August, 2022 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Reigning Champion Jackie’s Warrior Continues To Chase History In Forego

J. Kirk and Judy Robison's reigning Champion Sprinter Jackie's Warrior, who raced his way into history last month, will continue his assault on the Saratoga Race Course record books when he goes for a sixth career stakes victory over a track where he is undefeated in Saturday's Grade 1, $600,000 Forego.

The 43rd running of the seven-furlong Forego for 4-year-olds and up is one of six graded-stakes, five of them Grade 1, worth $4.1 million in purses on a blockbuster 13-race program highlighted by the 153rd renewal of the Grade 1, $1.25 million Runhappy Travers.

Jackie's Warrior won as he pleased in the six-furlong Alfred G. Vanderbilt July 30, a two-length triumph that made him the first horse in Saratoga's 154-year history to win a Grade 1 race for three consecutive years following the Hopeful in 2020 and H. Allen Jerkens in a memorable 2021 throwdown with Life Is Good.

Four weeks later, Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen continues to be awed by the 4-year-old Maclean's Music colt that has won each of his four starts this year, all in graded-stakes, including a fifth Grade 1 in the May 7 Churchill Downs.

“You look at his record this year, he's 4-for-4 in some serious races in non-threatening styles, watching the races. I can't imagine a horse going through a year with that being how hard you're running, but to this point that's what we've witnessed,” Asmussen said. “He's immortal. He's the only racehorse ever to win a Grade 1 three years in a row at Saratoga. The only horse, ever, at Saratoga. They've got a few decent pictures on the wall around here.

“What has he done? Something nobody else has. That was the part that was unbelievable. It's overwhelming. What's that mean? It's something you really can't wrap your head around when you're growing up in a racing family and what Saratoga is and who has run here,” he added. “It's amazing. With that being said, that will not give him a head start on Saturday. That's the great thing about horse racing. You've got to do it again.”

Jackie's Warrior became a stakes winner in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special in 2020, his second career start, and splashed to an easy triumph in last summer's Grade 2 Amsterdam prior to the Jerkens. According to Equibase statistics which date to 1976, Jackie's Warrior and Irish Linnet (1990-95) are tied with five career stakes wins at Saratoga. The leader is Irish Linnet's one-time Leo O'Brien-trained stablemate, Fourstardave, with six between 1987 and 1995.

“I'm very excited for another chance to run him in a Grade 1 at Saratoga,” Asmussen said. “I'm very nervous. He's too good to be true. Just having him in training this year has been an unbelievable gift that we've been given. I feel the responsibility of it and want it to go well for him and all of his fans. He's been excellent for so long, and you look at him as a sprinter, the mass and body that he carries – it's unbelievable. It really is. For a big horse as fast as he is, with some age on him, the energy he still shows is incredible.”

Joel Rosario, who earned his first Eclipse Award as champion jockey in 2021, has been aboard Jackie's Warrior since the Saratoga Special and will get a leg up for the 16th straight race on Saturday. Asmussen credited Rosario with being an integral part of the colt's success.

“I think Joel's style of riding him has led to his great attitude and his willingness to continue to run at this level so many times,” Asmussen said. “For me, I think Joel's best attribute is what a great passenger he is. He doesn't seem to get in their way.

“I think the issue is why had nobody ever won three Grade 1s before, and what would be the difference. I think that [Rosario] deserves some credit, doing enough with him to win without taking any future races out of him,” he added. “With that being said, I don't think there is any two harder races than I've had a horse run than his Pat Day Mile or his Allen Jerkens. His visually easy victories have also been backed up by some very good duels.”

Rosario and Jackie's Warrior will break from post position 3 in a field of seven as the 124-pound topweight for the Forego, which is expected to be his penultimate start before standing stud at Spendthrift Farm in 2023 following the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint November 5 at Keeneland.

“He's had an amazing year. All four of his victories have looked the same. I don't know if I've been as nervous running a horse in a long time as I was last time he ran,” Asmussen said. “When I was made aware no horse had ever won a Grade 1 three years in a row at Saratoga and with him being such a special horse to us, you wanted to get that accomplished, and he did.

“Now we go back into the Forego and you wonder, 'Have we done enough with him?' Trainers are always concerned about something, but we realize how fortunate we are to have him to run this year at all,” he added. “On the racetrack, he's a really beautiful horse. He's got a lot of presence about him. Everybody notices him when we take him to the track. He's just been that kind of horse for the barn and we are so fortunate and blessed to have him.”

