Victor Martinez has been quiet in retirement, but he's also been busy.
The former Tigers All-Star is the owner of a horse that appears ticketed for the Kentucky Derby after King Guillermo sprung a surprising victory this weekend at the Tampa Bay Derby.
Martinez, who purchased the horse last year for $150,000, said nothing he did in his baseball career compares to watching his three-year-old colt race to a win.
"My dad died when I was 6, and I always wanted to have a horse named for my dad," he told reporters in the winner's circle. "This is absolutely something else. I thank God for this opportunity and putting a great horse in my hands."
King Guillermo earned 50 points by winning the Tampa Bay Derby, which all but guarantees him a spot in the May 2 Kentucky Derby, per The Paulick Report. His winnings on Saturday totaled $210,000.
Martinez, 41, retired from baseball in 2018 and now owns and operates a cattle ranch in Okeechobee, Florida.
"That's my main job right now," he said with a smile.
He's a five-time @MLB all-star, a cattle rancher, and the owner of #TampaBayDerby hopeful King Guillermo. We talked to Víctor Martínez at @TampaBayDownsFL: pic.twitter.com/FxtnEIZgpq
— America'sBestRacing (@ABRLive) March 7, 2020He got into horseracing on the side -- and now his horse is prepared to run in the biggest race of the year.
"My wife and I always liked horseracing," he said. "While I was playing we never had a chance to actually be in it. Now that I'm retired, my wife and I talked about it and we decided to get into it."
