Thursday Thoughts with Jason Beem for March 27, 2025

A good Thursday morning to you and Happy Opening Day to all the baseball fans out there. Along with horse racing, baseball has always been my "other" passion. It was my real first love. My dad played college baseball and I was born not long after his career ended. I have photos of me as a baby holding a bat or a ball and he would toss me wiffle balls in the back yard from the time I was maybe three or four years old. It was around that same time that I remember first going to the races with him. 

I’m sure a lot of my love for baseball and racing traces back to just being quality time with my dad. I’ve joked many times that clearly the job I do now is just me seeking attention and approval from my dad, even though he passed away before I ever called a race. But those foundational moments from our childhood are so imprinted on us. Everything back then seemed so important. I would legit be sad if the Mariners lost (they always did) or if my favorite horses didn’t win at Longacres. I would also fantasize all the time about what it would be like to be on the Mariners hitting home runs or be a jockey riding Grandstand Gabe or Sneakin Jake at the track. These two things jalways felt so important.  

Of course when you’re young everything still feels possible. I told my dad when I was eight that I wanted to be a jockey. He didn’t have the heart to tell me that because he was 6’1” and my mom was 5’9” that the odds of that happening were quite slim. The jockey dream died at about age 12, but the baseball dream lasted at least until high school. 

I’ve had times in my life where I got away from horse racing and baseball. I’ve been kind of looking back on my sports fandom recently because the college basketball tournament is going on and I haven’t watched a second of it. When I was a teenager I knew every player in the Pac 10 and watched college hoops religiously. The last few years hockey has become a favorite of mine and has kind of taken the place of basketball as my third favorite sporting event. I didn’t follow racing at all in my teen years and early 20s, and baseball I got away from for much of my 30s. But I’ve found my way back to it and it’s so fun feeling invested in the great game because it carries so much history and importance to me.  

One of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite movies says “I never had any friends like the ones I had when I was 12. Jesus, does anyone?” That line to me perfectly encapsulates how I feel about the sports of my youth. Racing and baseball. They both seemed so important back then. They’re both still important, just in a more adult and reserved way. I sometimes miss having the passion and excitement that goes along with being 12. Everything still feels so possible. And maybe that’s one of the great things about horse racing and baseball, especially opening day. You never know what might happen on a given day at the track or on the diamond.  You might see a no-hitter or you might scoop the Late Pick 5 pool for $50,000. I love going to work each day at the races and knowing I might see something spectacular that day that I’ll talk about the rest of my life. Have a great weekend and go Mariners! This is our year! 

I’ve had times in my life where I got away from horse racing and baseball. I’ve been kind of looking back on my sports fandom recently because the college basketball tournament is going on and I haven’t watched a second of it. When I was a teenager I knew every player in the Pac 10 and watched college hoops religiously. The last few years hockey has become a favorite of mine and has kind of taken the place of basketball as my third favorite sporting event. I didn’t follow racing at all in my teen years and early 20s, and baseball I got away from for much of my 30s. But I’ve found my way back to it and it’s so fun feeling invested in the great game because it carries so much history and importance to me.  

One of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite movies says “I never had any friends like the ones I had when I was 12. Jesus, does anyone?” That line to me perfectly encapsulates how I feel about the sports of my youth. Racing and baseball. They both seemed so important back then. They’re both still important, just in a more adult and reserved way. I sometimes miss having the passion and excitement that goes along with being 12. Everything still feels so possible. And maybe that’s one of the great things about horse racing and baseball, especially opening day. You never know what might happen on a given day at the track or on the diamond.  You might see a no-hitter or you might scoop the Late Pick 5 pool for $50,000. I love going to work each day at the races and knowing I might see something spectacular that day that I’ll talk about the rest of my life. Have a great weekend and go Mariners! This is our year!