Jewish Pharoah’s Shabbos win

There was a Jewish twist to the running of the Belmont Stakes last Shabbos in Elmont.

American Pharoah jockey Victor Espinoza, who is not Jewish, visted the ohel of Lubavitcher Rebbe Menachem Schneerson in Cambria Heights two days before his victorious race, following a custom of leaving a prayerful message atop the Rebbe’s grave.

Ahmed Zayat, a member of the Egyptian-American Jewish family that owns American Pharoah, told WCBS-TV that they were camping overnight at Belmont to avoid driving on Shabbos.

“We have a value system in our lives and that is a priority in our family — G-d comes first, family, country, and [then] all the others [and] you can put horseracing in that.” Pictured in the winner’s circle, from left: Ahmed and son Justin Zayat, trainer Bob Baffert, wife Jill Baffer, American Pharoah, and  Espinoza.

In his Parsha of the Week column, Rabbi Avi Billet comments that not everyone in the frum world liked that the Zayats attended the race on Shabbos and “not all of us would have done the same in similar circumstances.” Nevertheless, said Rabbi Billet, “the example the Zayats set in stating that G-d comes first, in wearing their Shabbos clothes to the races and in camping out so they could be in attendance without driving, is a welcome Kiddush Hashem.”