Hollywood, CA:
EZ Warrior was a very talented two year old, but he has not lived up to expectations. What do you think has happened?

Sonbol:
Well I wouldn’t really say has “not lived up to expectations.” If you have talent it doesn’t go away and EZ Warrior has a lot of it. He missed a good part of his 2yo year because of minor injury and he still ran a good third to Hard Spun in the Kings Bishop G1 as a 3yo but unfortunately he had some physical issues that limited his performance. He also got injured in his first start as a 4yo in Saratoga where he chipped his knee and he has started back training now in FL and we expect to see him in Gulfstream this year. However, this horse means more to us that what meets the eye. He was out first “Big Horse”, he was our first stakes winner and our first graded stakes winner and we loved him so much that we privately purchased his dam Carson Jen and his half sister JZ Warrior. JZ went on to be a multiple stakes winner and we sold her in Keeneland November for 1.125MM. We also have a 2yo out of Carson Jen called BZ Warrior, a yearling by Dixie Union named ZZ Warrior and a Bernardini foal. Mr. Zayat is thinking of breeding her back to J Be K this year. So a lot of good came out of our purchase of EZ. Do not rule him out yet; expect to see him this winter in Gulfstream.

West Lafayette, Indiana:
As an engineer, what forms of technology do you think of which horse racing has yet to take full advantage?

Sonbol:
When I first started in the Thoroughbred industry I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of technology used in the field. But there are a lot of gimmicks out there that promise better performance, better soundness, healing tricks, etc. that really only 10% of them do work. Saying that, the one area that I would like to see horse racing take full advantage of is Tissue Engineering, which basically is using cells, materials, bio materials along with bio chemical factors to try to engineer tissue replacements. This can particularly be very helpful in cartilage damage and more importantly in trying to solve soft tissue injuries that are more than often career ending to a horse.

Islip, New York:
What is the ultimate goal for Zayat Stables? To win the KY Derby or to make money?

Sonbol:
I do not know if either are “Ultimate” goals but both are defiantly important goals for us. Mr. Zayat looks at Zayat Stables as a business and runs it as a business and like any business we want to make money. However, we are in a very unique business with its own tradition and heritage which we respect and adhere to. We think we have a lot to add to this beautiful sport as much as we have learned a lot of great things from it. Mr. Zayat has applied his business ideology to Zayat Stables and that is the main reason of our success. These ideologies are raising the bar, discipline, communication, transparency and passion. As for the Kentucky Derby it is a dream that we would love to one day see fulfilled but we are realistic about it and do not want to ruin too many good horses to try to reach it. We try to make every horse fulfill its own full potential whether it is sprinting or routing, whether it is at 2, 3 or 4. You can ruin a good horse by trying to make it in to something it is not and not all horses are suitable to run in the Derby. I do not know if that answers your question or not but our goal at the end of the day to develop horses at the top level at the game that will go on to become top stallions and top broodmares. However if we are fortunate enough that one day we do win the KY Derby and you ask me that question again I bet you my answer will be “win the Kentucky derby”. If you ask any owner or trainer that has won a Derby “what is your ultimate goal?” their answer will be “to win the Kentucky Derby”

Louisville, KY:
Where is, Keefer, the son of Smarty Jones who won his first outing and where can we see him next? And do Zayat stables have any smarty's offspring to look forward to?

Sonbol:
Keefer chipped his ankle after his maiden win this summer and he had surgery and he has started back training. Expect to see him back in the Fair Grounds meet when he is ready. He is the only Smarty we have. He is a very nice horse though. In addition to his talent he is a very good minded, very smart and a really nice horse to be around. We expect him to have a big future.

Pasadena, CA.:
Is it true that the relationship with Bill Mott has ended?

Sonbol:
Actually that is not completely true. Bill Mott still has one horse for us. He just ran a very nice 2yo for us by the name of Miro last weekend. He is a half brother to Mushka. He ran a very good 2nd first time out and we expect him to be a factor on the Derby trail next year. We obviously do not have as many horses as we used to have with Bill. That is no reflection of what I think of him as a trainer because if that was the case he would have every horse of mine in his barn. He is a phenomenal horseman and a stand up person. However, I have to look at our program as a whole and at this point of its maturity it needed some reshuffling and refocusing.

