Former Springfield baseball star has a horse Werth-y of Kentucky Derby. What to know

There's a central Illinois connection to the Saturday's 150th running of the Kentucky Derby.

World Series champion Jayson Werth, a graduate of Chatham Glenwood High School, has an ownership in Dornoch, a full brother of Mage, which stood in the winner's circle at Churchill Downs in 2023.

Dornoch (pronounced "DOOR-nick") has won half of its eight starts, including the Fountain of Youth Stakes in Florida in March.

More:Werth retires from majors

Here's what to know:

'Fascinated by horses'

Werth, who retired after a 15-year Major League Baseball career in 2018, told Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Trainers' Association that he was "always fascinated by horses and horse racing. ...When I was a kid, I also had a chance to work at a harness racing horse farm (owned by Bob Neal) by my house (in Springfield)."

Racehorse owner and golf partner Rich Averill of Averill Racing was Werth's ticket into owning horses. It was through Averill's group that Werth made his first purchase, R Calli Kim.

Owning and racing horses, Werth told America's Best Racing's Tom Pedulla, "is the best game in town."

Owning Dornoch

Werth's Two Eight Racing, a nod to his uniform number, and several other stables have a 10% ownership in Dornoch.

A bay colt, Dornoch was purchased at the Keeneland Yearling Sale in Kentucky for $325,000.

Werth said at one point he had part ownership of over 30 horses.

'A dopamine dump'

Werth called winning the World Series with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008 "a total dopamine dump."

Something close to it, he said in the Louisville Courier-Journal, is standing in the winner's circle with your horse.

"(That) chemical reaction in your brain when that goes on, that’s a very similar, same type of stuff going on up there when you win a horse race," Werth said. "You can’t reproduce it."

In the saddle

Danny Gargan is Dornoch's trainer. Jockey Luis Saez will be in the saddle.

Saez rode Maximum Security to a momentary win at the 2019 Run for the Roses. The horse was later disqualified for interference and Saez was suspended.

Dornoch will break from the No. 1 hole Saturday.

Bet it

According to Tuesday morning line odds posted at official Kentucky Derby website, Dornoch is a 20-1 favorite, with Fierceness the favorite at 5-2.

How to watch

Derby post time is 5:57 CDT Saturday.

The race will be broadcast on NBC. Coverage of the undercard races begins at 11 a.m. on USA Network and Peacock before shifting to NBC and Peacock. NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app will stream live coverage to subscribers.

Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788; sspearie@sj-r.com; X, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.