Among the rivals for Jackie's Warrior is the pair of Baby Yoda and Cody's Wish for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber, Pantofel Stable and Jarold Zaro's Baby Yoda enters the Forego off a three-length optional claiming allowance triumph at the course and distance July 16. Three-for-three lifetime at Saratoga, he ran fourth to Jackie's Warrior, beaten 12 1/4-lengths, in the Grade 2 True North June 10 at Belmont Park.

“He likes this track. He likes the distance,” Mott said. “Look, if Jackie's Warrior runs his race we're probably all running for second. They have to run the race.”

Godolphin's Cody's Wish, a homebred son of two-time Horse of the Year and 2014 Hall of Famer Curlin, has put together back-to-back wins – a game neck victory in the July 4 Hanshin at Churchill that followed a five-length score in the Grade 3 Westchester May 7 at Belmont. All five of his career wins have come in as many tries at one mile, and he will be sprinting for the first time since running third in a maiden special weight last September at Saratoga.

“He should be able to handle it fine,” Mott said. “He's gotten better and more consistent. He's been running really well. No complaints about him. We've always thought he was a nice horse. We'll see how seven-eighths suits him. I think he'll be OK.”

Baby Yoda drew post position 1 with Jose Ortiz, while Cody's Wish and Junior Alvarado will break from post position 5.

John D. Gunther and Eurowest Bloodstock's Pipeline beat Cody's Wish to break his maiden last year and is seeking his first stakes win in the Forego. Third by a neck as the favorite in the seven-furlong Perryville at Keeneland and last of eight in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile to cap 2021, the 4-year-old son of champion sprinter Speighstown won a one-mile allowance April 22 at Aqueduct and was second by 1 3/4 lengths last out to Chad Brown-trained stablemate Highly Motivated in the Grade 3 Monmouth Cup July 23.

Irad Oritz Jr. has the call on Pipeline from post position 6.

Dublin Fjord Stables, Race Point Stables, Kevin Hilbert and Thomas O'Keefe's Drafted will be making his seventh straight stakes start in the Forego for trainer David Duggan. The 8-year-old Field Commission gelding captured the Grade 3 Runhappy by a length May 14 at Belmont and the Mr. Prospector June 4 at Monmouth before having his win streak snapped when second to Whereshetoldmetogo in the Alapocas Run July 2 at Delaware Park – all sprinting six furlongs. Drafted owns two wins going seven-eighths, including the Grade 3 Toboggan February 5 at Aqueduct.

Luis Rodriguez Castro rides Drafted from post position 2.

Ten Strike Racing's Kneedeepinsnow will take another shot at Jackie's Warrior after closing to be second in the Vanderbilt. Since being claimed for $80,000 by trainer Matt Shirer out of an April 29 win at Keeneland, the Flat Out gelding has placed in three consecutive stakes, running second to Isolate in the June 11 Work All Week at Hawthorne and third to 2021 Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Aloha West in the July 2 Kelly's Landing at Churchill Downs.

Ricardo Santana Jr. has the riding assignment on Kneedeepinsnow from post position 7.

Completing the field is Alonzo Racing, Michael Bagnoli and Jackie Bagnoli's Three Two Zone, a 4-year-old son of Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense that will be making his first stakes start since running third in the seven-furlong City of Laurel last November at Laurel Park. He is also coming out of a win going the Forego distance at Saratoga in a third-level optional claiming allowance July 17.

Dylan Davis gets the return call on Three Two Zone, who drew post position 4.

The Forego is slated as Race 5 on a program that begins at 11:35 a.m. Eastern. The Runhappy Travers on FOX, with the Travers slated as Race 11 at 5:44 p.m., will air as part of a 90-minute broadcast from 4:30 – 6:00 p.m.

Saratoga Live will present daily coverage and analysis of the summer meet at Saratoga Race Course on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Saratoga Race Course, and the best way to bet every race of the summer meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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‘Win And You’re In’: Broome Heads Stateside To Challenge 2021 Winner Gufo In Sword Dancer

Internationally acclaimed trainer Aidan O'Brien will be represented by Group 1-winning millionaire Broome in Saturday's Grade 1, $750,000 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer, at Saratoga Race Course.

