American Pharoah is less than two weeks away from potential history, as he attempts to become the first horse to win the Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978. With such an achievement on the line, owner Ahmed Zayat is undoubtedly filled with elation.
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Except he isn't. Not fully at least.
The Egyptian-born U.S. citizen is amid a nasty federal lawsuit (according to CNN), "in which a convicted gambler is accusing him of failing to honor millions of dollars in bets he allegedly made with offshore gambling sites."
Howard Rubinsky—who pleaded guilty to federal gambling and money laundering charges in 2008—claims that Zayat owes him $1.7 million to cover bets he previously made.
Seeking a dismissal, Zayat's attorney referred to the case a "meritless claim relating to allegations from 11 years ago."
A spokesman added: "We are very grateful for the extraordinary enthusiasm and support we've received from fans everywhere about American Pharaoh and this is a time to focus on celebrating the great interest in the sport instead of rehashing issues that were resolved several years ago."
Zayat himself, however, was less diplomatic. The American Pharoah owner slammed the allegations and characterized them as an attempt to extort his merits.
"It's a criminal's sick mind, trying to bring an honorable man down," Zayat told The Daily News. "It's a fictitious story from people who are trying to extort me. It's laughable. When we asked for any documentation, they have nothing. No documents, no proof, no receipts. Not a single word of truth. It's insanity."
Extortion or not, Zayat will be present at the Belmont Stakes on June 6, as his horse attempts to finish the job California Chrome failed to in 2014.
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