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American Pharoah owner Ahmed Zayat may be a “welcher, perjurer and resume padder” according to his detractors, but Gambling911.com sought to locate those who are supportive of the outspoken Zayat. It seems they were not hard to find.
“Zayat is a friend of ours,” said one horse racing media maven when approached by G911 for comment about the recent controversies surrounding the Egyptian horse owner. The website proprietor also stated that Zayat is “extremely generous”, citing some personal dealings this person has had with him. The individual wished to remain anonymous out of fear of reprisal from those alleged to be owed monies.
Zayat has been accused of amassing gambling debts totaling over $2 million with offshore gambling firms. He has denied the claims, telling the New York Observer this weekend that he has never bet with companies based out of Costa Rica.
Instead, he insists this is all an elaborate extortion attempt now that his horse American Pharoah stands to become the first Triple Crown winner in nearly 40 years.
Savvy media outlets, however, have questioned those claims since a complaint was filed against Zayat in a New Jersey court long before American Pharoah’s Kentucky Derby and Preakness wins.
“These (accusations) are fraud. I’m a victim of it. Anybody who has half a brain can read through it and say there’s no way somebody of my caliber would owe somebody money from 2003, 12 years almost ago.”
Noted horse racing analyst Mike Dempsey of TurfNSport.com reiterated what others in the industry have been saying up until now.
“Zayat is a likeable guy,” he said.
Industry titans Bloodhorse and Daily Racing Forum have thus far offered only limited coverage of the story with Bloodhorse providing a podium for Zayat to allege his extortion claims.
Still, even his staunchest allies have begun questioning the integrity of a man others insist is a “welcher”.
"The news that is being released is interesting to say the least but also exposes him in a negative way," this person suggested. "He'll lose his trust in us, along with several other owners."
- Don Shapiro, Gambling911.com
