What is the Jewish connection to this year's Kentucky Derby?
A. The winning horse, American Pharoah, is owned by Ahmed Zayat, a Coptic Christian from Egypt. Zayat, the CEO of the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation in the 1980’s, was responsible for negotiating with Israel’s Energy and Water Resources Minister Yitzhak Berman for the sale of Egyptian oil to Israel after the two countries signed a peace treaty. In 1997, Zayat sold his interest in the Egyptian oil company and moved to America, where he connected with Berman’s son Moti, who was then Chief Financial Officer at Calumet Farms in Lexington, Kentucky. Through this association, Zayat purchased his first race horse from Calumet in 1999, and in this year’s Kentucky Derby, three of his horses competed (along with American Pharoah were El Kabeir and Mr. Z).
B. Because the Kentucky Derby is held on Saturday, this year the Chabad of Louisville decided to make it easier for religious Jews to attend the race. They opened their Chabad House, which is located only a mile from Churchill Downs, to Jewish visitors, offering kosher meals and rooms to sleep within walking distance of the race.
C. The winning horse, American Pharoah, is owned by Ahmed Zayat, an Orthodox Jew from Egypt who made his initial fortune by selling the beverage company he owned in Egypt to Heineken International. As a teenager in Egypt, Zayat competed in jumping events, leading to his passion for horses. He now owns approximately 200 horses, with American Pharoah being his first Kentucky Derby winner.
D. Kentucky Derby entrant (and 14th place finisher) Ocho Ocho Ocho is owned by oil magnate Marco Mendoza, a Jew whose ancestors emigrated from Spain to Mexico at the time of the Inquisition. Marco’s son Raphael was born on the evening of December 8, 2012. As a result, his bris, when he was 8 days old, was performed on December 16, 2012, which was the 8th day of Chanukkah. In honor of this, Mendoza named the race horse he had recently purchased Ocho Ocho Ocho.
E. The winning horse, American Pharoah, is owned by Ahmed Zayat, a Muslim from Egypt. After emigrating to America, he was invited by friends to their Passover seder. When Zayat heard about Moses telling Pharaoh to “let my people go,” he decided to name his horse American Pharoah, saying, “I asked Allah to ‘let my horsie go’ very fast in the Kentucky Derby. My prayers were granted.”