Broome will mark O'Brien's fourth attempt at capturing the 12-furlong inner turf test for older horses following previous efforts by Idaho [6th, 2017], Seahenge [9th, 2018] and Japan [2nd, 2021]. The Sword Dancer, which offers a “Win and You're In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf in November at Keeneland, is slated as Race 10 on Saturday's 13-race Runhappy Travers Day card. First post is 11:35 a.m. Eastern with the Grade 1 Runhappy Travers set as Race 11 at 5:44 p.m.

Owned by Masaaki Matsushima, Mrs. John Magnier, Michel Tabor and Derrick Smith, Broome boasts a ledger of 25-8-6-0 for purse earnings in excess of $1.9 million. He won 4-of-11 starts last year, including scores at The Curragh in the 10-furlong Group 3 Alleged over good going and the 10-furlong Group 2 Mooresbridge on soft footing, as well as the 12-furlong Group 1 Prix de Saint-Cloud over soft turf at Saint-Cloud Racecourse in France.

The 6-year-old Australia bay has made three starts this season led by a 3 1/4-length score in the 12-furlong Group 2 Hardwicke on good-to-firm ground in June at Ascot. He enters from a prominent fourth in the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth at 12 furlongs on July 23 at Ascot.

O'Brien said the Hardwicke effort demonstrated Broome has returned in peak form.

“He made the running. It was a good effort and we were delighted with him,” said O'Brien, who is in search of his first win at the Spa. “It was probably his best run of the year, really. We felt he came back every bit as good if not better than before. He's a horse that's maturing very well.”

While often prominent in his races overseas, Broome closed from 12 lengths off-the-pace under Irad Ortiz, Jr. to finish second in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf in November at Del Mar, finishing just a half-length back of the late closing Yibir, who went on to be named Champion Turf Male.

“It was just the way Ortiz rode him. He took his time on him,” O'Brien said.

Both Tribhuvan and Channel Maker, part of the pace presence in the Turf, return in the Sword Dancer.

O'Brien said the rainfall on Tuesday evening and expected precipitation on Friday could benefit Broome.

“I don't think he'll mind it. He has form with ease in the ground,” O'Brien said. “I spoke to the lads and they're happy with the way he's training. Hopefully, he will run well.”

Ryan Moore, also in search of his first Spa score, retains the mount from post 3 aboard Broome, who is assigned 122 pounds.

Otter Bend Stables' Gufo posted a neck score over the O'Brien-trained Japan in last year's Sword Dancer for conditioner Christophe Clement.

The multiple Grade 1-winning 5-year-old son of Declaration of War, who captured the 2020 Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational, boasts a ledger of 18-8-3-5 for purse earnings in excess of $1.5 million. He has made four starts this season, including a win in the Grade 2 Pan American in April at Gulfstream Park ahead of a runner-up effort to Highland Chief in the Grade 1 Man o' War in May at Belmont Park.

Last out, the Kentucky-bred chestnut closed to finish fifth in the Grade 1 United Nations on July 23 at Monmouth Park, defeated 2 1/2-lengths by returning rival Adhamo.

Miguel Clement, son and assistant trainer to Christophe Clement, said Gufo's strong record at the Spa could be beneficial.

“It's always pleasing when you see a horse have a good track history. Nevertheless, he performs at every track I believe,” Clement said. “If you look at his career, he's performed well in Florida, he's performed well in New Jersey, New York, California, you name it. So he's just a very top class horse that performs everywhere.”

He will exit post 6 carrying 122 pounds under returning rider Joel Rosario, who has won 10 graded races this summer at Saratoga and is one win shy of the meet record shared by Hall of Famers Javier Castellano and John Velazquez.

Clement said Gufo will add blinkers for Saturday's title defense.

“We're going to put blinkers on this time to help Joel get a bit closer to the field,” Clement said. “He's very straightforward and more keen to do his job. The last two starts perhaps he was a bit further back than ideal so we just put a pair of blinkers to help out Joel.”

Clement will also saddle Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, Morris Bailey, Wonder Stables and Michael J. Caruso's Soldier Rising [post 8, Jose Ortiz, 118 pounds].

Soldier Rising competed in two-thirds of the Turf Triple series last year, finishing a closing second to State of Rest in the Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational ahead of a stalking second to Yibir in the Jockey Club Derby Invitational at Belmont. The 4-year-old Frankel bay enters from a rallying head score in a 1 3/16-mile optional-claiming event here on July 31.

