Kentucky Derby: Jayson Werth, Johnny V, and Brad Cox

Summary

Andy Beshear Podcast

Episode: Kentucky Derby: Jayson Werth, Johnny V, and Brad Cox

Date: April 30, 2026

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Episode Overview

In celebration of the Kentucky Derby, Governor Andy Beshear hosts the second annual Derby episode live from Churchill Downs. This special, politics-free episode brings listeners inside the pageantry, traditions, and rollercoaster emotions of Derby week, featuring candid and often humorous conversations with horse racing legends and a surprise visit from a World Series baseball star-turned-owner. The episode includes in-depth interviews with Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez (“Johnny V”), top trainer Brad Cox, and MLB World Series champion-turned-racehorse owner Jayson Werth, plus insights from Churchill Downs General Manager Mike Ziegler. The focus is on the human side of the sport: the thrill of winning, the heartbreak of loss, family traditions, and how new energy—including from pro athletes—keeps Kentucky’s racing spirit alive.

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Table of Contents

• Introduction & Derby Atmosphere (00:23–07:17)
• Interview: John Velazquez, Hall of Fame Jockey (08:32–25:44)
• Interview: Brad Cox, Leading Trainer (26:55–45:29)
• Churchill Downs Insights with GM Mike Ziegler (45:45–55:04)
• Interview: Jayson Werth, MLB Veteran & Racehorse Owner (56:14–73:49)
• Notable Quotes
• Memorable Moments & Timestamps

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Kentucky Derby Atmosphere & The Spirit of the Day

[00:23–07:17]

• Setting & Excitement: The episode is broadcast live from a studio overlooking Churchill Downs’ paddock. The hosts reflect on Derby week’s unmatched energy, camaraderie, family traditions, and pageantry.
  • “There’s not a better time of year in our commonwealth than right now.” – John Rabinowitz (00:36)
  • All guests are dressed up, embracing Derby tradition. Playful banter over past “outfits” and fashion mishaps.
• Traditions & Community:
  • The emotional impact of the race, especially the iconic “My Old Kentucky Home”—“the chills, like people are ready for the race to go. The place erupts.” – John Rabinowitz (03:08)
  • Family stories: Both hosts reminisce about attending the Derby as kids, emphasizing how attending with parents remains a rite of passage in Kentucky.
  • The week's schedule has expanded—502 Tuesday, Thurby, Oaks night—reflecting the Derby’s growing popularity.

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Conversation with John Velazquez (“Johnny V”): The Jockey’s Perspective

[08:32–25:44]

• Life as a Hall of Fame Jockey:
  • Johnny recounts his journey from riding ponies in Puerto Rico at age 8 to winning nearly 7,000 races, including four Kentucky Derbies (three officially recognized).
    • “What keeps me coming back? It’s the thrill of winning races.” – Johnny Velazquez (24:47)
• The Mindset of a Champion:
  • Talks about the adrenaline and focus required at Derby time and riding up to 12 races in one day:
    • “The excitement is there right from the first ride… it builds up—all week.” (16:26)
    • “If you feel the crowd coming down the stretch, it’s because you’re not in contention… If you're in the heat of the moment, after the wire, you feel the crowd. Winning, that's the best feeling in the world.” (17:10)
  • Discusses the need to tailor riding strategy to each horse’s personality and how much “homework” goes into understanding horses new and old.
• On Jockey Dangers & The Jockey Injury Fund:
  • Johnny advocates for the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund and describes life-altering risks jockeys face:
    • “The hardest part is coming back from an injury. You have to be positive you can do this again and move on. That’s probably the hardest part to do.” (20:50)
• Advice, Secrets of the Trade, and Lighthearted Stories:
  • Describes winning first Derby on Animal Kingdom without ever riding the horse before; emphasizes adaptability and trust in oneself.
  • Admits to being a fan of the stock market—“I don’t day trade—I invest!” (23:06)
  • Explains that elite jockeys impact race odds and why bettors pay close attention to changes in riders.
  • Humorus banter about unlikely fashion choices and “what you have to do that people wouldn’t expect as a jockey.”

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Interview with Brad Cox: Building a Winning Stable

[26:55–45:29]

• Homegrown Ambitions:
  • As a Louisville native, Brad shares how it feels to chase Derby glory in his hometown:
    • “Being part of the Derby is about as high as you can get… crossing the wire first would be the ultimate achievement.” (27:48–28:21)
• Managing Multiple Derby Prospects:
  • Details the challenge of having three Derby horses this year—Further Ado, Commandment, and Full Effort—and describes the massive operation behind the scenes:
    • “Probably 175 [horses] in training, tops.” (31:52)
    • Runs a multi-location, year-round operation and explains owner relations, including keeping expectations in check.
• Industry Trends & The Kentucky Circuit:
  • Discusses the “golden age of Kentucky racing” thanks to strong sales, thriving local industry, and national attention.
  • Reflects on how a major win (with Monomoy Girl in 2018) catapulted his stable to international prominence.
• The Realities of Training:
  • Daily routine: up by 4:15am, hands-on horse care, then paperwork and planning races (“a lot of homework, charting, telephones and texts”).
  • The heartbreak of near-misses: losing the Derby with Mandaloun (placed 1st by DQ) and Essential Quality not running his best.
• Perspectives on the Triple Crown & Industry Evolution:
  • “The time period between Derby and Preakness is too short… I’m all for giving more credit for accomplishments at 2 years old in the points system.” (43:22)
  • Suggests the Belmont distance may be outdated for today’s thoroughbred.
• On Legacy:
  • “I hope people remember me as someone who worked hard and was a good horse person.” (44:50)

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Churchill Downs Behind the Scenes: Mike Ziegler, General Manager

[45:45–55:04]

• Managing Derby Week:
  • Describes the ever-increasing Derby crowds—“doubled this year” compared to last year’s Tuesday— and the privilege he feels seeing so many enjoying the spectacle.
  • Shares that Derby day runs from 5am–1am; tradition of debriefing with team and pizza is a personal highlight.
• The New Paddock Project:
  • Game-changer for Churchill Downs—now fans are greeted by the Twin Spires and horses, creating a communal focal point. “Meet me at the paddock and everyone knows where to go.” (47:56)
  • Derby as a networking and hospitality event for major sporting bids (e.g., US Gymnastics Trials).
• Derby by the Numbers:
  • 1,000 pounds of local Kentucky mint prepared, 300,000 mint juleps served (51:05–51:33).
  • Discussion of signature drinks (Lily for Oaks) and the “blackberry issue.”
• Best Ways to Experience Derby:
  • For newcomers: “The coolest thing is how close you get to the action. You’re 5 feet from the Derby horses, 10 feet from the jockeys.” (52:26)
  • Home viewers: “Buy a bottle of Woodford Reserve, get a hat, throw a Derby party.”
• Evolving Churchill Downs:
  • Announces major new “Victory Run” seating/dining project—“closing the gap in the smile.”
  • On Derby’s bucket-list status: “If you’ve never done it, you’ve got to do it once in your life… Sights, sounds, smells—there’s no other way to describe it.” (54:44)

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<a name="werth"></a>

Jayson Werth: From World Series to Winner’s Circle

[56:14–73:49]

• From Baseball Royalty to Racing:
  • Grew up surrounded by MLB legends. (“I’m one of maybe five third-generation big leaguers.” [57:36])
  • Shares candid memories and the surreal experience of the rain-delayed 2008 World Series clincher in Philadelphia.
  • On toughest stadium: “To play in Philly is like nothing else. Playing against Philly as the most hated player, there’s something else, too.” (59:43–60:19)
• Horse Racing Origin Story:
  • Fell in love with the sport after retiring, thanks to golf buddies who owned Florida-bred racehorses.
  • Rapid rise: His first major horse, Dornoch, ran 10th in the Derby, then won the Belmont. “One for one.” (61:25)
    • “...we’re onto our third [racing] fund this year, raised about $7 million to buy racehorses and run in Kentucky.” (61:22)
• Comparing Baseball & Racing:
  • Finds the same “adrenaline rush” in racing—sometimes even more so due to lack of control:
    • “When the horses leave the gate... it's almost like being in the dugout in a big game.” (62:33)
    • “When they win the race, it's like winning Game 7. We won the Belmont; I said it was like winning the World Series.” (63:05)
  • Cherishes unique aspect of horse racing: Winning (or losing) with family and friends.
• Building Icon Racing & Bringing in New Blood:
  • Describes running owner syndicates—“10% ownership, 100% of the fun”—so more people get to participate in big races. Passionate about transparency, education, and growing the sport.
  • On welcoming former pro athletes to ownership: “A lot of guys are waiting to see how we do. Their financial advisors tell them not to invest in horse racing, and I tell their advisors to...” (69:06)
• Family, Fame & Future Dreams:
  • Sharing his passion with his son, who went from skeptical to obsessed and now looks to combine a finance degree with the Kentucky horse industry.
  • Looks forward to moving to Kentucky and dreams of his own horse farm and aftercare initiatives (“somehow, Fly Mohawk will end up living in my backyard.” (73:12))
• Baseball Talk... and Life’s Ironies:
  • Most famous home run? Not in the pros, but in an adult league after retirement: “Of all the meaningful home runs I hit, that's the one with the most views.” (70:57)

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Notable Quotes

• John Velazquez:
  • “Every sport has that stigma—at a certain age they want you to retire. We’re not ready. We win, we’re coming back for another Derby.” (08:43)
  • “If you feel the crowd coming down the stretch, you’re not in contention… when you’re in contention, you’re suffering, totally concentrated. After the wire, you feel the crowd.” (17:10)
• Brad Cox:
  • “Being part of the Derby is about as high as you can get… Looking forward to crossing the wire first.” (27:48)
  • “I wish I could bubble wrap these Derby horses.” (36:51)
• Mike Ziegler:
  • “Derby is a bucket list item. If you’ve never done it, you’ve got to do it once in your life and experience the sights, sounds, and smells for yourself.” (54:44)
• Jayson Werth:
  • “In professional sports, you do it with teammates. In horse racing, you get to win or lose with family and friends—that’s what makes it so great.” (64:05)
  • “When they win the race, it’s like winning Game 7—or the World Series.” (63:05)
  • “A lot of people wait to see how we do. Their financial advisors tell them not to invest in horse racing, and I tell their advisors to…” (69:06)

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Memorable Moments & Timestamps

• Derby’s unique standing as a family and cultural event:
  • Stories of hosts attending first Derby with their parents and the “bucket list” emotional impact. (03:25–06:00)
• Johnny V’s unlikely Derby wins on unfamiliar horses:
  • “My first Derby... I never rode the horse before. Animal Kingdom. Won.” (20:18)
• Brad Cox on industry changes:
  • Describes the “golden age” of Kentucky racing, expansion of Derby week beyond just Saturday, and his hopes for legacies and improved point structures. (33:07, 43:18)
• Mike Ziegler’s Derby “by the numbers”:
  • “We do 300,000 mint juleps, all with local Kentucky mint.” (51:33)
• Jayson Werth’s leap from pro ball to big-time racing:
  • “Icon Racing is on our third fund—about $7 million raised. For us, it’s all about experience: 10% ownership, 100% of the fun.” (61:22–66:54)
• Baseball-retiree humility—most famous HR ever?
  • “Not in the majors—an adult league. That’s the one with the most views.” (70:57)
• Closing: Personal invitations to experience Derby in person, or at home—“There’s magic every day.” (54:44, 55:04)

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Summary

This episode captures the true essence of Kentucky Derby Week: an intoxicating mix of tradition, community, athleticism, and emotional highs and lows. With insights from a Hall of Fame jockey, a star trainer, a baseball legend-turned-owner, and the Churchill Downs GM, listeners are treated not just to inside scoops on the Derby, but to the heart and humanity that make horse racing such a beloved—and growing—Kentucky institution.

