Photo by Intrepid for TalkNats
If you know baseball, you know Jayson Werth. He retired from baseball in 2018. His career, which spanned fifteen years included a World Series ring, an All-Star game, and multiple years of MVP votes. The baseball world was shocked on December 5, 2010 when Werth, a free agent at the time, chose the last place Nats as his final MLB team in a mega deal at the time that went for over $120 million.
Like many retired baseball players, he looked for something fulfilling to keep him occupied post-retirement – an outlet that would fuel his desire for excitement and adrenaline and sports competition. Well, judging by the title, you can probably guess what he found. Werth discovered that horse racing provided the rush of competition that he craved.
In this article, we take a look at how the former baseball superstar has found his second wind in the world of horse racing.
His Initial Introduction
Newly retired, Werth moved his family and his World Series ring down to Florida. Like many retirees, he took up golf. And at the country club of his choice, he met who else? A man passionate about breeding thoroughbred horses.
This gentleman, Richard Averell from south Florida, is a thoroughbred owner and breeder who introduced Werth to the idea of becoming one himself.
Together, they went to the Tampa Bay Downs, where Werth first received a behind-the-scenes look at racing. While witnessing a trainer giving instructions to a jockey, he felt the familiar twang of competitive adrenaline. The sport, as it turned out, was more strategic than was immediately apparent from the stands – not so unlike his beloved first pastime of baseball. From that moment on, Werth had his next major passion.
Werth Meets Danny Gargan
And then in 2022, Werth took his horse racing to the next level. A trip to Keeneland, at the September yearling sale, he met a trainer by the name of Danny Gargan. And Gargan had a colt that he believed could make a run at the Kentucky Derby.
Though inexperienced, Werth took an immediate interest. He bought in through a recently established company designed for just such purposes: his brand 28 Racing, which takes its name from his jersey number.
Werth purchased a colt by the name of Dornoch. Dornoch debuted in July of 2023, finishing second place at Saratoga, losing only to future Travers Stakes winner Seize the Grey. Later that year, Dornoch would claim a few victories that would help qualify him for the Derby. That year, the horse would finish in a disappointing 10th place after having been assigned the inside post, number one, which for people who don’t know, is considered a considerable disadvantage at the Derby. But the horse would not be kept down for long.
Belmont 2024
After experiencing disappointment at the Kentucky Derby, Dornoch would finally experience a great win at Belmont in 2024.
Dedicated racing fans may recall that this year has a sort of asterisk by it in the eyes of purists. Belmont Park was under renovation, so the event was held instead at Saratoga. Werth and his team put little stock in the controversy. They showed up with the intention of winning, and did.
Now, Werth is a mainstay in the racing community. He continues to invest in horses and contribute to the sport both financially and as a powerful ambassador.
An Icon of the Sport
Horse racing is interesting. If not unique, the stars of the show – the animals themselves – are, while memorable, ultimately only in the public eye for a short amount of time. A professional career lasts a couple of seasons at most. Most people will see very famous animals perform at Triple Crown events and then never again anywhere else. Names are remembered only when they’re notable, perhaps humorous.
Jockeys, trainers, and managers are equally obscure to the public. Name a famous jockey. Go on, we’ll wait. It’s interesting, isn’t it, that a billion-dollar industry can exist with very little in terms of name recognition?
But wait. There are consistent presences and faces that genuinely do help promote the sport. Most of them come in the form of celebrity ambassadors. The Breeders’ Cup, which will happen in November of this year, is a really good example. The event is focused very specifically on racing, but it also built out a cultural presence in the form of celebrity ambassadors and fashion components that call attention to more than just the Breeders’ Cup results.
Jayson Werth has himself become a staple in the tradition of celebrity ambassadorship. The retired outfielder has even taken to judging events like the Permanently Disabled Jockey Fund’s jockey cookout fundraiser and other moments here and there that help keep public attention on horse racing. He also has become part of the media blending baseball and horse racing along with current event on his Off the Rail by Icon Racing podcast and Vlog on YouTube with former Nats’ reliever Shawn Kelley.
What began as a hobby for the former outfielder has proven life-changing for him and highly impactful for the game he now loves. And guess what, contact JDub if you want to be his partner as his Icon Racing is open for qualified investors who want to dip their toes in the horse racing and breeding business.