“Soldier Rising is training very well. He's a top class horse. He ran second last year to two remarkable horses in both Yibir and State of Rest,” Clement said. “This year he's had a good preparation. He had a nice prep here at Saratoga where he won rather well even if maybe the distance was a touch short for him. He's training well, he's sound and you have to go for it.”

Clement said both horses will benefit from the stretch out in distance.

“Both of them well relish the mile-and-a-half,” Clement said. “The United Nations was a mile-and-three-eighths, he'll [Gufo] love the extra furlong and Soldier Rising the other day, his allowance victory was a mile-and-three-sixteenths, the extra trip I don't think will be any impact. For both horses, pace is critical. We just have to get lucky enough to get some pace for us to run at.”

Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber, R.A. Hill Stable and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's Channel Maker will make his fifth Sword Dancer appearance which includes a win in 2020 en route to Champion Turf Male honors.

“It's all the horse, all the time. You just try not to make too many mistakes trying to get him there,” said Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott of the hickory chestnut, who ran second in 2018, fourth in 2019, and sixth a year ago.

The 8-year-old English Channel gelding has amassed earnings in excess of $3.6 million through a record of 46-9-6-5. His other Grade 1 wins came at Belmont Park in the 2018 and 2020 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational and the 2019 Man o' War.

Mott, whose past Sword Dancer winners also include Fraise [1992] and Broadway Flyer [1996], shares the record for most scores in this event with three with trainer Chad Brown.

Channel Maker has won 2-of-3 starts this season, taking the Grade 2 Elkhorn in April at Keeneland and the Grand Couturier by a neck over Soldier Rising last out on July 8 at Belmont Park.

“We gave him time over the winter. We gave him a vacation and started him back at Keeneland and he won and we've been running him every month, six weeks, whenever a race comes up,” Mott said. “The competition is going to be a little deeper here. We realize that. I don't know if it's going to be the same as before but it's a Grade 1 so there will probably be somebody in there that can run a bit. The timing of it is OK, and coming off a win is good. Going into a race like that, it was good to see he was game last time.”

Bred in Ontario by the Tall Oaks Farm of Ivan Dalos, Channel Maker will exit post 9 carrying 120 pounds under Luis Saez.

Chad Brown will saddle a trio of contenders in Adhamo [post 1, Flavien Prat, 124 pounds], Rockemperor [post 5, Irad Ortiz, Jr., 122 pounds] and Tribhuvan [post 7, Manny Franco, 124 pounds] as he looks to add to past Sword Dancer success with Big Blue Kitten [2013], Flintshire [2016] and Annals of Time [2019].

Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb and Louis Lazzinnaro's Adhamo notched his first win in North America last out with a 1 1/2-length score in the Grade 1 United Nations. The 4-year-old Intello colt had hit the board in three previous attempts in graded company, including a second in the Grade 3 Fair Grounds in February, a third in the Grade 1 Turf Classic in May at Churchill Downs and a second in the Grade 1 Manhattan to Tribhuvan in June at Belmont.

The Irish-bred chestnut captured the Group 3 Prix la Force in April 2021 at Longchamp for his former conditioner Frederic Head.

Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, Wonder Stables, Michael Kisber and Michael J. Caruso's Rockemperor enters from a half-length score in the Grade 2 Bowling Green on July 31 at the Spa.

The 6-year-old Holy Roman Emperor bay, who captured the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational in October at Belmont, sports a record of 25-5-5-6 for purse earnings in excess of $1.1 million. He finished fourth in this event last year.

Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables and Michael Caruso's Tribhuvan, a 6-year-old French-bred son of Toronado, posted a sharp frontrunning score in the Grade 1 Manhattan in June at Belmont ahead of a pacesetting fourth last out in the United Nations.

Initially campaigned in his native France, Tribhuvan joined Brown's stable in 2020 and enjoyed a tremendous run last year, taking the Grade 2 Fort Marcy at Belmont and the Grade 1 United Nations at Monmouth. He finished fifth in last year's Sword Dancer in his lone Spa start.

Three Diamonds Farms' multiple graded stakes winning millionaire New York-bred Cross Border is entered for his third Sword Dancer appearance following a runner-up effort in 2020 and a third-place finish a year ago.

Trained by Mike Maker, the 8-year-old English Channel ridgling posted a record of 9-2-1-3 last year, including scores in the Grade 2 Bowling Green here and the Prairie Bayou at Turfway Park.