Whether you’re a lifelong fan or Derby novice, the lineup of stories and perspectives—delivered with humor, humility, and the camaraderie that defines the culture—offers a top-to-bottom tour of why the Derby is bigger than a single race.

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For additional Derby scenes, behind-the-scenes paddock footage, and future episodes, listeners are encouraged to watch on YouTube at Andy Beshear Podcast and follow @AndyBeshearPodcast on all socials.

Transcript

[John Rabinowitz]

Foreign

[Luckyland Casino Announcer]

choose to lean into it. Every Mazda is engineered to give you effortless control.

[Brad Cox]

I wake up.

[Andy Beshear]

Welcome podcast family. The weight is over and we have been teasing it for weeks, but we are here at Churchill Downs for our second annual Kentucky Derby episode. Guys, are you excited?

[John Rabinowitz]

What a lineup. And by the way, what a day. Thank you, Churchill for allowing us to come out here. There's not a better time of year in our commonwealth than right now.

[Andy Beshear]

This is the only podcast I know that tapes live from the studio looking down on the paddock. We're going to have a great lineup today we have trainer Brad Cox, Three derby horses. He is a three contenders. He has won one Derby, but it was after a disqualification. So he will be looking to be able to hold up that trophy. We have Jason Worth, one of the

[John Rabinowitz]

best baseball players of all time.

[Andy Beshear]

His World Series winner, now an owner. He is hoping to add that Kentucky Derby trophy to that World Series trophy.

[John Rabinowitz]

And I will tell you, Andy, a great advocate for the sport. Really. He's got more athletes involved and invested in the game. So we're really lucky to have him out here.

[Andy Beshear]

For jockeys, we have what one might call the goat, John Velasquez, four time Kentucky Derby winner and hall of Famer

[John Velasquez]

Johnny V. And he has 7,000 races under his belt.

[John Rabinowitz]

And when you guys meet him and talk to him, you'll see how humble he is. He really is the greatest. And we've been blessed on some of our horses to have him ride. Not a more fun guy and just the most talented jockey. One of the most talented jockeys in the world.

[Andy Beshear]

To our listeners, this is the episode where there's no politics, just fun. We encourage you to head over to our YouTube channel at Andy Beshear podcast because everybody dressed up for this one. Because everybody dresses up for Derby.

[John Rabinowitz]

Speaking of dressing up, Andy, do you have your outfit ready?

[Andy Beshear]

Oh, I do.

[John Rabinowitz]

Is it? I mean, John was telling us about his outfit and it sounds really strong.

[Andy Beshear]

Well, those who follow the podcast could look back on our July 4th episode and know that John McConnell will definitely pull out now.

[John Velasquez]

I mean, I'll come to play. I'm not scared. I'll make it happen.

[John Rabinowitz]

He said the temperature agrees with the outfit.

[John Velasquez]

Yes. Yes, it does.

[Andy Beshear]

So is it the the same July 4th outfit?

[John Velasquez]

It is not. It is not.

[Andy Beshear]

No overalls.

[John Velasquez]

What you'll notice is that there's some ways I can dress up, but if Heather, the wife, is around me, she's

[Andy Beshear]

like, no, you're not going to wear

[John Velasquez]

that and be next to me.

[John Rabinowitz]

Is this the first time you've worn this color suit, it is, oh, wow.

[Andy Beshear]

I think I'm going to be there with you. Favorite parts of Derby.

[John Velasquez]

Oh, favorite parts of Derby. Just the pageantry coming and seeing all the people. I mean, you hear about the hats, you hear about everyone being dressed up and enjoying it and hoisting a mint julep. It's just the entire environment that makes it such a vibrant day.

[John Rabinowitz]

And so I'd agree with John. I love the atmosphere. I love the. Our friends and family that are coming. But what gets me every time is the horses come to the gate. My old Kentucky home, like the chills, like people are ready for the race to go. And it's right before the race goes and the place erupts.

[Andy Beshear]

Yep. A couple of years ago, I had somebody change my outlook on Derby in a. In a really fundamental way, because when you're governor, you work on Derby. I walk about eight miles during Derby day. I see about two races because I'm trying to talk to that next CEO that might bring jobs in. And somebody said, well, Andy, if you're going to work, isn't this a pretty good place to work on a pretty good day? And I thought, heck yes.

[John Rabinowitz]

And this looks like, knock on wood, the first time in the last four or five years. We're not going to. You're not going to be walking in the rain.

[Andy Beshear]

Oh, man, now you said it. So, yeah, just about every year at Derby, we get a little bit of rain. This year it is supposed to be dry, but people can listen to this Thursday morning and see if you jinxed us on.

[John Rabinowitz]

No way. I'm totally confident it's going to be great.

[Andy Beshear]

So what, what are you looking forward to this year in terms of. Of the race or what you'll see at Churchill?

[John Velasquez]

I mean, obviously I want to pick the winners when I go because I'm going to be betting on some horses. So when we come into Churchill, really, as. As you enter, you see, you feel it, and you get to see who's going to be racing. Of course, I won't look at it until the day of when I open the books. And then who the trainers are, you'll see some names we've had on the podcast.

[John Rabinowitz]

I'll tell you, for me, this, this race really is wide open. There are some really talented horses. Like, we'll hear Brad talk about the three he has entered, one of which Johnny's riding. I will tell you, Micropoli has the favorite Renegade right now. That's a superstar. And by the way, the Day before, it's not a slouch of a race with the Oaks. I mean, that's going to be a heck of a race.

[Andy Beshear]

And as a reminder to those that don't follow horse racing, these are pretty young horses. And so there's still a lot that's not known about them. They've only run a limited number of races. And so we have seen 50 to 1 long shots come in and win the Kentucky Derby. Rich Strike several years ago was not even in the Derby. The day before they found the jockey at a Northern Kentucky racetrack. He'd never even run a big race called a stakes race, much less a Triple Crown race. And they came home with the trophy that day.

[John Rabinowitz]

I will tell you, Andy, this will be a unique experience for me because this is the first time I'm bringing my parents to the race. They said this has been their dream. This will be a very interesting time for me.

[Andy Beshear]

So do you feel pressure that it's on their bucket list?

[John Rabinowitz]

Yes. I'm very glad that you talked to God and it's not raining because I'd have to walk him around everywhere in the rain. But I will tell you, once I get him here and in the track, I feel like the rest takes care of itself because it's such an incredible atmosphere.

[John Velasquez]

Well, John, you're being a good son. You're being a good son.

[Andy Beshear]

I think first Derby I can remember, I came with my parents. Was Ferdinand winning in the 80s. And then my brother and I would come and we would sit. When you call them the bleachers, they were actual bleachers where the starting line seats are. They would pull out bleachers every year and the same people would go and sit on them. And so in early years they'd bring us food, they bring chicken. And later years they might have wanted the cup but not to drink them in. Julep. I always felt like I had to serve a purpose.

[John Rabinowitz]

But was it always? I mean, we're sitting here on a Tuesday at the track and it's packed. I remember just, you know, Oaks and Derby and even kind of Thurby Thursday being a little bit packed, but all the way now it's busy on a Tuesday.

[Andy Beshear]

Oaks used to be the day that Kentucky and Louisville really celebrated and came out. And that got pushed back to Thursday. And that's where the term therby came from. And then it got pushed back to Wednesday and Now we have 502 Tuesday. It is so popular.

[John Rabinowitz]

What are your thoughts, John, on the Oaks going off at 8:40?

[John Velasquez]

At 8:40, unfortunately, I'm not going to be able to stay here that late. But that's a late race and there's going to be a lot of people because, I mean, the race is going to end and you're going to be here until 9 or 10. So it's, it's.

[John Rabinowitz]

But it's on NBC.

[Andy Beshear]

It is on NBC. We host a gala that night with all our economic development prospects that are there. So just a chance to show them what good Kentucky hospitality is so they'll be able to watch the Oaks on the monitor while enjoying.

[John Rabinowitz]

I love it. Well, it's a great week, guys. I'm so looking forward to it.

[Andy Beshear]

All right, let's get to our guests on this, our second annual Kentucky Derby episode. Our next guest is one of, if not the greatest jockeys of all time. Johnny Velasquez grew up in Carolina, Puerto Rico, where he began riding horses at 4. At 17, he left home to pursue a career in American Thoroughbred racing. And what he built from there is nothing short of legendary. Over more than three decades, he's won nearly 7,000 races, earned over $400 million in purse money, captured four Kentucky Derby victories aboard Street Sense, Animal Kingdom, Always dreaming and authentic. He is a three time Eclipse Award winner and hall of Fame inductee. He is considered one of again, if not the greatest jockey of all time. Welcome to the podcast.

[Johnny Velasquez]

Thank you for having me.

[Andy Beshear]

So it's Kentucky Derby time. You've won this race a number of times. Biggest race of the year. What do you feel when Derby comes around?

[Johnny Velasquez]

Excited, excited, you know. And I have to say, you know, like, I don't. My age is two, actually, with the two oldest and the racer, Mike speaks myself to have the opportunity to be here, you know, and to be part of it, you know. You know, every sport has that stigma they a certain age that they want you to retire, you know, we're not ready to retire yet. We win. We're coming back for another Derby. Trying to win another Derby, actually. So it's exciting. Excited to be here, excited to be part of it. I've been lucky enough to win it four times. Three officially. The fourth one, we leave it alone for now. But I'm looking for the next Derby again. So riding a good horse, really good opportunity in the race. I'm very happy to be part of it. Yes.

