While American Pharoah has been winning six of his seven races and making his way to a historic bid next month for thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown, his owner, Ahmed Zayat, has been contesting a federal lawsuit brought by a felon that alleges Mr. Zayat has failed to pay a $2 million debt he ran up betting via a website in Costa Rica.
The breach-of-contract suit was filed last March in United States District Court in New Jersey by Howard Rubinsky, 58, who pleaded guilty in 2008 for his role in an illegal bookmaking operation with two brothers, Michael and Jeffrey Jelinsky, who Mr.