NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Wheels Up has announced a sponsorship of thoroughbred racehorse American Pharoah as he contends at the Belmont Stakes on June 6 to become the first Triple Crown winner since 1978.
As part of the sponsorship, Wheels Up branding will appear as the sole logo on the pant legs of American Pharoah’s Jockey Victor Espinoza, and Wheels Up will have a presence at other events surrounding this historic Triple Crown Run.
Wheels Up is a revolutionary membership-based private aviation company that significantly reduces the upfront cost to fly private while providing unparalleled flexibility, service and safety. Wheels Up offers “mission-appropriate” aircraft with guaranteed availability on its “members-only” private fleet of brand new Textron Aviation Beechcraft King Air 350i and Citation Excel/XLS aircraft.
“We are excited to add American Pharoah and Jockey Victor Espinoza to our growing list of Wheels Up Ambassadors. They are in great company with other Member Ambassadors including Rickie Fowler, J.J. Watt, Kirk Herbstreit and Erin Andrews,” said Kenny Dichter, Founder and CEO of Wheels Up. “Once people start to wear the Wheels Up colors, the magic happens; winners fly Wheels Up.”
“Leading into Belmont, our team is excited to partner with Wheels Up, America’s fastest growing private aviation firm which is laser-focused on getting its members from Point A to Point B with speed, efficiency and safety,” said Ahmed Zayat, CEO of Zayat Stables and owner of American Pharoah. “Team American Pharoah shares the same goals and vision as Wheels Up as we look to soar into the Winner’s Circle on Saturday.”
The deal was managed by NYC-based Leverage Agency, the exclusive sales and marketing agency for American Pharoah. In 2014, Leverage managed the sponsorships for Triple Crown contender California Chrome, which included major deals with Skechers and Breathe Right.
“Wheels Up is an innovative brand that is changing the landscape of private aviation,” said Ben Sturner, CEO of Leverage Agency. “This is the perfect time for Wheels Up to enter the sport of horse racing as a sponsor with a horse like American Pharoah, which embodies its core values, as it contends for the much-anticipated and very exciting Triple Crown.”
Trained by the legendary Bob Baffert at Zayat Stables in Hackensack, NJ, American Pharoah began this year with wins in the Rebel Stakes and Arkansas Derby before going on to win both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.
About Zagat Stables:
Ahmed Zayat first entered Thoroughbred racing in 2005, and in one decade, has amassed some of the most prominent successes in the industry. From 2005 to 2015, Zayat Stables has ranked among the top five owners in North America seven times, including #1 in 2008 and 2015. They have also been leading owner at some of North America's most prestigious race meets, including Del Mar and Saratoga. Zayat Stables was honored to win their first Eclipse Award in 2014 and first Classic races in 2015, with homebred champion American Pharoah.
About Wheels Up:
Wheels Up is a revolutionary membership-based private aviation company that significantly reduces the upfront cost to fly privately, while providing unparalleled flexibility, service and safety. Created and led by Kenny Dichter, the Founder of Marquis Jet and innovator of the 25-hour fractional jet card, Wheels Up offers “mission-appropriate” aircraft with guaranteed availability on its “members-only” private fleet of new King Air 350i and Citation Excel/XLS aircraft. Operating with an 8760 culture (24 hours a day, 365 days of the year), the Company offers individual, family and corporate members exceptional world-class service with around the clock support. The cutting-edge Wheels Up mobile app enables members to seamlessly book flights, manage their accounts, and participate in ride share opportunities to maximize the value of the Wheels Up membership experience. Wheels Up Members also have access to the Wheels Down program, featuring exclusive lifestyle events and experiences, unique partner benefits and a full-service luxury concierge, which is also integrated in the Wheels Up app.
Wheels Up acts as agent for the Wheels Up members, and is not the operator of the program aircraft; FAA licensed and DOT registered air carriers participating in the program exercise full operational control of the program aircraft. Any aircraft owned or leased by Wheels Up are dry leased to the operating air carrier to facilitate operations by that carrier. For additional information, please visit www.WheelsUp.com.
About Leverage Agency
Leverage Agency is a full service sports, entertainment, and media marketing company. Its accomplished staff brings deep expertise in creating 360° marketing partnerships through branded packaging, sponsorship sales, content creation/distribution, public relations, experiential marketing, and asset valuation/ROI analytics. Headquartered in New York City, with offices in Los Angeles and Miami, Leverage provides insight-driven strategies and develops customized programs for clients to engage their target consumers through impactful marketing campaigns. For more information, please visit: www.leverageagency.com