[Andy Beshear]

So the first time you got on a horse, you were 14?

[Johnny Velasquez]

Well, that's when I started. First time I was. But I went to the jockey school in Puerto Rico when I was 16. Okay, so a little misleading in the direction of the effects a little bit. My first race, I was 18 when I got my first professional athlete. You know, went to the jockey school when I was 16. Well, yes, but riding horses. I started. I was maybe around eight, nine years old riding horses. Fourteen was my decision. I was 14 years old that I said, I want to be a jockey. You know, I was like, this is what I want to do for.

[Andy Beshear]

Do you remember your first win?

[Johnny Velasquez]

Yes. The name of the horse was Rodas Puerto Rico. That was the third horse I rode. He ended up winning.

[Andy Beshear]

You won in your third race?

[Johnny Velasquez]

My third race, yes.

[Andy Beshear]

And was that the race you said, I can do this?

[Johnny Velasquez]

Well, yes. I mean, there was figures to do really well. And it was for my boss, who I learned with in Puerto Rico. It was ready for me. And you know, one of the things that was set up really well for me, that I did really well in the practice racing before I was a professional. And so I knew the horse already. I was. I was working the horse. I was doing, you know, galloping the horse, working the horse. So when. When the race came, I mean, I was very prepared for it and he didn't let me down.

[Andy Beshear]

So I grew up riding. Not obviously not a jockey or thoroughbred racing, but there are days that you get on a horse where, you know, they have it.

[Johnny Velasquez]

I mean, that's a.

[Mike Ziegler]

Excuse me.

[Johnny Velasquez]

It's a lot of times you get on the horse as soon as you get on the horses, is it. We have a really good chance. But the same thing is the race. So there are many horses in the race that they probably feel as good as yours. So it's going to be better competitive race, but they give you a really good feeling that they're going to run really well. Now it's your job is to manage the energy that the horse has and know the competition as well, you know. So most of the time when you get on the horses, Eagle's like, oh man, this one's still in really good. So now it's me trying to pilot the horse to take the best out of it, you know.

[Andy Beshear]

And what, what do you feel is the. Is. Is the toughest part of the ride? Is it holding back a horse that's ready to go but would expend too much energy? Is it getting that last bit of effort out near the end?

[Johnny Velasquez]

That's exactly a lot of horses though, right? So when you do your homework, you see how the speed gets. The speed is playing the track, how it's playing, how it's playing in the day. And if it's a lot of speed in the race and you horse has speed, like you just said, you're trying to hold that speed to, to save some energy for the end and hopefully the horse allow you to do that though. That's if that's the case. Some horses will not allow you to do that. So you have to let them do whatever is best for them. That's their style of running. So you don't want to take too much out of it by trying to get them off the pace and then they don't have anything to finish with. On the other hand, if you let them do his pace, they run better.

[Andy Beshear]

That's what I think. It's so incredible about what you do. Each horse is different and you're going to have to ride each horse different to get that good result.

[Johnny Velasquez]

Exactly. You have to know the personality of the horses or the style of running though. Although I may, I may say, I may say some horses that we never seen or they haven't run before, that's your first time you, you ride in them. So you basically in a test drive how the horse is going to, it's going to perform in the race for the most part. Horses that run, you know, going in the competition, all your horses and your horses you ride in and how horses run before, if prior to that one. So it's, it's a lot of homework going through. Yes.

[John Rabinowitz]

Johnny, so good to see you. Fred, thank you for taking time. I know you just got here and I do want to talk to you about the race itself coming up on both Friday and Saturday. But before we get to that, I think one thing, guys, I think I've talked to you about before. In my role on the racing commission, Johnny and I have worked throughout the years on a lot of issues concerning jockeys. He was with the Jockey Guild on the board. We worked on the crop rule together for a while before he came in. But you're such a strong advocate for the pdjf. Could you talk a little bit about the fund and what you do for it and why it's so important?

[Johnny Velasquez]

Well, it's just 2026, we still don't have guaranteed funding. The only way that we raise funds for the PDGF is by doing events just like last past week in Kingdom. They did the teletons, raised a lot of money. That's probably the biggest race fund day for the ptgf. We have different events and different racetracks that, you know, helps to raise funds. So the fund is for those guys and girls that get hurt. On the racetrack and can. They can't do it, do anything for themselves. All they have is, you know, and most of these guys that hurt really young, that they don't have any security, Social Security to help them out also, you know, to pay the bills. So all these funds that we do, we try to make them, make life a lot easier for them. Whether we have to pay for their cars, you know, basically the parts, you know, for them to, you know, so they can drive somewhere, you know, that the houses, beds, anything they need. And of course we give a stipend of money every month.

[Andy Beshear]

So that's.

[John Rabinowitz]

It's a tremendous work. And there's some events this week, I think, where money rolls into it, what I've heard. So it's a great thing. Now, I know you just got here, but walk us through what is a week.

[Andy Beshear]

Here we go.

[John Rabinowitz]

In the life of Johnny V. Starting with today. Even at Derby.

[Johnny Velasquez]

Well, it's just a. Yeah, I wrote my first race and I won, by the way. Of course. Right off the plane. Right off the plane, yes. My first race, one for one. So we are really busy, right. So, I mean, we have to do homework for today, for tomorrow, the next day, all the way to Saturday. So there's so many races. So I tried to go day by day and not just think about the Derby when I had to concentrate for the races that I'm riding for this day, for today, tomorrow, the next day. I already have an idea what's going to be the Derby. You know, we have followed those horses from last year to this year and all the prep races. So we know at least my. My homework is already in my head, you know, and then the day of the race, I'll prepare myself for that day, for all those horses. By the way, I ride 12 races that day. 12 races.

[Andy Beshear]

So you had to ride 12 between today?

[Johnny Velasquez]

No nons. 12 on Saturday. 12 races.

[Andy Beshear]

You're gonna run 12 on Saturday.

[John Rabinowitz]

I was gonna say how many this week?

[Johnny Velasquez]

Well, so 10. 10 on Friday, 12. That's 22. I'm in three today and then four tomorrow and then I think Thursday I'm in six. So there's.

[Andy Beshear]

So you work hard a lot of

[Johnny Velasquez]

races to pay attention to when you're

[John Velasquez]

on the horse and you're going around the track getting ready. When does the adrenaline, when does the excitement start to kick in? Is it from the end of the shoot?

[Johnny Velasquez]

Why does it happen? The assignment is right from the first, for the first ride that you arrived. Look at today, it's Tuesday. Yeah, we might Have, I don't know, 40,000 people at the racetrack today. So the assignment's there. It builds up. You know, it's early in the week, and we already built up with assignment, the people, the horses. Obviously, you know, a lot of racing happening right now from today all the way to Saturday. So it's excitement all day, though, you know, and every race that you ride, you prepare yourself to ride his final races.

[John Velasquez]

So the crowd, the energy from the crowd, and the bigger the crowds, the more you feel it out there, you

[Johnny Velasquez]

build yourself from that. Absolutely, yeah. Excitement that you get, you know, coming

[Andy Beshear]

down that final stretch. Can't you feel the crowd's roar coming through you?

[Johnny Velasquez]

Well, I'm going to say this. If you feel the crowd coming down the stretch, because you are not in contention to win the race. If you're in contention, you're not in the race. I mean, you actually are suffering. You are so concentrated on winning the race that once you pass the wire.

[Andy Beshear]

That's right.

[Johnny Velasquez]

You feel the crowd and the assignment and everything.

[Andy Beshear]

And hopefully you haven't had to go through too many pairs of goggles because you've been out front.

[Johnny Velasquez]

Yeah, but sometimes you have to. But, yes, if you feel in the ground down the stretch is because you're not in contention, to moderate, meaning that, you know, you are actually lost to concentration because you're not in the heat of the moment. But when you're at the heat of the moment, past the wire, you feel the crowd. Am I winning or finishing? You know, second and third, still something good. But by winning the race, you feel it. I mean, you feel that now. You feel that this time, and it's probably one of the best feelings in the world.

[Andy Beshear]

Always a magical moment. Pulling the horse spin, putting the roses on, jockey throwing up the pedals.

[Johnny Velasquez]

Absolutely. For me, again, I've been very blessed to have done it, and I'm looking for another one. It doesn't get old. It's that urge that, you know, the fire that you feel that it. I want another one. I want to. Another feeling that you get. They're amazing, you know, and there's no words to describe it other than when you had that moment that you just like, well, I won this again. One more time.

[Andy Beshear]

When you get down after your last race, sometime in the future, what do you think you'll do then?

[Johnny Velasquez]

You know, I don't know. I mean, I have so many things to do and so many offers to do, so I. I know that I don't want to be working in the office, you know, that's not going to be me. You know, like, I. So I kind of got put away. I could do. I mean, working with, managing horses, managing people, you know, things that I.

[Andy Beshear]

So politics. We'll save a spot for you.

[Johnny Velasquez]

Yeah, there you go. So I'm not sure yet. I just don't. I know one thing that I just don't want to be on the office somewhere all day long. Yeah. I like to be free. And I've been basically freelancing all my life. You know, basically what I do. Is it freelancing that I'm not. I don't have a contract with anybody.

[Andy Beshear]

Give us one thing about being a jockey that no one would. Would think about.

[Johnny Velasquez]

One thing. Wow, that's a hard one. That's a really hard one.

[Andy Beshear]

That's why we asked the questions on the podcast.

[Johnny Velasquez]

That's really hard.

[Andy Beshear]

That's something you got to do that no one would expect.

[Johnny Velasquez]

I don't know. Maybe you guys know. So. But I mean, I. I think when

[John Rabinowitz]

you've never ridden the horse.

[Johnny Velasquez]

Yeah.

[John Rabinowitz]

This is your first time riding a horse.

[Johnny Velasquez]

Yeah. But I'm used to that, though, you know.

[John Rabinowitz]

How are you used to that? How do you get ready for that?

[Johnny Velasquez]

I mean, I learned to ride horses from very young and that I never rode before, I never seen before. So when you do it so young and you get to the. My horse today, first time. First time, I never seen the horse before. First race that I rode and won. So I'm used to it. So I'm confident that I can get on the horse and get along with hours. But that moment I touched hours.

[Andy Beshear]

He's like, I've won. I've won this number of derbies. I can ride the horse.

[John Rabinowitz]

I got it.

