Zayat Pinhooking Venture Returns Large Profit

After winning the 2015 Triple Crown with American Pharoah  , Ahmed Zayat and his son, Justin, were seeking new horizons within the racing industry and decided to try purchasing yearlings last year with the intent of selling them in 2-year-old sales this year.

If the first year is any indication, the Zayat pinhooking venture has a good future ahead of it.

After an Into Mischief   filly bought at Keeneland's September yearling sale for $180,000 fetched $425,000 at this week's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-olds in training sale, the eight Zayat pinhooks bought for a total $1.63 million had sold for $4.155 million, a profit (excluding expenses) of $2.525 million.

Topping the group was a Congrats   filly acquired for $250,000 at Keeneland that was sold for $1.7 million, highest price at the Ocala Breeders' Sales March 2-year-old sale.

MITCHELL: $1.7 Million Congrats Filly New Sale Topper at OBS

The yearlings were bought by Patti Miller, vice president of Equine Biomechanics & Exercise Physiology (EQB), which offers equine partnerships and other services, including analytics.

Miller said that from the outset Zayat wanted to buy and sell quality horses, dispelling any notion that the prominent owner and breeder would retain the best for his own stable.

"He went into it thinking that if he was going to start this and do it year after year he was going to do it the right way and sell good horses," Miller said while attending the Midlantic sale. "When you work with Mr. Zayat you realize he is just an exceptional manager. He manages trainers, manages horses, he thinks about the game. He's a smart guy and he's a nice guy too."

Miller credits Zayat, his son Justin, and others on the team with the program's success.

EQB president Jeff Seder provides biomechanical analysis, including a horse's gait and heart measurements. "By the time he gets done it looks very simple, but that's because he's a brainy guy too," Miller said of Seder.

In addition to Miller and Seder, the team that selected the yearlings included Dr. Stephen Selway, the long-time veterinarian for Zayat Stables.

"He's the toughest vet in the world." Miller said of Selway. "He sees them all and he vets them all. One thing I can tell you is he is very strict. But when those horses got to the 2-year-old sales they vetted well and stayed sound."

The yearlings were then sent to Kevin and J. B. McKathan in Florida to be prepped and were offered at the 2-year-old sales by consignors Eddie Woods, Ciaran Dunne's Wavertree Stables, and Jimbo and Torie Gladwell's Top Line Sales.

Smiling at the credit she gets from others for the pinhooking program's success since the horses were bought in the name of EQB and herself, Miller said, "When you work with a group of exceptional people all of sudden you look bright. I think I am just a victim of very good circumstances. The guy at the helm is a brilliant sonofagun. He picks everybody out. We're happy to be part of it."