American Pharaoh, the horse and not the politician, raced to a Triple Crown with a win in the Belmont States on Saturday, two days after the horse’s non-Jewish jockey visited the grave of the Rebbe of Lubavitch.
Jockey Victor Espinoza, not to be confused with the early 18th century heretic Baruch Spinoza, said he visited the Rebbe’s grave on the advice of a Jewish friend.
American Pharaoh’s owner is Ahmed (Ephraim) Zayat, an Orthodox Jew from Teaneck, New Jersey and is considered one of the most flamboyant of horse race owners. As at the Preakness and other races, Zayat watched the Belmont Stakes without violating the Sabbath.
When there is a big race, he always stays in a hotel or in a recreational vehicle nearby and then walks to the race track.
He moved from Cairo to the United States in 1980, at the age of 18, returned to Egypt after learning at Yeshiva University and earning a master’s degree at Boston University, and began investing in racehorses after his beverage company was purchased by Heineken.
Zayat returned to the United States and founded Zayat Stables which eventually went into bankruptcy
He finally hit the jackpot with American Pharaoh, who did better for Zayat than other horses he has owned, such as Maimonides.
Will he next horse be named “Aliyah”?