[Johnny Velasquez]

Don't worry about it. My first Derby. What about my first Derby? Well, don't go too far. My first Derby, I never. I never rode the horse before. Animal Kingdom, somebody I was riding in, I was writing the favor on that year. My horse Scratch and I know. Pick up, pick up Animal Kindle the day before your first Derby. My first Derby won. Animal Kendall. The first tendee.

[Luckyland Casino Announcer]

I won.

[Brad Cox]

Yeah.

[Johnny Velasquez]

Yeah. Yes. I never wrote the horse before. And actually my third derby that I won, I never wrote the horse either.

[John Rabinowitz]

So I guess he is the greatest of all time, potentially. But. So that's great.

[Johnny Velasquez]

And listen, those things you get is. Pardon me, the hardest part. The hardest part for us is it's just coming from an injury. You have an injury. It's not like, you know, you have an injury playing baseball or something. It's a horse run you over. I mean, you're going, you know, 35, 45 miles per hour and somebody run you over. That's probably the hardest part for us. Not that you have an accident and try to get that out of your head and come back and, you know, try to put every moment that you have and every single single way you thinking to be positive that you can do this again and move on. Probably the hardest part to do.

[John Rabinowitz]

Really incredible athletes. What about this year's Derby horse? What can you tell us about your chances? How you feeling?

[Johnny Velasquez]

Well, I think Further Ado.

[Brad Cox]

Right.

[Johnny Velasquez]

I liked him a lot. Worked here, worked really well. He was very impressive on his race. His last race, I think we. I like nice chances. Yeah, I really do. I'm really.

[John Rabinowitz]

And we have Brad coming in here.

[Johnny Velasquez]

Yes.

[John Rabinowitz]

Yeah.

[Andy Beshear]

So what post are you coming out of?

[Johnny Velasquez]

18.

[Andy Beshear]

Okay. Do you like coming from the outside

[Johnny Velasquez]

and this particular case with this particular horse? Yes, I think it was set up perfect for him that I can. He has a little bit of speed forwardly placed, I believe. So I can see who's setting up the pace and trying to try to save Martha at the end, you know, and I mean, the, the favorite is in post one. It's probably, you know, the toughest horse in the race and he, he has a lot to overcome from post one. But in the mean, in the meantime, I don't want to use my horse too much and then, you know, not having anything to type down the, down the edge. So that's the way I'm looking at it. I'm the first. I don't know, I, I said it be quick. I'm the first 10 horses going through that first turn. I'd be happy by saving some ground and saving some work for the end.

[Andy Beshear]

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

[Johnny Velasquez]

I read a lot and I don't read for pleasure. I read for education, to educate me for anything. Anything. I like the market. I like the stock market. So I'd like to read about companies and stuff like that, to take it myself. And I want to buy stuff.

[Andy Beshear]

Johnny V. A day trader.

[Johnny Velasquez]

I don't day trade, Okay. I invest. I invest. I'm not a day trader. I don't have time to day trade anyway. Yeah, I don't have time for that anyway. But I do like that feeling and the finding something that you like. Read the company, see what they're doing. So I read a lot about it. The market. Yes.

[Andy Beshear]

Yeah.

[John Velasquez]

What I'm going to run into now Is since I've met you and got to sit here, I'm going to be looking at every race and who's racing and who the jockey is now looking for your name.

[John Rabinowitz]

Well, the problem is you're not going to get great odds if Johnny's riding it. Yeah. You're going to have to bet a whole lot of money.

[Johnny Velasquez]

Yeah.

[Andy Beshear]

So that is one theory on betting that the best jockeys get. Get the best horses. And there's a lot of people who bet that way.

[Johnny Velasquez]

Well, it's not just the best horses. Also, even, I mean, we can help the odds of the horse have a better place, if you will. I think that's the way that people think about when we get up for one horse, you ride another horse, people are going to think, well, if he's not riding the horse, it's because he likes that horse better. Sometimes that's the way that people play the game that, hey, we have to play this one because he got off from the other horse. And that's part of it. When a trainer goes for one of the top jockeys, it's because they think that the horse has a better chance be that particular jockey, though. And people play that. Yeah.

[John Rabinowitz]

Johnny, What? You know, I wonder this. Andy earlier read all the accolades. It's like, it's actually amazing. 7,000 races. I mean, this is insane. What keeps you going? What keeps you wanting to do this every day? Is it just the thrill of the win after.

[Andy Beshear]

After winning number 7,000, what's going to push you to riding 7,001?

[Johnny Velasquez]

No, I won't go that far, trust me. I think, I think I've been very blessed with the people that I work with, you know, the opportunities that I've been given. I also, I enjoy what I do. I love what I do. I mean, I wouldn't do it if I don't love what I do. And the risks that we take, you know, and all the accidents that has happened to me, I'm being able to come back and do at a high level. But the thrill to winning races is what keeps me coming back though, you know, and having the opportunities that I've been given at my age, at this time in my career that I'm getting a. Darting down with a really good chance that that's what keeps the kids coming back for more. The day that I don't think that I'm getting the opportunity to ride good horses and then I can say, you know what, it's enough for me and hopefully I walk out of here on my own terms. For now because I'm the good horses keep you coming back the the myth,

[Andy Beshear]

the Legend Johnny B. Thank you for being on the podcast

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[Johnny Velasquez]

you Guest thank you for having me.

[Andy Beshear]

Our guest on this Kentucky Derby episode of the Andy Beshear Podcast is trainer Brad Cox. Brad is one of the most accomplished horse trainers in America, and he's a Louisville native who has never stopped calling Kentucky home. Over the course of his career, he has trained two horses of the Year, Knicks Go and Essential Quality, along with Kentucky Oaks winner and dozens of Grade one winners at the sport's most prestigious meets. He's consistently ranked among the top trainers in North America by earnings. That's helpful. And has built a reputation as one of the most thoughtful and gifted horsemen of his generation. He trains out of Churchill Downs and has a number of horses in this Derby. This is going to be an exciting one for him. Brad, welcome to the podcast.

[Brad Cox]

Thank you for having me on, Governor.

[Andy Beshear]

First, tell us what it's like to be a trainer during the Kentucky Derby that is from Louisville.

[Brad Cox]

Well, I mean, it means a lot. Obviously grew up very close to Churchill Downs and dreamed about, you know, being a horse trainer at a very early age and obviously wanted to reach the pinnacle and you know, being a part of the Kentucky Derby is, is, you know, about as high as you can get and we definitely want to win it. We obviously won it through disqualification a few years ago, but looking forward to, you know, crossing the wire.

[John Velasquez]

First.

[Andy Beshear]

I wanted to mention that you do have a Kentucky Derby on your resume, but you haven't gotten to hoist that trophy. What would that mean to you?

[Brad Cox]

I mean, look, that would be reaching the pinnacle. That would be the ultimate achievement in the Game is far as I'm concerned. It's just extremely hard race to get into, let alone win. And it takes a lot of hard work, dedication, years of, you know, just hard work and, you know, looking forward to Saturday.

[Andy Beshear]

That's what makes what you've done this year so incredible. It takes that much work to get one horse in. You have three.

[Brad Cox]

Yeah, I think that's just a testament to, you know, great, great owners, great horses and great help. We've got a great team. We're not just one. We're not just based on one spot. We're several different locations. And that gives us opportunity to tell

[Andy Beshear]

our listeners about that because they see your name as a trainer, but you run a business, you run a full operation. You know, how many people, what do they do? Where are you located?

[Brad Cox]

Yeah, no, I mean, my home base is Louisville. A scree summer, fall, it's Florida in the winter at Payson park and Indiantown, Florida. And then, you know, I have spots set up in New Orleans in the winter also here in Kentucky. We're in Kentucky year round and, you know, like I said, great help. Each spot gives us the ability to, you know, put the horses where they need to be in order to succeed.

[Andy Beshear]

So talk about your horses this year. Three in the Derby.

[Brad Cox]

Yeah. Obviously start with Further Ado. Won the Lexington at Keeneland's a grade one. He's owned by Spendthrift with Stallion Stallion Farm. That's, you know, excited start. Some point we'll add him to their stallion roster. Got Commandment is one owned by Wath Non, the mayor of Qatar. And he is. He won the Florida Derby. He's buying the Mischief. One of the best Italians we've ever had. And you know, he'll at some point become a stallion and then full effort, which was able to to win the Jeff Ruby there on synthetic at Turfway 100 point race. And you know, he was, you know, beautiful son of Liam's Map, owned by Vinnie Viola, St. Elias and Jack Wolf's Starlight Stable.

[John Rabinowitz]

Rad. When you have three Derby horses, I hope one day that one of the horses we own will be there. But I know as owners can be, it's for the people racing. By the way, Andy, I forgot to tell you that he says I brand every time we're on the air, but

[Andy Beshear]

he's here for free. Advertise every time.

[John Velasquez]

Every time.

[John Rabinowitz]

But when you. I know us owners can be tough, but I can't even imagine on Derby day how do you balance the needs of the three owners and like just Kind of juggling what goes on out here and keeping expectations at a certain level.

[Andy Beshear]

And all the owners you got that day that aren't in the Derby.

[Brad Cox]

Yeah, I mean, look, I think they know I'm focused on the horses. And, you know, most of my owners are really good about, you know, if they need me, they know I'm a phone call or text away. And, you know, obviously, Oaks and Derby Day, look, we have enough going on. If you need me, I'll be down in that paddle

[Johnny Velasquez]

all.

[Brad Cox]

You know, I'm always here. And, you know, most of my owners, you know, know that we obviously have a lot of horses, but. And. And they know if. I think they definitely know. If there's something that they need to know, I'll let them know.

[John Rabinowitz]

I think it also speaks to the strength of your team. You built.

[Brad Cox]

Yeah, yeah, for sure. Like I said, we got great, great people in each location. And, you know, I always say no news is good news. And that doesn't mean when I call, don't answer, but. Or don't be scared to answer, but,

[John Rabinowitz]

you know, to sell.

[Brad Cox]

Yeah. I mean, look, great, great staff and great group.

[Andy Beshear]

So at any one time, how many horses are. Do you have in training?

[Brad Cox]

Probably 175, tops. That probably top winter time.

[Andy Beshear]

Did you set kind of a cap where you. Where you see.

[Mike Ziegler]

You know, I don't know if we

[Brad Cox]

set a cap, but that. That's. That's a comfortable number I like for me where I can, you know, go through my charts and go through each horse with each horse with each assistant every day and, you know, go through it.

[John Velasquez]

Brad, was there, like, a specific race or a horse that had your first win that you realized that this is what I'm doing?

