Monday Morning Message with Jason Beem for March 10, 2025

Jason looks back at this weekend's Tampa Bay Derby (G3) win for Owen Almighty and a common bond shared with their ownership group. 

A good Monday morning to you all! I often joke that the day after the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) is my favorite day of the year. I mean, it’s not even that much of a joke; I generally do love that day. All the pressure of Saturday is off – just a fun time to call the races, enjoy our great weather here, and bask in the knowledge that I don’t have to call another graded stakes till Arlington Million Day! 

But honestly this year, Derby Day wiped me out, in a good way. The constant up and down adrenaline of a big day announcing is simultaneously rewarding but also exhausting. By the time the Derby was over, my brain was mush, and that carried over into Sunday this year. So I'm looking forward to a couple days of recharging at home. 

That said, I wanted to reflect back on Saturday and also share some thoughts about the big race and the winning connections. First of all, I thought Owen Almighty looked awesome. He certainly had a pretty easy trip of things up front, but with all the discussion this week talking about him going to the Pat Day Mile (G2), I thought he looked great at the 1 1/16-mile distance in this year’s Tampa Bay Derby. After the race it sounded like trainer Brian Lynch was still hoping to go the Pat Day Mile route, but he indicated that they’d sit down and talk it over as a group. 

I know that “Derby fever” is a real thing, and I get why it’s a real thing. The Kentucky Derby (G1) is the biggest race in our country and certainly one of, if not the biggest, in the world, and people want to be a part of it. The connections of Owen Almighty have the points to be in that race and on paper have a horse who really hasn’t done much of anything wrong. 

Because he’s run three times already this calendar year, I don’t think they’ll run in another prep, but maybe that is something they might consider if they want to try out a longer distance or a final major prep like the Wood (G2) or Blue Grass (G1) or something like that? The points they already have in the bank give them the opportunity to kind of do whatever they want, including go to the Pat Day Mile. 

As someone who works for Tampa Bay Downs, I’m always a little biased in rooting for the Tampa Bay Derby winner to go on to the Kentucky Derby, but if they choose the Pat Day Mile, so be it. That’s still an immensely important race and because it’s on Kentucky Derby Day, it’s not like you don’t get to go to the big day and be a part of it. You do! 

Owen Almighty is owned by Flying Dutchmen Breeding and Racing, who are somewhat new to the racing scene, at least in this form. Travis Boersma, the principal of the group, is the co-founder of Dutch Bros. Coffee and also my former boss, as he was the owner of Grants Pass Downs for several years. He and his coffee company are both from beautiful Grants Pass. 

I remember for those seasons I got to call the races there seeing Travis and his family enjoying the races as fans in the stands. He always owned a few horses and supported the local trainers and was very generous with his resources in trying to preserve and grow racing in Oregon. 

From the Beem archives: 2020 podcast with Travis Boersma

With the success of his company, he’s broadened his involvement in horse ownership with Flying Dutchmen which he runs with his 20-year-old son Payton, the COO of the group. Between Owen Almighty, Donut God, and a few others, they’ve already started to make some noise on the national level. 

I’m very happy for the Boersma team because I got to see first-hand their love of horse racing at even the smallest of levels in Grants Pass. I try not to be biased in race-calling and in racing in general, but I can tell you wherever Owen Almighty does show up on Derby Day, I’ll be cheering for him.