Baseball legend hoping Little Vic can be big hit on £23.5m Dubai World Cup card

A five-time Major League Baseball All-Star is hoping his namesake racehorse can knock it out of the park on Dubai World Cup night. Victor Martinez, 46, became an acclaimed hitter and two-time winner of the Sliver Slugger Award during a decorated 16-year career playing for the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers.

He is now heading to one of the biggest stages in international racing where Little Vic will carry his colours in the £770,000 Godolphin Mile at Meydan.

Venezuela-born Martinez became involved in racing after he retired in 2018 and purchased the son of Practical Joke himself the same year. Since shelling out £38,000 Little Vic has won eight races and taken his earnings past £430,000.

“I don’t know anything about horses, so the trainer, Juan Carlos Avila, picks them out and we really got lucky with Little Vic,” he said

“He’s been the best horse I’ve owned besides [2020 G2 Tampa Bay Derby winner] King Guillermo. He took us to the Kentucky Derby but unfortunately two days before the race he got a fever and we had to scratch him.”

Martinez got into racing by growing up near a track in the city of Ciudad Bolívar and his horses, which run under the name of Victoria’s Ranch, have won 35 races of £1.4m in prize-money with Little Vic leading the way.

“I named him Little Vic because in my playing times my playmates used to call my son Little Vic,” continues Martinez, who has all his horses with fellow Venezuelan Avila. “Like every athlete he has his ups and downs, but he’s done great for us.”

Little Vic will also be a first Dubai runner for Avila, but his owner is confident their 107-rated colt is up to the challenge and will travel to Dubai along with his wife Margaret to cheer him on.

“Juan Carlos was telling me that Little Vic was asking for more distance,” he continues. “By the end of last year he went for a seven furlong [G3 Mr Prospector Stakes at Gulfstream] and he did well, getting beat by Mufasa, who’s going to be in the race, and [2023 G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner] White Abarrio. He finished strong after coming out of the gates slowly.

“In his last race Juan Carlos wanted to go for a mile and he ran great, so when we got the invitation we were extremely happy to give it a try.”