[Brad Cox]

You know, I guess Monomoy Girl, when she won the Kentucky Oaks in 2018, here was probably the horse that launched our stable into, you know, the eye of racing throughout maybe the world, Not. Not just America, but the world. I think after that, we started picking up international owners and it helped a tremendous amount.

[John Velasquez]

When you look at Chris, once again, I'm the novice when it comes to racing in this entire group. John's taking me to the horse sale once and a few other things just to have me out there.

[John Rabinowitz]

They gotta have that experience.

[John Velasquez]

Yeah. Which was completely new to me. But when you look at the sales, the prices, what's happening with horses and the gross in the industry, is this starting to be almost a golden age of horses or racing in Kentucky? Do you feel it lifting up?

[Brad Cox]

I mean, listen, I think this is where people want to be. The state of Kentucky, there's zero doubt about that. And racing is very healthy here right now. The sales are very strong and you know, it trickles down all the way. You know, the breeders are doing well, people selling or selling doing well, the buyers, I mean with the purchase set up for them to succeed as well. And obviously trainers and jockeys and everyone. So, you know, this is definitely the place to be in regards to thoroughbred race.

[John Velasquez]

I can feel it getting more exciting from the outside looking in. I mean, we did this last year and you look at the crowd this year compared to last year, it just seems to grow every year for sure.

[Brad Cox]

This looks like a crowd on Thursday a few years ago. That's just Tuesday.

[Andy Beshear]

Average day, not, not derby day, but your average day as a trainer. Describe that for our listeners.

[Brad Cox]

Average day as a trainer would probably wake up really early, probably 4:15, 4:20, get to the barn by five training starts, 5:30, 5, 45 most places that'll continue on for the next four or five hours for me myself. Then it's time to sit down at a desk and you know, go through a lot of condition books, charts with my assistants and probably right before that examine a lot of horses. I do a lot of examining some of all the horses, watching jog on the road, check legs myself and you know, then we'll take a little break and then we have our activity of feed time between say three and five. So it's, it's more than a full time job, but it's a labor of love and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I love.

[Andy Beshear]

What, what, what got you into it? What, what made you say I love horses and I want to be a trainer?

[Brad Cox]

I always think I was very, I'm very competitive. I was always competitive. Playing, you know, little league baseball, basketball was one to win. I, I mean to me it was never about just, just to have fun, it was about winning. And I think when I got to high school and I wasn't the athlete that I needed to be to pursue

[Andy Beshear]

the, I understand those lanes, pursue baseball and basketball.

[Brad Cox]

You know, I got hooked on horse racing and it is just very competitive and I just was, you know, very intrigued by the process of getting a horse to the race, the training of the horse and what all goes into it. Because I mean, you know, look, oftentimes a horse first race, they may run six furlongs in a minute and ten seconds. There's years of work and dedication put into that first race and their whole career.

[John Rabinowitz]

I think that's right I don't think you appreciate it unless you own horses. How hard it is to win at any level, even at the claiming races, to end up in the winner's circle anywhere in Kentucky, which is the major league, is really substantial. And so I think we built a tremendous circuit thanks to your support, Mr. Governor. And my, my. Our goal with the corporation is so that you never. I know our weather isn't this great in January, February, but we never want him to leave the stage.

[Andy Beshear]

So. So most of our listeners don't know that John Urbinowitz heads are horse racing commission. So tell us, what is he doing wrong?

[John Rabinowitz]

Well, we don't have to go into that.

[Johnny Velasquez]

That's a.

[Andy Beshear]

For another day.

[John Rabinowitz]

It's a whole different podcast

[Andy Beshear]

about horse racing. I could kill the other.

[John Rabinowitz]

No, we've had tremendous success in all the surveys, even Turfway now.

[Brad Cox]

Yeah. Like you said, he, like John said in regards to horses and people never leaving state full effort as far as I know. Really, he's never left the state. I think he may have been broke in Ocala in the wintertime from his yearling to the start of his two year old season, but other than that, I mean he was raised in Kentucky and he's been here ever since we took over training of him in April of last year.

[John Rabinowitz]

Yeah. So four, four days till Derby. You got three of these specifically on these Derby horses. What are you doing to make sure? Are you bubble wrapping these Derby horses? I wish we do it.

[Brad Cox]

I wish I could, I really do.

[Andy Beshear]

Now look, I mean that horse, that,

[Brad Cox]

that's when your horses are doing well and they get their last work into them the weekend before you really. And if all goes well, you just really want it to. So hurry. I mean get through the week. I mean, right. I wish I was walking downstairs right now for the Kentucky Derby. I have three horses that are doing well, two that are super live their second third choice or co. Second choice and obviously full efforts got a shot himself. So I'm ready to run this thing. I'm excited about it and you know, I want to get through the week.

[Andy Beshear]

People, people see the exciting wins. What's the most heartbreaking loss?

[Mike Ziegler]

Which one?

[Andy Beshear]

Still six with loss.

[Brad Cox]

Well, it's kind of tough because Mandaloon, when he obviously placed first through DQ but won the Kentucky Derby or ran second in the Kentucky Derby, he turned for home and had dead aim on Medina Spirit. And I thought he was going by and for a sixteenth of a mile he was grinding at him, grinding at him. And then Medina Spirit turned him away the last Eighth of a mile and that was hard to watch that last eighth of a mile and, and essential quality looking back, obviously he was fourth place, third in the race. Was the best horse of the crop. He was champion two year old, champion three year old, four time grade one winner and you know, for whatever reason, it wasn't his day, but he was definitely the best horse. And to watch him not run his A race was tough to. Tough as well.

[John Rabinowitz]

Talk a little bit about. We have the Oaks Friday. You have a live horse in the Oaks. So talk me down to.

[Andy Beshear]

Which means he has a horse running in the race.

[Johnny Velasquez]

Yes.

[John Rabinowitz]

Which could win.

[Johnny Velasquez]

Sorry.

[Andy Beshear]

He is alive.

[John Rabinowitz]

She's alive.

[Brad Cox]

That's right. That's right. But Prom Queen, I mean she, she's a nice filly. She's lightly raced. Three, three starts. Broker Maiden, second time out of Gulfstream, won the Gulfstream Park Oaks in her second run and she's really, really nice filly that should really like the long stretch here. Should love the distance of a mile and an eighth and seems to be doing well leading up.

[John Rabinowitz]

That's great.

[Andy Beshear]

Any concern with the race being that much later for your.

[Brad Cox]

Not for me. I don't think so. I think we'll be just fine.

[John Rabinowitz]

And Andy said I jinxed it. But it does look like the weather is finally not going to rain on us.

[Brad Cox]

Yeah, I mean it looked, it looked as if we were going to get rain both days possibly, but the forecast is getting better. But we got four days. We'll see.

[John Rabinowitz]

Yeah, we'll see.

[Andy Beshear]

What, what is something that people don't know or wouldn't expect about the life of a trainer?

[Jason Worth]

Yeah,

[Brad Cox]

you know, I would definitely. Let me think about this for a second. We're editing this.

[John Rabinowitz]

Right.

[Andy Beshear]

I thought, you know, when you mentioned almost the homework, sitting down and looking. Yeah, yeah.

[Brad Cox]

Condition books. Yeah.

[Andy Beshear]

Paperwork. Yeah.

[Brad Cox]

Now that, that, that's right. That would probably be the one thing. I mean, there's times where I'll sit down at my desk after training and I will not get up for two hours. Whether it's phone calls, charting out races, mapping out races and oftentimes when I'm mapping out a race, obviously I have to talk to my assistant. Say it's in New York. You know, they have to be on board with, with the race I'm picking out and the owners as well. So it's a lot, a lot of, you know, telephone, a lot of text message and a lot of paperwork.

[Andy Beshear]

What do you like to do to get away from, from your job to, to try to relax?

[Brad Cox]

I don't mind playing golf? I don't play much. I would say I play once a month. Maybe once derby's over. That might pick up to where I can play maybe once every couple weeks. But it's tough.

[Andy Beshear]

Are you as competitive there as you are here?

[John Rabinowitz]

No, no.

[Brad Cox]

That's why, that's why it's a getaway.

[Andy Beshear]

So.

[Brad Cox]

But no, I'm not very good, but I do.

[Andy Beshear]

If you play against us, you look great. Yes, if you look great.

[John Velasquez]

What question I've got is that last year we sit out here sweating, doing this under the lights. This year it looks like it's going to be in the 60s on Derby, you know, training these horses every day. Do they race, race different and different speeds based on whether it's 90 degrees outside or whether it's 65?

[Brad Cox]

I think that the, the heat and the humidity probably affects the quickness of the track more than anything. It'll affect, you know, how fast the track is playing in regards to the, the horses. I think it's better for it to be a touch cooler as opposed to 90 degrees. I mean, we can race in 90 degrees and horses handle it, but I think it's just more comfortable on them. And the help for our listeners, most

[Andy Beshear]

of which don't follow horse racing, but we'll watch the derby, talk about the track and the different conditions and the impact that has on the race.

[Brad Cox]

Yeah, obviously, you know, you're looking for a fast track. I think that's what you would call the fairest track to run over. Oftentimes as a track gets wet, it can somewhat favor horses that just go to the front. Obviously they're getting no kickback. Horses that come from off of it or closers that take kickback, you know, it can be a little tougher on them. So, you know, I think, you know, that they can run on all of it, but it's just some of them take to it sometimes. You know, the foot has a lot to do with the surfaces. They can handle like, you know, I think a cuppier. This foot can get through the mud a little better than a, than a horse with a big pop hand foot.

[Andy Beshear]

So you get a fast track with no rain.

[Brad Cox]

Yep, yep.

[Andy Beshear]

And then them just taking care of the track well during the day.

[Brad Cox]

Yeah, a lot of maintenance with the tractors and the harrow and the floats and all that stuff.

[John Rabinowitz]

Brad, I'm not going to put you on the spot, but if you're so blessed to have the governor hand you the trophy, you and the owners the trophy this Saturday, walk me through the Decision making on whether or not to run that horse in the Preakness and then maybe the Belmont with the Triple Crown. What are, what are some of the things you think about?

[Brad Cox]

One is, one would totally be the next day when you get up or actually that night after the race.

[Andy Beshear]

Condition of the horse.

[Brad Cox]

The condition of the horse, without a doubt. That's first and foremost. And you know, this day and age with as demanding as the Triple Crown or I should say the schedule to get to the Derby.

[Andy Beshear]

Yeah.