Pismo Beach, CA:
Zayat Stables didn't like the synthetic surfaces in California and took their string of horses to the east coast dirt. Since Baffert got two Breeders’ Cup races this year, are you consider coming back with more horses?

Sonbol:
Well we actually shipped 18 horses back to California. The fact that Baffert won 2 Breeders’ Cup races is not the reason though we are returning. Bob is a great trainer and he didn’t need to win 2 more Breeders’ Cup for me to send some horses back to him. Bob doesn’t need to prove anything to anyone. With the amount of success we had with Bob we cannot see our self back in California without having horses with him. The fact of the matter is that we made the decision to pull out of California the first time because the inconsistency of the surface and that the race tracks were still experimenting with it. With the amount of money we have invested in this business we cannot afford to have someone to build their learning curve on our expense. With horses you are competing against other horses and time. And time is never on your side. While Mr. Zayat was out in California the first summer they first installed the poly track in Del Mar he was able to see the problems that everyone complained about all meet that year and he was ahead of the curve and moved all his horses back east which resulted in a phenomenal Saratoga meet for us were we won 18 races. We returned back for Santa Anita that winter when they installed the cushion track but the surface was not draining and I this is when we decided to leave again. Mr. Zayat has been monitoring the new pro ride surface all of Oak Tree meet and he finds it to be very fair. We also have been having very good reports from the trainers and other owners who race in California. So hopefully third time is a charm.

Boston, Massachusetts:
Hello Sonbol, Congratulations on all of the success you and Zayat Stable have experienced. What common trait or traits do you find in your top performing race horses?

Sonbol:
Thank you very much for your kind words. I think the good horses know they are good and are not humble about it. So I guess the right word to describe it would be class. You can feel it when you are around them, It’s in the way they react to their environment, in the way they carry themselves, in the way they look at you, in the way they show courage and heart to win a head bob or to fight off a challenger. I do not really know how to describe it because it is really an indescribable trait and it is different from one horse to another. But you can always tell it when you see it. On a lighter note almost every good colt we have or had has some sort of tongue fixation. It started with EZ Warrior running with his tongue hanging all the way out but I noticed that after that in Thorn Song, Belgravia, Forefathers, Riley Tucker and more. I always find it amusing especially Forefathers who always sticks his tongue out when any one is playing with him.

Montreal, Canada:
Hello Mr. Sonbol, Can you provide an update on the brilliant colt Maimonides? How is Pioneerof the Nile progressing? Thank you.

Sonbol:
Well I am happy to tell you that Maimonides is training in Gulfstream Park getting ready for the meet. I was actually down there last Saturday to see him train and he looked great, like 4.6 million dollars. Pioneerof the Nile is now training in California and is being pointed to the Cash Call Futurity G1. He just worked an easy half on Sunday. Gomez will ride him in the race. This colt has a very bright future ahead of him and we are very excited because he is actually our first and only home bred that is running and being a May foal Empire Maker, I do not think we have even seen close to what he is capable of.

Lexington, KY:
As RM do you decide where and when horses are entered or do you let the various trainers you use decide?

Sonbol:
Actually the decision to run horses is done in collaboration with our trainers. Every week we have a conference call with every trainer to go through every horse and we discuss their options and decide on what is the best spot for the horse.

Miami, OH:
What is the main objective for Zayat stable?

Sonbol:
Well generally speaking Mr. Zayat’s goal or objective is to develop young horses in to top echelon horses that would compete in the highest level of our sport. This is what he enjoys doing. It’s a great feeling to buy those horses at a young age, see them develop and try to see them fulfill their full potential. We hope to take these young horses with good pedigrees and talent and develop them in to top stallions and broodmares.

Saddle Brook NJ:
What is most important to you in selecting a trainer?

