Zayat has best chance yet at elusive Breeders' Cup win

As agonizingly close to winning a Triple Crown race as Ahmed Zayat has come is as far away from success he’s realized in the Breeders’ Cup.

Zayat horses have finished second in three Kentucky Derbies, one Preakness, and one Belmont Stakes. In the Breeders’ Cup, Zayat is winless with 20 starters in 17 races. The closest one of his horses has finished is fifth.

“The Breeders’ Cup has been a mess for Zayat stable,” Zayat said this week. “Admittedly, in the early years, I think we were overreaching. We have not performed well.”

That could change this year. A little more than five weeks from the 31st Breeders’ Cup, to be held at Santa Anita on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, Zayat has two good-looking prospects for the $2 million Juvenile in American Pharoah and El Kabeir.

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American Pharoah, a son of Zayat’s 2009 Derby runner-up Pioneerof the Nile, became leader of the group with an authoritative 4 3/4-length victory in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity. American Pharoah, trained by Bob Baffert, will likely be favored in Saturday’s Grade 1, $300,000 FrontRunner Stakes at Santa Anita.

On the East Coast, El Kabeir, a son of Scat Daddy, opened eyes with a 10 3/4-length maiden victory in his second start. El Kabeir, trained by John Terranova, is being pointed to the Grade 1 Champagne at Belmont Park on Oct. 4.

“I can’t sleep due to excitement,” Zayat said this week. “It’s why you put a lot of money and effort in this game. It’s all about dreaming, and we’re living the dream.”

American Pharoah, purchased as a yearling for $300,000, “stood out from Day 1,” Zayat said.

Though he disappointed when finishing fifth in his debut, American Pharoah came back to score big in the Del Mar Futurity, earning a 101 Beyer Speed Figure, the highest among any 2-year-old male this year.

Now training on the dirt at Santa Anita, American Pharoah seems to be thriving for Baffert.

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“I spoke to Bob Baffert and I’ve never heard his level of excitement for a colt as this one,” Zayat said.

American Pharoah will take on nine rivals in the FrontRunner, including Baffert stablemate Lord Nelson; Best Pal Stakes winner Skyway and his stablemate Conquest Panthera; Calculator, the Del Mar Futurity runner-up; and Daddy D T, Red Button, Reflected Star, and Texas Red.

At Saratoga, El Kabeir finished third in his debut on Aug. 14, but Terranova elected to run him back 16 days later and he romped, covering seven furlongs in 1:22 and earning a 93 Beyer.

“John is extremely happy with how El Kabeir has been training,” Zayat said. “He’s training forward, doesn’t see any wear and tear on him since his last performance. I’ll be very surprised if he doesn’t run a very good race.”

The Champagne is expected to include I Spent It, winner of the Grade 2 Saratoga Special and runner-up in the Grade 1 Hopeful to Competitive Edge, who is now injured and sidelined. Following the Hopeful, owner Alex Lieblong finalized a deal to sell an interest in I Spent It to Three Chimneys, which will control the horse’s breeding rights at the conclusion of his racing career.

Also expected for the Champagne are Upstart, a two-time winner against New York-breds; Daredevil or Carpe Diem from Todd Pletcher; and either Bold Conquest or Holy Boss from the barn of Steve Asmussen.

Conquest Tsunami, winner of all four of his starts, could make his dirt debut in the Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland on Oct. 4, trainer Mark Casse said. Casse said Conquest Tsunami worked very well on the dirt at Churchill Downs on Monday.