[Brad Cox]

To me it's just become so tough on these horses with what they have to accomplish. Month, two months prior to the Derby to continue on. To think, look, I gotta have this horse as good as he can ever be next Saturday. To think I gotta turn around and have him as good at two weeks. It's just very, very challenging.

[Andy Beshear]

The time period between the Derby and the Preakness being too short. Yeah.

[Brad Cox]

I'm a big believer.

[John Rabinowitz]

And they're talking about pushing it out to a month.

[Andy Beshear]

Yeah.

[Brad Cox]

And listen, I'm all for, I love history, but the, the horse is definitely a little bit different. We, they oftentimes horses used to get the winner off. Now you just got to keep going just because of that. The fact that the point system and, and you know, I do think there should be a little bit more credit given to these horses. Like a Ted Knoffy that was so accomplished as a two year old that won the Breeders three time grade one winner. But basically moving forward, he wouldn't have had the points to get into the Kentucky Derby only if he needed one race as a prep. So I think we need to give a little bit more credit to the 2 year olds in regards to the points system meeting through.

[John Rabinowitz]

What about just the differences in the distance between the races too? I'm sure that plays a role. You may skip the Preakness and go

[Brad Cox]

to the, the Belmont. Yeah.

[John Rabinowitz]

Yeah.

[Andy Beshear]

Preakness being the shortest, the Belmont being the longest and the Derby being in between.

[John Rabinowitz]

10 for long tier.

[Brad Cox]

Yeah. 10 furlongs, a mountain. 3, 16. And then we got the mile and a half which now is a mile and a quarter since to run at Saratoga. So that probably, probably be a little bit more appealing. But then once next year they'll go back to the mile and a half. And I'm not certain that the mile and a half is something that needs to happen. That I would be all for shortening the Belmont up. I think that's, that's not really what we breed the Thoroughbred to do anymore is a mile and a half on the dirt. Yes.

[Andy Beshear]

Long term. What do you want Brad Cox's legacy to be moving?

[Brad Cox]

You know, someone that worked hard and was a good horse person. That's probably the main thing. The winds have happened and the winds will come. But I think that's probably the thing I take away is someone that, you know, looked after his help, his family and was a good horse potion.

[John Rabinowitz]

And you have the trainer's dinner tonight. Yeah, my favorite thing.

[Brad Cox]

Yeah, no, that's hoping, you know, to get through that and get out of there early times. Yeah. So, yeah, I mean it's not that bad, but when you got to get up at 4 o' clock in the morning, it can be. Look for a short night.

[John Rabinowitz]

Yeah.

[Andy Beshear]

Trainer Brad Cox, he has three horses coming up in the Kentucky Derby. Best of luck to you. Hope I see you in that winter circle. Thanks, governor.

[John Velasquez]

Look forward to it.

[John Rabinowitz]

Thank you, Bryce.

[Andy Beshear]

Next on this second Derby edition of the Andy Beshear podcast, we have our one return guest from last year, Mike Ziegler, general manager of Churchill Downs. Mike, thanks for letting us do this again.

[Mike Ziegler]

Thanks for coming and visiting. It's always a pleasure to have you all here. So Derby, I mean, except for Benowitz.

[Andy Beshear]

Except. Except a very important person this week.

[John Velasquez]

John, just welcome back.

[Andy Beshear]

It sounds McConnell's good. You're good. This is Derby 152. Yes, sir. Tell us about the excitement leading into it.

[Mike Ziegler]

Well, I'm just looking around today. It's 5o Tuesday and I think we probably doubled crowd this year.

[John Rabinowitz]

It's.

[Mike Ziegler]

It's such a great atmosphere walking around here. Everybody's happy, lots of mint jobs being drank. I'm happy to see everybody having fun.

[Andy Beshear]

I remember last year we had some, some tougher weather for a derby, but the level of joy, people being really excited and looking back on it was one of the highest that I can remember. It seems like there is just a bigger energy year after year.

[Mike Ziegler]

I mean, that's what it feels like to me too. I love that people pay a lot of money to come where I work. It's a privilege to actually work here and seeing all these people with smiles on their faces today having a little fun. The sun's out. It's not as hot as it was last year, but here we are.

[Andy Beshear]

How long is your average Derby day?

[Mike Ziegler]

At the end, it's hard to measure that. It doesn't really stop. I think I probably am in here 5am to 1am, maybe a little later. Depends on what I like to. Actually, my favorite part of Derby day is once we're all Wrapped up at the races and the team gets back together in the office. We share a cold one and some Derby City pizza, and everybody's happy. And we, you know, it's a huge accomplishment to do what we do as a team every year. We have a great team and couldn't do it without every single one of those people. And my favorite thing is to be here till about 1130 in the morning with all the team.

[Andy Beshear]

So the backdrop in the studio that we're in, for those that are watching on YouTube at Andy Beshear podcast, is your alls new paddock.

[John Velasquez]

Yes, sir.

[Andy Beshear]

Now, here for what, two years?

[Mike Ziegler]

We revealed the paddock in 2024 for Derby 150. And here we are a solid two years later.

[Andy Beshear]

Describe, for those that are listening, this project and what it's meant to.

[Mike Ziegler]

So it's a game changer for the track. You used to walk into the front gate of Churchill Downs and you saw the back of an office building. You couldn't see a horse, you couldn't see the iconic Twin Spires. Now, when you walk in the paddock gate at Churchill Downs, the first thing you see are the Twin Spires. If it's nighttime, they're lit up, and then the first thing after that you see is horses. And that's what we're all about. It's also a focal point. You can always say, hey, meet me at the paddock. And everybody knows exactly where to go. It bisects the racetrack and it's a spectacular amphitheater. Esque view of the horses 30 minutes before every race.

[Andy Beshear]

And you've graciously opened it up for pitches that Louisville or Kentucky are making to sporting events or to companies. We were out here pitching for the 2028 US Gymnastics Trials, and we got them here in Kentucky.

[Mike Ziegler]

It's fantastic. We're so excited to host USA Gymnastics here and having the dignitaries here for the reveal. The other day, we had the 1996 Olympic Women's Championship team.

[Andy Beshear]

My wife was so mad at me that I didn't tell her that they were going to be there. She was a gymnast in high school and this was pretty much her dream team.

[Mike Ziegler]

That's right. I got a phone call from actually, a woman that works in the AG department who similarly was a gymnastics performer growing up. And she said, did you get to meet him? Did you get to meet him?

[Andy Beshear]

I didn't, but they were nice people.

[Mike Ziegler]

They were here.

[John Rabinowitz]

So, Andy, I know Mike's official title is general manager, but this week, really, he's the fixer. I'LL tell you why. It doesn't matter what day of the week.

[Andy Beshear]

But not on the races.

[John Rabinowitz]

Not on the races, no. Just making sure. No, just with everyday life with the different guests he has. I mean, even yesterday you were hosting what, Congressman Barr and other politicians.

[Mike Ziegler]

Yeah, I was here yesterday with the other Andy.

[Andy Beshear]

The one that does not have a podcast.

[Mike Ziegler]

That's right.

[John Rabinowitz]

Well, we should invite him on this one. That'd be great.

[Mike Ziegler]

Well, sir, why don't we sit him. Dale Romans, you two, and that'd be real fun.

[Andy Beshear]

Oh, that might be worth it. That would be fun.

[John Rabinowitz]

Awesome.

[Andy Beshear]

But as long as I'm the one that gets to ask, you get the question.

[John Rabinowitz]

But, Andy, it's not just Derby Day for him. It's like every day this week where there's different guests that he's trying to navigate issues, my group included. He's very excited about spending Derby Day with. With my group, I'm sure.

[Mike Ziegler]

I love your group.

[John Rabinowitz]

We have a lot of fun.

[Andy Beshear]

So last year you had a Derby quiz that I failed miserably.

[Mike Ziegler]

You did.

[Andy Beshear]

This year, I think you have some derby by the numbers for the listeners.

[Mike Ziegler]

I do. So as I'm watching John and John have their mint juleps, I'd like you to tell me with. We'll do priceless. Right. Rules.

[Andy Beshear]

Okay.

[Mike Ziegler]

Can't go. Can't go. Can't go over. But how much mint do we purchase here at Churchill Downs for Derby League?

[Andy Beshear]

999 pounds.

[Mike Ziegler]

So you looked at my notes?

[Andy Beshear]

I could see your notes. £1,000 of mint. I was not going to get caught not knowing where Secretariat. Again.

[John Velasquez]

Thousand pounds of mint.

[John Rabinowitz]

Kentucky Pride, man, I love it.

[Mike Ziegler]

It's all from Kentucky. So we. We do use it. We have. I can't remember the name of farm, but it's local and we get as much Mitch as we possibly can from that.

[Andy Beshear]

So a local Kentucky mint farm. That's right. Is a piece. This is every single mint julep.

[Mike Ziegler]

How many mint, Jules, do we serve?

[John Velasquez]

Oh.

[Andy Beshear]

Oh, I hope a lot.

[Jason Worth]

I think it's four.

[Andy Beshear]

So probably for the week. Six to John. I won't do it to John Rabinowitz. I'm going to say. What do we have? 100 and something a little more.

[Mike Ziegler]

We do 300,000.

[Brad Cox]

Wow.

[John Velasquez]

That's.

[Andy Beshear]

What. Because what. What was attendance last year?

[Mike Ziegler]

153,000.

[Andy Beshear]

Okay.

[John Rabinowitz]

Yeah.

[Mike Ziegler]

So everybody's got to have one.

[Andy Beshear]

Well, except the kids, but everybody else. Right?

[John Rabinowitz]

The Oaks has its own drink, right?

[Brad Cox]

Yeah.

[Andy Beshear]

Lily.

[Mike Ziegler]

Yeah.

[John Rabinowitz]

Yeah. And is it even close to this?

[Andy Beshear]

Tell people about the Lily, because most people know about the Mantula.

[Mike Ziegler]

So the Lily is a vodka based drink and it's got some pram juice. But my bone of contention with the Lily is the blackberries, because every year after Derby week's over, I keep finding blackberries around this facility for about another six months.

[Andy Beshear]

So you're also the cleaner.

[Mike Ziegler]

I love cleaning this place. I feel like I get something done when I'm cleaning around here.

[Andy Beshear]

So what is something that people who have never been to Derby would be surprised by? I know first, the new area that we're sitting next to.

[Mike Ziegler]

Gosh, I take so much of it for granted because I've been doing it for so long. But I think the coolest thing about horse racing is how close you can get to the action. So if you come to the track and you go down to just on the walking ring outside, you're five feet from the horses that are going to run in the Derby or 10ft from the jockeys and having the ability to talk to the jockeys and they're really great guys and personable guys. You just had Johnny V on here a little while ago. So it's really the, the approachability of the people in the sport.

