World Series folk hero Jayson Werth has been able to capture a similar high in horse racing.
Werth, the longtime former MLB outfielder, is one of the owners of Flying Mohawk in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby. Last year, his horse Dornoch won the Belmont Stakes, the final leg of the Triple Crown. He told the Front Office Sports social team at Churchill Downs this week that this feeling was “comparable” to when he was a member of the 2008 Phillies World Series squad.
“We started Icon Racing this year and the goal is to bring new owners into the sport. I think you really change the experience when you own the horse. That’s what we’re trying to do. We raised a little over $3 million last year and brought 24 new owners into the sport and we’ll continue to do that year-in and year-out hopefully,” Werth said, as he explained the life cycle of a race horse.
“I think from the ownership standpoint, when you own the horse it’s super rewarding because you follow the horse through its whole career,” he said. “They start when they’re one [year old], they go through the training, they become professional athletes, they get in the track, and you see what they can do. Just like any professional athlete, some have great careers, some have okay careers, some get injured. You have the whole gambit.”
The emotions have been high.
“As an owner, you get to experience game day and race day emotions similar to what I experienced every day playing. I said that winning the Belmont [Stakes] last year was comparable to winning the World Series, and it was,” Werth continued. “Going into the Derby tomorrow, we will be incredibly nervous and anxious and out of our minds on the walk over. It’s one of the most prestigious things you can do in all of sports. When those horses are going to the gates it’s truly nerve-wracking, but when the gates open and those horses come out and they start racing, you feel like you’re back on the field and it’s an incredible experience.”
Flying Mohawk has about 30-to-1 odds to win the Derby on Saturday.
Werth’s MLB career extended from 2002 to 2017, with the Blue Jays, Dodgers, Phillies, and Nationals. He was an All-Star in 2009.
