Former Phillies Outfielder Co-Owns a Kentucky Derby Horse

Flying Mohawk’s sire is a Japanese horse called Karakontie, which, in the Mohawk language, translates to “flying sun burning across the sky.”

“You don’t want to be the favorite at the Kentucky Derby, and we definitely will not be the favorite, so let’s go,” Werth added.

Werth was not downplaying their long-shot odds, either, as SportsLine currently has Flying Mohawk at 50-1 to win the Derby, tied for last among the 20-horse pool.

While Werth is a relative newcomer to this world, his stable, Two Eight Racing (a nod to his jersey number 28), has seen victories. One of his horses, Dornoch, won the 2024 Belmont Stakes. He also saw some encouraging results with Three Bolt Run, who came in second place at Tampa Bay Downs in 2024.

Werth has also talked about how nervous he gets watching his horses race, which is a tad surprising considering his cool nerves on the diamond. He played an integral role during the Phillies’ World Series run in 2008, batting .309 with a .969 OPS, two home runs, and four stolen bases.

The electrifying outfielder followed that up with a .275 batting average, 1.129-OPS, seven-home run effort as Philadelphia won the 2009 National League pennant.

It seems that Werth prefers having a say in the game’s outcome, whereas he has to watch from the sidelines and hope for the best at the track.

Best of luck to Flying Mohawk and the rest of Werth’s team as they seek to pull off the improbable at Churchill Downs.