[Andy Beshear]

For people who are watching at home, what's one or two things they can do to, to feel like they're at the track and have a part of the Churchill Downs experience?

[Mike Ziegler]

Well, I would be, I would not be doing my job if I didn't say, buy a bottle of Woodford Reserve.

[Andy Beshear]

One of your big sponsors.

[Mike Ziegler]

One of our big sponsors in your Ford on the way to the liquor store.

[Andy Beshear]

Another big sponsor. Do not consume it until you are home.

[Mike Ziegler]

Yeah, exactly. And once you get home wearing your launching watch and your, your hat making is all always important, but Derby at home parties are big too. So I, I wouldn't mind being at a derby at home party this year.

[Andy Beshear]

You know, one year I think I could join you at that.

[Mike Ziegler]

I think that'd be fantastic.

[John Rabinowitz]

So, Mike, one thing people might not know, and I think it'd be great for the audience to hear, in addition to the new paddock, you guys also have some like hidden speakeasies around the track.

[Mike Ziegler]

I don't know what you're talking about.

[Andy Beshear]

Okay. Secrets of Churchill Downs.

[Mike Ziegler]

You may or may not have a

[Andy Beshear]

few speakeasies around which are amazing. If they exist.

[John Rabinowitz]

If they exist. What are some, like in the future? What additional projects? What we expect.

[Mike Ziegler]

So right after Derby this year we're going to start breaking ground on the new Victory Run project, which will replace a bunch of open air seats in section 111 as well as part of the sky terrace, which is the oldest part of the building. So we're going to replace that with five floors of dining and box seats. And when you look at the racetrack seating area basically is, it looks like a big smile and we're going to close the gap in the smile. That's what our CEO Bill Carstag says. We're closing the gap in the smile.

[Andy Beshear]

As we, as we wrap up, give one pitch to somebody who's never come to the derby about why they need to make next year their year.

[Mike Ziegler]

One pitch is it's a bucket list item and if you've never done it, you've got to do it once in your life and experience the sights, sounds, smells of this place for your own because there's, there's no other way to describe it if you don't see it yourself in person.

[Andy Beshear]

And I thought the right answer is it'll be the last year I give out the trophy.

[Mike Ziegler]

It'll be the last year that Andy will be giving out the trophy.

[Andy Beshear]

Mike, thank you for this opportunity and thanks for joining us.

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[Andy Beshear]

Our next guest on the Andy Beshear podcast we we are excited about. We're joined by Jason worth, who spent 17 seasons in major League Baseball, winning a World Series with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008 and becoming one of the most beloved figures in Washington Nationals history, including delivering one of the most dramatic walk off home runs in postseason history in 2012 in the division Series. The grandson of a big league veteran and the Scottish stepson of a big league player, baseball was always in his blood. But now what he loves is horse racing. Having recently been featured in a documentary and being here for the Kentucky Derby this week, hoping for some big wins. Jason, welcome to the podcast.

[Jason Worth]

Awesome. Thanks for having me.

[Andy Beshear]

Well, first thing that listeners in this podcast would know is we love baseball. And so naturally, I'd love to start there. I mean, being the grandson of an MLB player, stepson of an MLB player, what was the pressure like?

[Jason Worth]

I don't know. I didn't know any different. You know, the time I could remember. I always wanted to be a big leaguer. My mom's. My mom's dad, my grandpa played, you know, 19 years in the big leagues. My mom's brother played 13 years in the big leagues, and she remarried my stepdad, who played three years the big league, so I didn't.

[Andy Beshear]

That was three big leaguers.

[Jason Worth]

Yeah. So I'm, you know, I'm one of the, like, five, I think, third. Third generation big leaguers.

[Andy Beshear]

Wow.

[Jason Worth]

And, you know, it was. It was. That's just. I just, you know, ate, sleep and drank baseball for. For as long as I can remember and. And played till I was 39 years old.

[Andy Beshear]

What was the earliest memory in baseball where you said, I want to do this, it's fine.

[Jason Worth]

Oh, I mean, it was like backyard wiffle ball, pretending to be Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco.

[Andy Beshear]

I remember that. The Bass brothers.

[Jason Worth]

Yeah. My. My uncle played for the Angels, and I was an A's fan. I was the only A's fan in Central Illinois. Everybody was Cubs or Cardinals, and I was an A's fan for some reason, so I always wanted to be one of the Bash brothers.

[Andy Beshear]

Only World Series I've ever gone to is when the Reds beat the A's.

[John Rabinowitz]

Okay.

[Andy Beshear]

Barry Larkin, number 11.

[Jason Worth]

My favorite player growing up. Awesome guy.

[Andy Beshear]

So walk us through the 2008 World Series winning that title and what it meant to you.

[Jason Worth]

Yeah, it was crazy. So if you remember, the game five got rained out the sixth inning. So we pick up the sixth inning at the bottom of the sixth, like, three days later, and you walk out through the. Through the tunnel, and you. You're getting ready to go play a baseball game, but it's already the six inning. So you know that's like, never happens. Right. And walking through the tunnel, I'll never forget the walkway was, like, shaking. It was, like buzzing. And you were like, what's going on?

[John Rabinowitz]

Out.

[Jason Worth]

What's going on out there? You know, it's 20, 30 minutes before the game, and you walk through the tunnel, you walk out of the dugout, and it's 45,000 Philadelphia fans going absolutely nuts. And it's, you know, 30 minutes before the game, but it's the bottom of the six.

[Andy Beshear]

Yes.

[Jason Worth]

You know, Jeff Jenkins let it off with a double J roll, butted him over, and I blooped him in to go ahead. And they ended up tying up. We ended up winning. But I'll never forget the experience of, you know, the only game I ever played to start the Bob the six was, was the game five of the World Series. So it was, it was wild. It was one of a kind.

[Andy Beshear]

Wildest stadium you've ever played in.

[Jason Worth]

You know, Philly. Philly. I, I signed, I signed to go play in Washington after playing four years in Philadelphia. And I was the number one hated sports guy or athlete in Philadelphia next five years. And every time I walked onto the field, I caught a fly ball. I, I, I, I got a hit. They boot me, you know, like, like everybody did. And unless I made it out and then they cheered, it was, they were, you know, to play it in Philly is like nothing else. Playing against Philly as the most hated player is, is there's something else, too.

[Andy Beshear]

So how'd you get into horse racing?

[Jason Worth]

All right, so I retired. I moved to Florida. I started playing golf with some guys that own Florida breads. I got in on some nice Phillies with, with those guys and, you know, won some big races. My, my first big race I won was, was here with R. Kelly Kim. I flew in all my buddies, you know, they all came in, they'd never been to a horse race from central Illinois. And she wins this pretty. For us, it was a big race, and my buddies were like slamming beers in the winter circle. We had no idea what we were doing. But then I went to the Keeneland sale and I got a piece of a horse named Dornoch, and that was my first colt that I got into. And he ran 10th in the Derby, won the Belmont. And on the heels of Dornoch, we started Icon Racing and are bringing new people into the sport. We've got, we're onto our third fund this year, and we've raised about $7 million to buy racehorses and run in Kentucky.

[Andy Beshear]

That's not bad to win your very first Belmont.

[Jason Worth]

One for one. Yeah.

[John Rabinowitz]

I will tell you, Andy and Jason knows this incredible ambassador for the sport, really bringing in new people. But that story is so hard. He's saying it like it's a matter of course to be in the Derby, to, like, win a Belmont, even be in the race. And I think somebody told me early on, because we also own horses, you have to have a stomach for it. And it's so hard to win at any level, but to have horses at his level and the success he's had is. It's pretty amazing.

[Andy Beshear]

Can you compare the adrenaline in a moment in baseball, like, in horse races?

[Jason Worth]

So that's what drew me to the sport. I'd been retired for a few years, and I went to, like, a. A race at Tampa Bay Downs on, like, a Tuesday, and we had a. I had a piece of a horse that ran a claiming race, and I'm in the paddock. It's like my first time owning a horse. I'm in the paddock, and I'm like, what. What is happening to me?

[Andy Beshear]

Right?

[Jason Worth]

I mean, I don't. I don't ever got nervous for. For Schwartz, you know, I just. I'm like. I think I'm nervous and, you know, I'm, like, sweating. Lo.

[Andy Beshear]

One picture that made you nervous with what they threw?

[Jason Worth]

Yeah, I was. I was. It was this business, you know. But, like, I tell people, when those horses leave the gate and they're running, it's almost like being in the dugout in a big game. Like, bottom of the night, down two runs, bases loaded, and one of your teammates hits a double into the gap, and you're jumping around, waving the guy from first around to home. That's that field. You can't do anything about it. You just gotta be like, come on.

[Andy Beshear]

You don't have control.

[Jason Worth]

But it's like. It's that type of emotions. And then when they win the race, it's like winning, you know, Game seven, we won the Belmont. I said it was like winning the World Series.

[Andy Beshear]

Wow. Winning the people.

[Brad Cox]

Always competitive.

[John Velasquez]

Yeah, you just go from one thing to another, typically. So it has. As horse racing, which you just said, filled that well.

[Jason Worth]

I didn't even know there was a void to be filled. I was just like, you know, I was playing golf. I'm like, life's easy now. Right? But, yeah, it definitely filled a void. But I will tell you this. In professional sports, you do it with your teammates. You win loose with your. You know, these guys are your brothers. You're with them all day long, and win or lose, you know, you're with those guys. And then after the game, you point up in the stands and you wave at your family and your friends. In horse racing, you get to do that, win or lose, with your family and friends. And that is. That is what separates Horse Raider, what makes it so great. You can literally, your wife, your kids, your mom, your dad, your Best friends from home. Like, you get to, like, put your arms around them and celebrate like you did with your teammates. Yeah. And that's what is so cool about horse racing. That's what we're trying to capture with, with Icon racing. Bring people in and show them what it's all about.

[Andy Beshear]

So in baseball, you play for a team, but Icon racing, you actually build one out. Yeah.

[Jason Worth]

Right.

[Andy Beshear]

So how do you go about choosing, you know, your trainer, your. Your agents?

[Jason Worth]

Yeah, we've. I've kind of. I've met some great people in this sport. You know, I feel like this sport has evolved a lot in the last 20 years. There's a lot of stigmas still attached to the sport that, That I think have been broken and they need to be talked about. But what I've found is these people are, you know, pretty much unbelievable people. They're always all good people in the sport. They want what's best for the. For the horses. They treat the horses, you know, so good. It's like they're like professional athletes. I mean, sometimes I'm like, man, I didn't even get treated this good, you know, so we.

