A certain World Series champion officially reached the pinnacle of horse racing when the 3-year-old colt crossed the finish line in the Belmont Stakes on Saturday.
Jayson Werth, a former All-Star outfielder for the Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals, is one of Dornoch’s co-owners. When Dornoch took home the final of the Triple Crown at Saratoga Race Course, in addition to the prestige that comes with victory, the ownership team earned $1.3 million.
Fox Sports Werth was asked after the race how Dornoch’s victory compared to his World Series championship with the Phillies in 2008, and he tied the two trophies together.
“I’ll put it right by winning on the biggest stage. Horse racing is the most underrated sport in the world, bar none. It’s the biggest sport, you’ve got the Derby, the Preakness, the Belmont. We just won. The Belmont is as good as horse racing gets.
– Jayson Werth
Despite finishing 10th in May’s Kentucky Derby, Darnoch’s top finish wasn’t a total shock. His brother, Maj, won the Derby in 2023 and he entered Saturday with the sixth-best odds in the field.
Jason Werth’s horse Dornoch wins the Belmont Stakes! pic.twitter.com/NvdlHEIW1z
— Crossing Broad (@CrossingBroad) June 8, 2024
Life follows art pic.twitter.com/wnapTqXTSo
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) June 8, 2024
Werth, 44, last played in the big leagues in 2017.
After two years with the Toronto Blue Jays and two with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Werth landed with the Phillies in 2007. Werth made his first and only All-Star appearance in 2009, months removed from Philadelphia’s World Series title.
Werth signed with the Nationals prior to the 2011 season, joining the club just as they were coming off their own trade. He spent seven seasons with the franchise, earning NL MVP votes in 2013 and 2014.
The outfielder tried to continue his career with the Seattle Mariners in 2018, but he retired that summer.
In his MLB career, Werth was a .267 hitter with 1,469 hits, 229 home runs, 799 RBI, 132 stolen bases, an .816 OPS and 29.2 WAR. His career earnings are nearly $142 million.
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