Sonbol:
Well every trainer in different and you have to look at them individually. But generally speaking the key elements are discipline, transparency, communication and of course their horsemanship. Also its important for a relationship to succeed is to have chemistry and to always be at ease with your trainers, to speak your mind and to always have open discussions.

Newell, WV:
I work at a race track and I really have no idea what a racing manager actually does. I see most big outfits have one now a days, so what is it that you do?

Sonbol:

Well I am glad you asked this question. A lot of big outfits have a racing manager that mainly serves as a communication tool between the owner and their various trainers. I find that model to be one that would not yield success. Fortunately Mr. Zayat runs our stable differently. He and his son Justin are very involved in the day to day operations of the stable. So actually because of that my job involves more planning, strategy and follow-up. To give you a better idea of our regular mode of apparatus we have a weekly conference call with every trainer which Mr. Zayat himself is on. On this call we go horse per horse and discuss them in detail. We talk about their next start or discuss their previous start and try to put a plan that suits the horse best. In preparation for that I do a lot of portfolio management where I try to asses every horse, their readiness to run and their level of talent and I study all the condition books and stakes books to try to find them the best spots where they will be competitive. As we have more than 150 horses in training an important part of my portfolio management is to make sure my horses are not competing against each other. So you try to separate them. Mr. Zayat is very hands on and likes to be involved on a day to day basis and he knows exactly what is going on with every horse of his so it really makes Zayat Stables function more effectively and I think it really helps the trainers to have an owner that is that hands on but does not micro manage. That is only the horses in training part. There are many more things that you have to keep track of like your new crop being prepped every year and the mating of our mares. Everything is done in house at Zayat Stables.

I also work as part of the team that selects the yearling and 2yo. I also manage the Zayat Stables from an administrative and financial perspective. As you can see it is a huge responsibility and I am honored that Mr. Zayat put his faith in me but honestly speaking if it wasn’t for the fact that he was so hands on this would have never had worked. When I first started in the Thoroughbred industry I quickly figured out that this is not a job this is a life style. There are no such things as weekends or 9 to 5 days. This is a commitment that you have to sacrifice a lot for it and tell you the truth I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Pittsburgh, PA:
Congratulations on all your success! What are the future plans for Z Fortune and Z Humor? Can you please comment a little regarding their personalities and conformation? Thank you!

Sonbol:

Thank you very much. Z Fortune had some time off to recover from an ankle chip he is back with Steve Asmussen to prep for a 4yo campaign. Z Fortune is a very laid back horse but was still immature as a 3yo. He is a kind of horse which I believe will be an even better 4yo with more maturity and growth. He is a big horse, very correct, a very strong hind end and a great shoulder on him. He also has great bone on him. Z Humor is a totally different type of horse. He was more precocious than Z Fortune, he is a very pretty horse which is not a common train for his sire Distorted Humor. When we first bought him he was heavy fronted and a bit rugged. He is out of an AP Indy mare so as he matured the AP Indy started showing more in him where he got stretchier. He is a very athletic and sound horse. We will try him on the grass next. His breeding suggests that he should take to it.

Las Vegas, NV:
I read recently that Mr. Zayat has returned some of his horses to California. How many horses are being sent to California and is Bob Baffert going to train for Mr. Zayat again?

Sonbol:
Yes we returned to California. I have sent 17 horses out there of which 9 are in Bob Bafferts barn already.

Erlanger, KY:
You had a bunch of horses in the recent Keeneland sale that were bought back. What are going to do with them and were you asking too much for them?

