The owner of the horse currently vying for Triple Crown honors has been accused of failing to honor a $1.65m online gambling debt.

Ahmed Zayat (pictured), who owns Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner American Pharoah, was sued in March by a Florida man who claims Zayat owes him $1.65m. In a filing with US District Court in New Jersey, Howard Rubinsky says he acted as a “recruiter” for internationally licensed online gambling sites and that Zayat was one of his clients.

Rubinsky was connected with the illegal betting operation run by brothers Michael and Jeffrey Jelinsky, who pled guilty in 2009 to felony bookmaking charges in Nevada. Rubinsky himself pled guilty to illegal transmission of wagering information, money laundering and abetting, but avoided jail time, settling for a three-year probationary sentence.

Rubinsky claims he had a “personal services” contract with Zayat under which he agreed to provide Zayat with “a place to wager.” Rubinsky says he originally hooked Zayat up with Pinnacle Sports but Zayat was banned from the site after winning $2.8m in a short period.