, everyone goes down on one day.
5. So now here at Keeneland. Has anything weird on this trip to the Breeders’ Cup?
So far, so smoothly. Everything has been good besides the rain [Wednesday]. That was like the Preakness all over again, but so far everything’s been good. Hopefully, I’ll have some funny stories in the next 48 hours.