Sonbol:
Most of these horses were put back in training and some were sold privately after the sale. We actually were asking very fair prices for the horses. I was even arguing with Mr. Zayat that he is putting very low reserves on the horses. If you look at the results you will see that the horses were bought back at very low prices. For example Got The Last laugh who is a graded stakes winning son of Distorted Humor that defeated Street Sense was bought back for $90,000. While I had s private offer on the horse for a lot more than that, this was a horses in training sale, not a fire sale. I think that the horses in training sale is a work in progress. I am not unhappy with the results at all. I think that we have learned and the consumer has also learned from it. It will take time for it to develop in to what we want it to be but we are willing to invest this time because it is a market that is crucial for our business. Also, a disappointing fact is that some of the agents looking to buy a colt or a stallion prospect do not want to the official price to be disclosed when they are making a purchase to be able to later sell or syndicate the horse at whatever price they want. So buying from a public auction is not a venue they want to pursue. But as I said before this is a work in progress and eventually it will work out. For example we have learned that next year we will put all the colts on one day instead of spreading them out throughout the sale.

Las Vegas, NV:
I saw recently that Garrett Gomez has opted to ride Pioneerof The Nile in the CashCall Futurity at Hollywood Park? Will he now be campaigned on the west coast or is he merely just shipping in for this one race?

Sonbol:
Yes Pioneerof The Nile will run in the Cash Call Futurity and Gomez will ride. He will stay in the west coast. He was shipped to Bob Baffert last week and has had an easy half mile last Sunday morning.

New York, N.Y:
I noticed that Premium Wine did not sell at Keeneland, what is the plan for him?

Sonbol:
We will give Premium Wine the winter off and come back and campaign him in next spring. He will probably be pointed on a similar path as this year’s starting with the Carter G1 in April.

Astoria, New York:
Dear Mr. Sonbol: great job with thorn song, do you see Bob Baffert training again for Zayat stables in the near future?

Sonbol:
Thank you very much. Thorn Song is a great horse and we are lucky to have him. I am also happy to report that we will race him again in 2009. As for Bob Baffert we have sent horses back to him last week. He has 9 for us right now including Pioneerof The Nile.

Norwich, New York:
How could I belong to a racing stable as an apprentice trainer with no experience and very limited income?...

Sonbol:
Well you have to be committed to this industry and willing to start from the bottom mucking stalls. Go the race track and start working on the back side. Work hard and you will work your way up.

La Costa, CA:
If Ahmed could fix one problem in the racing business what would he say that is?

Sonbol:
Well I am glad that your asked this question. Well there are two things that I would say he would fix and they are related. The first being the lack of leadership in the business. There needs to be a leadership in the game that will unite us for a common cause which will regulate and better the game. Unfortunately this void has created divides and constant disputes which has left our business vulnerable to outside scrutiny and no one wins. The other thing is the disconnect between the industry and the fans. Mr. Zayat is always saddened when he goes to a track like Belmont Park on a big day and the place looks like a ghost town. We have a beautiful sport but it has lost its allure. You can see what has happened to Nascar and Poker and how they have drawn fans in while we have chased fans out.

Paris, Ky:
Hi Sobhy and thanks for taking my question. Do you all plan to be active again in this year's two year old sales and how do you think the economy will affect those horses?

Sonbol:
Yes absolutely we will be active in the 2yo in training sales. We start every year with about 70 2yo olds. So far we have around 50 so we have another 20 to go. We have had good luck with the 2 yo in training sales. We bought 2 G1 winners from them. Point Ashley and Thorn Song. We also bought Baroness Thatcher, Marcavelly, EZ Warrior and J Be K. I think that the market will defiantly affect those horses especially the middle and the lower end of the market. The “Big Horse” will still bring big money but I think the rest of the market get hit. However, the yearlings that were bought by the pinhookers had already had some market adjustments in their purchase price and hence I do not expect the decline to be as steep as it was in the November sale.

Elmont, New York:
Mr.Zayat has invested Numerous millions into this game. With approximately 276 horses there must be a tremendous upkeep. With the money Invested the way your organization buys horses at sales and this tremendous monthly expense does your company have a plan to make money or even break even.

Sonbol:
Although horses are Mr. Zayat’s passion he still runs Zayat Stables as a business and our goal is to defiantly make it a profitable business. This is why Mr. Zayat spends more than 75% of his time in Zayat Stables.