A six-time winner at the Spa, Cross Border was a perfect 3-for-3 here in 2019 in turf tilts against winners. He captured the Lubash in August 2020 at the Spa ahead of a victory in the Grade 2 Bowling Green via disqualification.

Cross Border has yet to hit the board in four starts this season, entering from a fifth-place finish last out in his title defense in the Bowling Green on July 31.

Bred in the Empire State by Berkshire Stud and B.D. Gibbs, Cross Border, who is cross-entered in Friday's West Point presented by Trustco Bank, will exit post 2 under Tyler Gaffalione with an assigned 120 pounds.

Mary Abeel Sullivan Revocable Trust's Mira Mission [post 10, Julien Leparoux, 118 pounds], a 4-year-old Noble Mission gelding, captured the Grade 3 Canadian Turf in March at Gulfstream Park.

Trained by Ian Wilkes, Mira Mission was a close second in the Grade 1 Turf Classic in May at Churchill and enters from a non-threatening sixth in the one-mile Grade 3 Forbidden Apple on July 15 at the Spa.

Rounding out the field is Cold Hard Cash [post 4, John Velazquez, 118 pounds], who makes his stakes debut from a five-length score in an off-the-turf open 10-furlong optional-claimer contested over a sloppy and sealed main track on July 28 at the Spa.

Trained by Linda Rice, the 5-year-old Maclean's Music gelding is a New York-homebred for Barry Schwartz, boasting a record of 8-2-2-2 on the turf.

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Colic Claims Maryland Sire Imagining At Age 14

Imagining (Giant's Causeway x Daydreaming, by A.P. Indy) was euthanized on Aug. 23 due to complications from colic.

The 14-year-old stallion was under the care of veterinarians at New Bolton Center in Kennett Square, Pa. Surgery was attempted but the extent of the damage was too severe. The decision was made to humanely euthanize him on the operating table.

“Imagining has been with us since the start in 2015. We want to thank Shug McGaughey and the Phipps family for trusting us to bring a Grade 1-winning millionaire from a prolific Phipps pedigree to Maryland. We were proud to do so and will be grateful to Imagining for what he did for us,” said Grace Merryman of Anchor & Hope Farm.

Imagining, by Giant's Causeway out of the A.P. Indy mare Daydreaming, won the Grade 1 Man o' War Stakes and captured the G2 Pan American Stakes. Imagining retired with nine wins, five seconds, and two thirds from 26 starts for earnings of $1,177,394 while racing for his breeder, Phipps Stable, and trainer Shug McGaughey.

“His kids are routinely on the board around the Mid-Atlantic and they include stakes horses, graded placings, both dirt and turf winners and recently, talented runners over fences. With his pedigree, we look forward to seeing the broodmare careers of his daughters” said Louis Merryman of Anchor & Hope Farm.

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Long, Twisted Zayat Bankruptcy Settlements Approved

Two settlement plans in bankruptcy cases involving Ahmed Zayat and his now-disbanded Thoroughbred racing and breeding stable were approved Aug. 23 when no legal objections to the separate compromises were filed prior to a court-appointed deadline.

The approvals in United States Bankruptcy Court (District of New Jersey) marked a quiet closure to the latest set of complicated and often-intertwined international financial woes of the mercurial and formerly high-profile owner and breeder of 2015 Triple Crown champ American Pharoah.

But the two settlements won't deliver any significant compensation to the 132 non-secured creditors who Zayat, in his own Chapter 7 filing in 2020, admitted were owed $19 million of his debts.

Of those non-priority claimants, 112 are Thoroughbred trainers, horse farms, bloodstock businesses, veterinarians, and equine transportation companies. They were left largely adrift in the separate involuntary bankruptcy case lodged against Zayat Stables.

In July, the court-appointed trustee in the involuntary bankruptcy case had negotiated a settlement in which Zayat and his family members will pay $5 million to be allocated between MGG Investment Group and the trustee.

MGG is the lender that alleged in a 2020 lawsuit that Zayat and his family members obtained $30 million in loans by fraud, then never repaid a large chunk of that debt.

Of that Zayat Stables settlement, only $30,000 got earmarked to go to the unsecured creditors who are legally much further down the totem pole for getting paid. MGG will also get a disbursement from the funds in the bankruptcy trustee's account amounting to $1,025,145.

