Transcript of Zayat, Allen on HRTV

[Kasept]

AHMED ZAYAT

Carolyn Conley: Well, Ahmed, actually the winner, though, came from 20 lengths out of it in the Kentucky Derby. It was a track that a lot of horses didn't like and we have heard in Derbies gone by that they did scratch the surface and open it up, something we didn't see this year. But as we progress toward the Preakness Stakes, a filly named Rachel Alexandra certainly has taken center stage. Now her previous owner said the Derby is for the stallions of the world of Thoroughbred racing to showcase themselves and they opted to stay with females. Now her new connections of Stonestreet Stable are considering taking on the boys in the Preakness Stakes. What are your feelings about that?


Ahmed Zayat: "I think she is a phenomenal filly, almost a super filly. I was there with my family, it was breathtaking. It was 'Wow, Wow!' Very, very impressive. Beautiful filly, you know, her connections did an incredible job of trying to do things. But what was most impressive for me was actually her previous owner. I don't know if you heard, uh, what he said, but in his moment of glory after 20 lengths plus (inaudible) they asked him should, is the filly now going to go against the boys or go on the Triple Crown and the man is such horseman, I was very impressed, and he said, 'Listen, you know we know what she's made out of, she's special, but also I understand the business and the game and I have a lot of respect for it,' and you can go and hear his words again, 'and I don't believe, I believe that the Triple Crown are designed to showcase our potential star 3-year-olds and our stallions and I don't think she belongs there.'"

"Him saying that gave me a different dimension. I'm very competitive. I want to go and beat her. But actually today in the morning I got a phone call that I wasn't familiar with the phone number of that particular person and that person keep calling and, lo and behold, it was the owner of the Derby winner, Mine That Bird, and he said, 'Mr. Zayat, you don't know me, I'm Mark Allen. Listen I have a request from you. I think this race is between me and you. You'd have been the favorite if Rachel Alexandra is not in the field and I'm looking for vindication that my colt was not a fluke and I'm sure you are looking to beat us also. I think this match is between us, it's a rivalry. I'm going to be entering a colt, an A.P. Indy colt, to fill the field. I understand you are the number one owner in number of nominations -- 22 colts -- can you please help us. It's good for the game.'"

"And I felt that uh, and he gave me a kind of story that really moved my heart. His trainer actually got sick. I don't know if you know this, he was on crutches he actually went back because he has an infection in his leg. He said, 'Listen, my trainer is gone and I also have my jockey being taken away from me and I don't know if I'm going, even can run in the Preakness like that. I feel like I want to compete in the Triple Crown, I want to have my colt prove himself, you want to prove yourself, can you help me?'"

Conley: So what you're saying here, Ahmed, is that Mark Allen called you and said, "Please enter your horse in the Preakness Stakes. Our intentions are to race against you one more time and we'd like to exclude the filly from the field since she's a late nomination."


Zayat: "Frankly, yes, and let me just also add more. I have been bombarded -- my racing manager, myself, by fans, by owners, by others saying, 'You know this is all about business, this is stallions. Listen a gelding won the Kentucky Derby. Now possibly a filly. Uh, you've spent tens of millions of dollars you should really -- as someone who's really active in the business, you have to think of the industry as a business. And for all of us.' In fact the presenters from Birdstone's owner, Mrs. Whitney, called and saying now she's also very unhappy about the situation and she's going to be entering a colt also in the Preakness just to make sure that her stallion is being represented and gets his."

Peter Lurie: Wow.

Conley: That's amazing.

Zayat: "So it's getting very, very interesting the situation."


Conley: It is. So now you said Mark Allen would enter a colt as well as Mine That Bird?

Zayat: "Correct."

Conley: "And that you would in fact enter Pioneerof the Nile? And Marylou Whitney would enter a colt as well?"


Zayat: "Correct. I think the field will fill and perhaps overfill and people are pleading with me to enter more of my colts to make sure that would happen."


Conley: Interesting.

Zayat: "And the more I'm hearing fans, I'm hearing people, I mean, and debating it, I'm probably going to do that."

Conley: Ahmed, you raised a very interesting point this morning thank you for sharing that exclusively right here on HRTV.