The Curse of the Zayat

This May, three horses from the Zayat Stables will be competing in the Kentucky Derby.  This is more than in any other year.  The previous record for Zayat Stables was two Derby contenders in 2008 with Z Fortune and Z Humor.  Those horses finished fourteenth and tenth respectively.  Consistently, the Zayat Stables have had Derby contenders, however, none of their horses has ever won the roses.  After three horses finished second in the 2009, 2011, and 2012 Kentucky Derbies.  In 2009, when the favorite, I Want Revenge was scratched, many analysts turned their attention to the Zayat Owned Pioneerof the Nile.  If it were not for a 50-1 no name, Mine That Bird, had not slipped through along the rail, he would have been the winner.  In 2010, the Zayat's once again had a Derby contender, the favorite Eskendereya.  Unfortunately, the Sunday before the race, he was scratched due to a leg injury.  To add insult to injury, literally, the Derby finished in a pitiful 2:04.45 the slowest in 21 years.  In 2011, Nehro went off as the second choice, coming in second to Animal Kingdom.  In 2012, after a runaway win in the Arkansas Derby, Bodemeister was the favorite once again for the Zayat Stables.  He had a five length lead coming into the stretch but sputtered out finishing second to I'll Have Another.  Four years in a row, the stables owned by Ahmed Zayat seemed to have a solid contender and a very good chance to win the Derby.  However, misfortune stuck each and every time.  Does this mean, that this year American Pharoah will not win the Derby, I guess we will have to wait and see.