Baseball meets horse racing at Travers Stakes

Baseball and horse racing are some of America’s oldest sports, which date back to the 19th century. They have always had strong connections. 

During the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga, fans of both sports witnessed that link at its best when Dornoch crossed the finish line first. Nearby, one of his owners, former Major League Baseball star Jayson Werth, was cheering on the three-year-old colt every step of the way.

“Just being in the Belmont, being in the Derby, it’s a huge accomplishment,” said Werth after the race. “I can’t explain what it’s like to be an owner and have a horse in the race. To win it, out of this world.”

Prior to horse racing, Werth played 15 major league seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers, Washington Nationals — and Philadelphia Phillies, with whom he won the 2008 World Series.

“I tell people, it’s like you’re sitting in the dugout and you’re in a tight game, a big game. And you got guys on base and somebody just doubled in the gap and you’re running, you’re cheering on your guys to try to score from first. That’s kind of like what it’s like,” Werth said.

It’s a sport that found him, according to Werth, after retiring from baseball. A couple years ago at the Keeneland Sale, he met trainer Danny Gargan and thoroughbred owner Randy Hill, and the rest was history.

“Jayson is a lot of fun,” said Gargan, the trainer for Dornoch. “He brings a lot of press. He’s actually really good for horse racing. He does great interviews, and I couldn’t be more proud of the job and the kind of ambassador he’s brought to this. And, I’m very happy that he’s a part of it.”

This Saturday, Werth will be back at Saratoga to watch Dornoch, who also won the Haskell Stakes last month, try to make it three wins in a row when the horse gets saddled for the 155th running of the $1.25 million Travers Stakes.

“He does really well here. We’re really happy with how he’s doing, and he loves it here,” Gargan said. “And, we couldn’t be more pleased with how he’s coming into the race.”

Dornoch will enter the “Midsummer Derby” as the morning-line favorite with jockey Luis Saez. The colt can probably expect some new fans rooting for him in this 10-furlong race, thanks to one of his owners.

“You can bet all day long, but until you own one, it’s a game changer,” Werth said. “So I think this sport is just scratching the surface of what it can be and where it can go. And we need to get more retired athletes in this game.”

Post time is 6:10 p.m. on Saturday, and Dornoch will be starting from the seventh position.