Ahmed and Joanne Zayat, in South Florida where their American Pharoah is expected to be crowned with racing's top honor later today, are OK following a fire in the couple's suite late Jan. 15 at the Diplomat Resort and Spa in Hollywood, Fla.
"We had a major fire in our room last night," Ahmed Zayat said in a message early Jan. 16, adding that the living room in the suite on the 30th floor was destroyed. "It was very scary but thank God nobody got hurt. We are very fortunate and lucky."
Zayat, who did not say what caused the fire, said there was some damage to clothing and other property as a result of the sprinkler system being deployed.
No one at the hotel nor the Hollywood Fire Department responded to inquiries about the fire.
The Zayats are expected to be on stage a lot later Jan. 16 when the Eclipse Awards are presented at Gulfstream Park, as all connections of the Triple Crown winner, who is expected to be crowned Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old male, are finalists in their respective categories.