Philadelphia Phillies Legend Co-Owns Longshot Winner of Belmont Stakes

They call it an "upset victory." Dornoch, an oddsmaker longshot at 17-1, won the 156th running of the Belmont Stakes.

For the first time in history, the Belmont Stakes was run at Saratoga Race Course instead of Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Renovations forced the move, but the horses didn't seem to mind. In what is usually the longest race of the Triple Crown, the course setup only allowed for the 2024 Belmont to be run at 1 1/4 miles rather than the 1 1/2 miles it is normally.

Dornoch, trained by Danny Gargan and jockeyed by Luis Saez held off contenders were who widely favored over him. Mindframe came in second and the heavy favorite, Sierra Leone finished third.

The Preakness Stakes winner, Seize the Gray, set an early lead and pace. After the first 3/4 of a mile, the gray horse started to face and that's when Dornoch and Mindframe saw the opening.

The strategy was to just let Dornoch run his own race. The fact that he wasn't a favorite took the pressure off and just allowed Saez to focus on his horse and his own race.

Co-owner Randy Hill never doubted the pair.

"I told Luis, you run your race - nobody will beat you and no one's going to run your down."

Saez had his own thoughts about the race.

"We controlled the pace. It was perfect," he said.

While Saez has seen the winner's circle before aboard Essential Quality in 2021, trainer Danny Gargan was gathering the experience for the first time.

Also among the firsts for the day was the win for former MLB World Series Champion Jayson Werth. A member of the 2008 Philadelphia Phillies World Series Champions, Werth can now boast a Triple Crown Winner.

"Horse racing is the most underrated sport in the world, bar none... This is as good as it gets in horse racing; this is as good as it gets in sports."

World Champion Jayson Werth co-owns 2024 @BelmontStakes champion Dornoch! 🏆🐎 pic.twitter.com/vaXuR6G8OY
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) June 8, 2024

"This is as good as it gets in horse racing. It's as good as it gets in sports," Werth said as he was celebrating the win.

Werth spent four seasons with the Phillies and then finished his career with the Washington Nationals. For his career he batted .267 with 229 home runs and 799 RBI.

With the Phillies taking a win of 7-2 over the New York Mets yesterday, the Nationals handling the Atlanta Braves 7-3 and Dornoch commanding the Belmont, Werth was having a pretty good day.

For the sixth straight year, three different horses have won each of the Triple Crown Legs. Dornoch serves as a great reminder, never count out the longshot.