The Werewolf.

Jayson Werth spent 15 years in the big leagues and claims he never got nervous.

Not even in Philly.

Or in October with a World Series on the line.

Then came a racehorse named Dornoch.

And those nerves of steel quickly melted away.

The scene:

2024 Belmont Stakes.

Jayson Werth, now a thoroughbred owner.

Nervous was an understatement.

Dornoch went off at 17-1.

And won!

Watching Werth celebrate is priceless.

Yeah, baseball might have been done with the former World Series winner.

But Jayson Werth—the competitor—was back.

A horse racing champion.

On the baseball diamond, Werth was quite the character.

At 6-foot-5, with shoulder-length hair and a wild beard, he looked less like a right fielder and more like an extra in a Viking movie.

No wonder they called him The Werewolf.

Or The Wolf of First Street.

Watch Jayson Werth walk up to ‘Werewolves of London’.

Call him what you want. The man could put on a show.

As intense as they come.

His career started slowly. Injuries threatened to end it.

Then the Phillies took a chance on him.

Smart move.

Werth helped Philadelphia win the 2008 World Series. The following season, he was an All-Star, belting 36 home runs.

After the 2010 season, Werth hit the lottery, signing a seven-year, $126 million deal with Washington. It surprised a lot of folks, but Werth helped turn the Nationals into a contender.

Watch Werth playoff walk off homerun

Then watch him tell the critics what they can do

He left the Nationals after the 2017 season, hoping for one more shot at glory. But a hamstring injury during a minor league game ended those plans.

Retirement came calling.

After retiring, Werth and his family moved to Florida.

He took up golf.

One day at the clubhouse, TVs were blaring, and Werth noticed the golfers weren’t watching golf.

They were betting on horses.

Werth started asking questions.

Turns out one of his golf partners, Richard Averill, owned racehorses.

So it began.
Before long, Werth was buying small shares in racehorses.

His first race as a part-owner came at Tampa Bay Downs.

Werth stood in the paddock—the area where horses are saddled—and listened as the trainer and jockey talked strategy.

He had no idea how much planning went into a race.

Then his horse stepped onto the track.

Werth started tugging at his collar.

Those competitive nerves were back.

Then came Dornoch.

Werth bought a 10% stake in Dornoch, who had finished a disappointing 10th in the 2024 Kentucky Derby.

But five weeks later, Dornoch stunned the field, winning the Belmont Stakes. The following month, he won the Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park.

Watch Jayson Werth go absolutely nuts after Dornoch wins the Belmont Stakes.

Werth had found the feeling he thought was gone.

Yes, Werth was all in.

He formed a racing group called Two Eight Racing—a nod to his old uniform number.

Then came Icon Racing.

The idea: give more people—including former athletes—a chance to own a racehorse.

Werth knows they don’t all become Dornoch.

Perhaps that’s exactly why it works for him.

The uncertainty.

The nerves.

The chance to win—and lose—with a team again.

Jayson Werth says he wasn’t looking for a second act.

Horse racing found him.

And they’re off to the races.

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Have a great weekend.

John Boxley
High N Tight