[Andy Beshear]

Oh, then a championship thoroughbred.

[Jason Worth]

Yeah.

[Andy Beshear]

None of us get treated.

[Jason Worth]

No, it's nothing better. I mean, that's. They're the best. But we've teamed up with Legion, Bloodstock and Whit Beckman. You know, Whitson, an unbelievable horseman. He kind of. We all kind of got started on our own or at the same time, I guess, came together. Wesley Ward is a good friend. You know, we've branched out. Sapphi Joseph has been an unbelievable mentor for me in horse racing. He's, you know, for new owners, for people who don't know the sport. He's terrific with explaining what's going on. And I, I don't know, I just, I've. I've a lot of. It was family and friends. Then it kind of. We branched out and everybody that I brought into this, they just, they. They fall in love with it because it's just such a great sport.

[John Rabinowitz]

So Andy, in addition to Nordic, he has outfielder, but he also has a horse probably with the coolest name that we can relate to. Hulk may talk to us. I raced in Tampa, Right?

[Jason Worth]

Yeah, he ran the Tampa Bay Derby. But let's not forget Flying Mohawk ran to the Kentucky Derby last year. So I had two horses two years in a row. And. And we got Hulkamania running the race after the Derby on Saturday.

[John Rabinowitz]

What a name.

[Jason Worth]

What a name. He. We. We took a shot at the Tampa Bay Derby. It didn't quite get the want the distance, but he's running on Derby day nonetheless. We'll have a bunch of Hulkamania fans out here on Saturday. We're, we're, we're contemplating a wardrobe change after the Derby.

[John Rabinowitz]

I love it.

[Andy Beshear]

How, how often do you get updates on how your horses are doing?

[Jason Worth]

So that's the thing that I like. I want this to be like, you know, for all the owners, I want to be totally transparent. I want them to know what's going on, how I like to know what's going on. When I first got into the sport, I kind of felt like an outsider. I was just part of somebody else's deal. Never really knew anything. I want it to be like, you know, I said, with Doric, 10% ownership, 100% of the fun. And then I think that's pretty standard across horses and everybody partners up. And so I bring new people in and explain the sport. My goal would be for people to come into Icon Racing and one day start their own, you know, horse racing syndicate or stable and go out on their own and do their own thing.

[John Rabinowitz]

It's truly about the experience. That's when no matter where you're at in the state.

[Andy Beshear]

And so for our listeners, these funds are syndicates people can invest into. They are a partial owner of the horse based on how much they put in.

[Jason Worth]

Yeah, you get a percentage based on how many horses we buy. You get a percentage of all the horses in the fund.

[Andy Beshear]

That's so truly a business and how the investment goes.

[Jason Worth]

Yeah, yeah. I tell people that it's strictly entertainment

[John Rabinowitz]

if you make money, not an investment.

[Jason Worth]

If you make money at it, then we did. Right. Obviously you could do it. But if you're coming into it as you're taking a trip to Vegas, taking the kids to Disneyland, buying season tickets, buying a membership at a country club, it's that type of thing. What you get back are experiences and, you know, events and things you do with your family and friends that last a lifetime.

[Andy Beshear]

So you talked about being able to watch the race with your family, but you brought your family into the actual business as well. Had a chance to meet your son. Tell me about how much fun that is, being able to do this together.

[Jason Worth]

It's been great. The funny part is the first race I took him to, he came home from college and we're like, hey, we're going to go, we're going to Tampa Bay Downs. We're going to, to see a horse race. We got a horse drive. He was like, horse Racing. What is this, the 1700s? Like, what's wrong with you guys? I'm, like, in the car and. And that, you know, by the end of the day, he was kind of like, all right, now he goes to University of Kentucky. He's at the track all the time. He's trying to figure out how to work his finance degree into horse racing, and he just absolutely has fallen in love with it, just like everybody else I brought into the sport. So it's been cool to share it with him and my family and just all my. All my friends and the people who bring in the icon.

[John Rabinowitz]

It's been great.

[Andy Beshear]

Do you have former teammates or MLB players that call you and ask you about getting into horse races?

[Jason Worth]

Yeah, we've got some guys. Some former teammates that have been. Some guys are. Are watching cautiously.

[Andy Beshear]

Yes.

[Jason Worth]

My buddy Max Scherzer said once he's done playing, he'll. He'll get in. Shane Victorino is in our first font. Sean Kelly is one of my partners. He's from Louisville, longtime big leaguer, teammate. But, yeah, there's a lot of guys. Anthony Redone is in our second fund.

[Andy Beshear]

Oh, wow.

[Jason Worth]

So we got. We got some guys. I think a lot of people are waiting to see how we do in our first round. You know, they got financial advisors that tell them not to invest in horse racing. And I tell their financial advisors to.

[John Rabinowitz]

Yeah, they call us at the commission. We all do.

[Jason Worth]

Exactly, Exactly.

[Andy Beshear]

One of the great things about having somebody like you, Jason Worth, in horse racing is it brings all new eyes to it.

[Jason Worth]

Sure.

[Andy Beshear]

And you walk into the track, and there's a different level of energy, because in the very least, they have seen that video where you went to the adult league and hit a ball about 600ft into the air.

[Jason Worth]

Yeah, yeah. That's actually a really good story. A friend of mine, Matt Micah, who became a friend of mine, he was part of the Steve Scalise shooting in Washington. They got the baseball team. The Republic baseball team got shot up.

[Andy Beshear]

And we have a friend that was there that day.

[Jason Worth]

Matt Micah got shot twice. And I went and visited the hospital. He got healthy. I brought him to dad's park, and I just retired. I pulled my hamstring in AAA my last year. I was 39 years old. And a week later, Matt calls me and he's like, hey, I heard you retired. I'm like, yeah, I did. He's like, great. I'm playing my first game next week at this park in Arlington. I need you to be part of the team. And I couldn't say no. And I struck out my first at bat.

[Andy Beshear]

Oh, wow.

[Jason Worth]

I grounded out my second at bat. And the other team's like, mouth at me. I'm like, guys, I'm tuned up for, like, 95. I just quit playing the other day. Like, they're throwing, like, you know, barely breaking a plane of glass, and I got pissed off enough to hit a ball over the lights. And I said, that's never again. That's.

[Andy Beshear]

So that was it. You drop the bat. That was your last event.

[Jason Worth]

I'll never do it again.

[Andy Beshear]

That's right. So a little bit like, the natural to end your career. Something like that. Except you didn't hit the lights.

[Jason Worth]

Yeah. Over the lights. And it was, you know, take that, Roy Hobbs at DIGI High School Field in Arlington somewhere. It was. It was. It was fun.

[Andy Beshear]

What a way to end.

[Jason Worth]

And of all the. Of all the meaningful home runs that I hit in my big league career, that is the most famous.

[Andy Beshear]

Yes. It's got. It's got the most views.

[Jason Worth]

Correct.

[Andy Beshear]

Tell us, going back to baseball, toughest pitcher you faced?

[Jason Worth]

Well, for me, it was Annabelle Sanchez. I think it was. I think I was three for, like, 31, with 28 strikeouts or something like that. I hit guys like Kershaw, Randy Johnson, all the lefties. I hit pretty good, but for whatever reason, Annabelle Sanchez had my number.

[Andy Beshear]

Which pitcher did you just own?

[Jason Worth]

Every time he went out, I hit Kershaw pretty good.

[Johnny Velasquez]

Wow.

[Jason Worth]

Yeah. For, like, for Randy Johnson.

[Andy Beshear]

How many Cy Youngs do you have?

[Jason Worth]

A lot.

[Andy Beshear]

Like, all of them.

[Jason Worth]

Plenty. Yeah, I had a two home run game after Clayton. Clayton. If you're watching Icon Racing, give me a call. We'll get you into horse racing.

[John Rabinowitz]

Love it. Always be Brandy.

[Jason Worth]

Yes. Right. We've moved on. We're. We're all about. I have social media now, which I never had.

[John Rabinowitz]

Yeah. You have a podcast as well. Right.

[Jason Worth]

We're. We're kind of in between producers.

[Andy Beshear]

Okay.

[Jason Worth]

Yeah, we. Sean Kelly did a podcast for a while. It was a lot of fun.

[Andy Beshear]

Tell us a little bit about what you talked about.

[Jason Worth]

Well, we're. It's kind of geared towards icon, trying to, you know, a lot of our owners and icon are new to the sport.

[Andy Beshear]

Right.

[Jason Worth]

So a lot of this is kind of like Horse Racing 101, or it's baseball stories, horse racing, and kind of clubhouse locker room jargon.

[Johnny Velasquez]

Okay.

[Jason Worth]

It's not for everybody, but, you know, it's. It's tough to. It's tough to explain the sport of horse racing without, like, fully, you know, going for it. Just dive in. And so it's, it's part of it. We, we chose to kind of pull back the dollar that we spent on the podcast and do more social media, traditional marketing this year. But I know we can jump back into it.

[Andy Beshear]

All right, so for people that know you outside of baseball, know you outside of horse racing, how would they describe you?

[Jason Worth]

I probably depends on who you ask and what they, what they hear. For the most part, you know, what you see is what you get. You know, pretty much wear my heart on my sleeve. You always know where you stand with me. And I like, I like, I like to win. I like to have fun.

[Andy Beshear]

What would it take to get you to move to and pay taxes in Kentucky?

[Jason Worth]

I got to move some stuff around, but I think ultimately the goal is to one day have a horse farm in Lexington where, you know, we do that. We get into the breed breeding thing, but also, you know, the aftercare, the retired racehorses, you know, we doordox is spendthrift. I got a good relationship with them. I go for the most part. I go see them whenever I want. Yeah, you know, fly Mohawk still racing, but I feel like some way or another he's going to live in my backyard.

[Andy Beshear]

Well, Jason, we look forward to getting you to Kentucky and thanks for being on the podcast.

[John Rabinowitz]

Thank you, Jason.

[Andy Beshear]

All right, guys, we have come to the end of our second annual Kentucky Derby episode of the Andy Beshear Podcast. This has been a ton of fun. Make sure you watch it on YouTube at Andy Beshear Podcast. But also, if you want to see us do a third annual Kentucky Derby episode, make sure you recommend it to your friends, send it to your family. We want more people to see the content, so please reach out and help us build this further. Remember, you can download us wherever you get your podcast. You can follow us at Andy Beshear Podcast on all of our social channels. I hope you've enjoyed this day at Churchill Downs. Boom. Clock it.

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