In Zayat's personal bankruptcy case, the trustee in June had negotiated a $1.5 million settlement to be paid by the debtor's brother, Sherif Zayat. That compromise will allow Zayat and his family to continue to live in an eight-bedroom, 7,714-square-foot home in Teaneck, New Jersey, that is currently assessed at $2.6 million.

The trustee in the bankruptcy case had written in a June court filing that fighting the Zayats over the house wasn't worth the time and cost.

“Although the Trustee believes that he would likely prevail on the claims against the Debtor, the Zayat Parties, and Sherif, the Trustee wishes to settle the claims, in order to save the Debtor's estate time and money that would otherwise be spent on litigation of the claims,” the filing stated.

Issues like “the Debtor's potential homestead exemption, the cost and time to seek approval under [the] Bankruptcy Code to sell the NJ Property, and the time and cost to avoid the [multiple mortgages]” would eat up money that could otherwise be applied to a settlement, the filing stated.

When Zayat first filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection on Sept. 8, 2020, he wrote in court documents that he owned only $300 in cash and $14.22 in two checking accounts.

Throughout the legal ordeal, Zayat's twin bankruptcy proceedings brimmed with fraud allegations.

In March 2021, MGG Investment Group told the bankruptcy court that “Ahmed Zayat is a perpetual liar determined to hinder and obstruct the Trustee, the Court and creditors at every turn.”

In July 2021, his Chapter 7 bankruptcy trustee alleged that Zayat and his family were engaging in an “ongoing pattern of delay, obstruction, and gamesmanship.”

In July 2021, the attorney representing Zayat was granted permission by a judge to walk away from the Chapter 7 case based on Zayat's alleged non-payment of $368,273 to his law firm.

In September 2021, the Chapter 7 trustee alleged that Zayat had attempted to execute “fraudulent transfers” that resulted in “unjust enrichment” in the days just prior to his bankruptcy filing.

Throughout the nearly two-year bankruptcy proceedings, Zayat consistently denied that he had engaged in any illegal activity or that he had hidden money. He also insisted that neither he nor his family members were trying to obstruct the work of either of the trustees who were assigned to vet his personal finances and business operations.

Money troubles and financial controversies were hardly new for Zayat, an Egyptian-born, global beverage entrepreneur known for high-stakes deals prior to getting into horse racing.

In 2009, Fifth Third Bank sued Zayat for $34 million, alleging he had defaulted on loans. That suit resulted in a 2010 federal bankruptcy court repayment settlement that also reorganized Zayat Stables.

At the time of that settlement, Zayat said in a statement that, “Zayat Stables will come out of this in a stronger financial position than ever, and it will allow us to devote all of our energies to what is most important: nurturing, developing, and racing the next generation of great American horses.”

The brash and opinionated Zayat seemed on his way to making good on that vow when American Pharoah captivated the sport in 2015.

But even as the glow from that once-in-a-lifetime colt's accomplishments was still warm, Zayat Stables was in deep financial difficulties behind the scenes.

In 2016, Zayat entered into an agreement with MGG to finance his existing debt via a series of loans totaling $30 million. In September 2019, Zayat allegedly began defaulting on those loan repayments.

According to MGG's lawsuit, the two parties in late 2019 began discussing liquidation proposals that involved selling off Zayat Stables' equine collateral to bring the payments current.

But then the firm found out that starting in 2017, Zayat family members had already begun selling off shares in breeding rights and in horses that, three years later, Ahmed Zayat was claiming were still on the books as security against his loans.

A January 2020 court order granted MGG's motion to appoint a receiver “to take charge of, operate, preserve, maintain and care for” Zayat Stables. Eventually all of the horses and assets were liquidated.

Yet even as Zayat was facing dizzying financial difficulties, a court filing that he made in March 2021 practically boasted that he had allegedly lined up at least two global investment partners purportedly willing to pump hundreds of millions of dollars into his failing racing and bloodstock operation.

Most notably, Zayat claimed that in early 2020, he had been tantalizingly close–just days away–from securing a $100-million “equity infusion” from an undisclosed entity in China that would have kept MGG from suing him.

And even as recently as this summer, when the bankruptcies were on their way to negotiated settlements, court documents indicated that Zayat had significant overseas assets. “The Debtor has an ownership interest in a farm located in Egypt,” a June 6 filing by the Chapter 7 bankruptcy trustee stated.

TDN attempted to reach Zayat via his last known working phone number on Wednesday to see if he'd like the opportunity to comment on the settlements. No reply was received prior to deadline for this story.