Victor Martinez was never known for his speed during his 16-year Major League career, but he’s quickly building a budding career in racing. His horse, King Guillermo, finished second Saturday in the second division of the Arkansas Derby.
It’s the second strong finish in as many races on the Kentucky Derby qualifying circuit for King Guillermo, which beat 49-to-1 odds to win the Tampa Bay Derby in March.
Martinez, a five-time All-Star who spent seven seasons with the Tigers before retiring in 2018, had been hoping to race King Guillermo in the Kentucky Derby this weekend. Once that race was postponed until September due to the coronavirus pandemic, however, they pivoted to Arkansas, which moved its schedule and closed off its race to spectators.
Unlike Tampa Bay, where Martinez was able to celebrate in person, Martinez had to watch from home with his family at Victoria’s Ranch, the facility he named after his daughter. Martinez built the ranch south of his then-home in Orlando, Fla., shortly before his retirement and planned to spend his post-playing career raising cattle there, but jumped into the thoroughbred industry last year and brought on longtime Venezuelan horse trainer Juan Carlos Avila.
Martinez has said racing horses has been a lifelong dream of his. He told MLB Network’s Ken Rosenthal in a March story for The Athletic that he talked with then-Tigers teammates and fellow Venezuelans Miguel Cabrera, Aníbal Sánchez and Omar Infante about buying a thoroughbred together in 2013. However, the opportunity didn’t really come together until last spring, when Martinez could devote his full-time energy to his ranch.
Martinez bought three horses with his wife Margret at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company Spring Sale of 2-year-olds, including King Guillermo, a Kentucky-bred son of former champion 2-year-old Uncle Mo. Among Uncle Mo’s other offspring is 2016 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist.
The name has special meaning for Martinez. His father, Guillermo, died of a heart attack when Victor was just 6 years old. The experience played a big role in Martinez’s concern after his own heart issues led to a cardiac ablation procedure in 2017.
King Guillermo and jockey Samy Camacho got off to a strong start Saturday, taking the inside rail behind Wells Bayou. Once the heavily favored Nadal surged from the outside into the lead, there was no catching the favorite. King Guillermo made a run down the stretch before Nadal pulled away at the end.
The result should still put King Guillermo and Martinez in a good position for the Kentucky Derby in the fall.