Lexington, KY:
How many horses do you plan to nominate to next year's Triple Crown and who are the best 2-year-olds in your stabled that we can watch on the road to the Kentucky Derby?

Sonbol:
Well I am not sure about the number of horses that we will be nominating this year but I expect it to be similar to last year. Our most accomplished 2yo so far is our home bred Pioneerof The Nile. He is an Empire Maker that is a May foal so for him to be showing this level of talent at this time of the year is very encouraging. It is too early for me to judge who is the best but the ones that have already broken their maidens looked good are Jazzandthemagician, Professor Z, Star of David and Keefer. We have about 30 2yo olds that have not started yet and are getting ready to run. Some of my best ones have not even run yet.

Paris, KY:
What kind of team do you have assembled to help you with an operation the size of Zayat Stables?

Sonbol:
Well actually the team of Zayat Stables is quite small. Our office consists of 4 people. Mr. Zayat, myself, our office manager Rita and our bookkeeper Ronald. Another very important part of Zayat Stables is Mr. Zayat’s son Justin. Justin is 16 years old but he is going on 25. He is still in high school but he is involved day to day with us at the stable. He is very in tune with racing world and is very active on various blogs and discussion groups. He shares his father’s passion for the game which makes it great environment to work in. The reason why our personnel size would be considered low by some is because of the fact that we are very hands on in our business. We have excellent communication with our trainers and their teams so it makes things go very smoothly, there is a great level of transparency and coordination.

Las Vegas, NV:
Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to take part in Talkin Horses. I love Thorn Song, he is so game on the lead. Is there any truth that he might stand in Italy or Russia when he retires? I'd love to see him stay in a regional program here in the States, or perhaps Canada.

Sonbol:
Well I do not know where the rumors Russia or Italy came from as it is not true. We did have a lot of foreign interest in the colt mainly from Japan. We also had a lot of local interest in him from farms in Kentucky. Thorn Song is a great horse, tough as nails and has a lot of heart. He is durable and has brilliance. All elements to make a good stallion. He will run again next year and then we will decide on stud plans for him. He has earned his way to be able to stand in KY but no matter where he ends up I will be excited to see his babies run one day.

San Buenaventura, CA:
There's an old line in this sport that "nobody gives anything away". Whether it is via the claim box or thru the sales ring, why should anyone think that they can get value from a horse purchased from Zayat Stables?

Sonbol:
Mr. Zayat believes that for any deal to be successful it has to be a win-win situation. This is very important as you want to be successful long term. That is why he always says “you have to leave some meat on the bone for the next owner or else they will never come back”. On the long term and with our size it is beneficial to leave something left in the tank for the next owner than to squeeze the lemon dry. To give you an example we scratched Baroness Thatcher when she was the favorite in the Chilukki S. in CD before the Keeneland November sale because we knew she had a big one in her and we wanted to let the next owner enjoy that. It is simply just good business practices.

Lexington, Ky:
I am a big fan of Marcavelly! I would like to know where he is at now? Congratulations on all of your success and I hear nothing but good things about Zayat's ability to do good business!

Sonbol:
Thank you for your kind words. Marcavelly is an awesome horse. He would have been one of the best milers in the country if he hadn’t bowed his tendon in the Hall of Fame G2 in Saratoga. We have tried and tried to bring him back but unfortunately we could not. We are currently trying to get him the right home at stud.

Pasadena, California:
I recently read that you are branching back out in California. Now you are using Mike Mitchell. Do you think that he knows how to train on synthetic surfaces as well as the turf better than most California trainers?

Sonbol:
Well we are returning to California, we always had a program there which we discontinued during the last year. We will have horses with Mitchell as well as Baffert and Pletcher. I think that he is better in all aspects period. I do not want to single any of my trainers out as I think they are all top-notch and can train on any surface. I think Mike Mitchell is a great horseman and has the ability to bring out the best in a horse.

Omaha, NE:
In times like now when the economy is tough. Do you see Zayat stables getting aggressive more so now and getting more for your money?

Sonbol:
Absolutely it’s a good time to buy and support the industry while doing that.