Cubs 3B Alex Bregman’s team-bonding trip to Churchill Downs is a rousing success

CINCINNATI — For the Cubs’ off day Thursday, third baseman and race-horse owner Alex Bregman helped organize a team trip to Churchill Downs. It ended up being a wonderful bonding experience, and he made a little bit of money, to boot.

Bregman’s horse Act of Parliament won his first race in four career starts, taking a maiden claiming race by less than a length in front of the whole team — including reliever Ryan Rolison, who was dressed as a horse. More on that later.

The trip had been planned for a month. Within that time, Bregman Family Racing bought Act of Parliament, who went to post in the final race of the night. The atmosphere at the track was far from what it is on Derby Day, at least until the dark bay colt rallied to win in an 11-horse field.

The Cubs celebrated wildly in the winner’s circle and hoisted jockey Axel Concepcion as though he had hit a walk-off home run. Act of Parliament paid out $8.68 off a $2 bet to win, and he earned Bregman, who has raced horses since 2022, $27,108 of the $48,000 purse. Act of Parliament got claimed, though, likely ending his time in Bregman’s stable.

But the payout wasn’t the point of the trip. The Cubs flew into Louisville, Kentucky, on Thursday, the day before opening a three-game series against the Reds about 100 miles away, for the purpose of coming together away from baseball at a pressure-packed time of the season.

“It was a great time,” Bregman said. “We had all the guys out there. It was a lot of fun to be able to share that experience with them. Just being around the group this time of year is super important, just building a camaraderie.”

Bregman shared much of the experience on Instagram. He showed a video of center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong petting Act of Parliament before the race with the caption, “PCA pep talk we couldn’t lose.”

“I just think it’s good that you get the whole group together, having fun,” said Bregman, who has had plenty of fun himself since the All-Star break, entering Friday with a 1.007 OPS and 17 home runs in 56 games. “It’s what it’s all about, building that team chemistry. That was probably a core memory for me right there doing it with this group of guys.”

That includes Rolison, who got stuck wearing a silly horse costume for opening his big mouth in a pitchers meeting a month ago. Manager Craig Counsell was there, and he revealed the plan for the off day. Some veterans said the trip would be a good time a rookie dress-up day.

“Thank God I don’t have to do that anymore, because I had to do it last year,” Rolison said.

Replied Counsell: “You don’t get to decide when you’re a rookie.”

So even with more than two years of service time, Rolison was a rookie again.

“It was good fun,” he said. “I’m a big personality in the clubhouse. So they gave me the horse, and everyone else was jockeys. I embraced it.”

And the Cubs embraced each other, which is a good sign for a team looking to get on a roll before the posteason. They entered Friday with their magic number for a playoff spot at four, meaning they could have it wrapped up this weekend.

When they walked into the visitor’s clubhouse at Great American Ballpark, they were met by wet carpet and an odor of beer and champagne, remnants of the Dodgers’ celebration for winning yet another division title Thursday. Could that smell of victory inspire the Cubs this weekend?

“It just smells in there, to be honest with you,” Counsell said.

It sounds like the Cubs will have to channel their joy from Churchill toward their playoff push.

“What are the chances, we plan this trip, and Bregman buys a horse, and it’s the last race of the night and the horse wins?” Rolison said. “You can’t script it out any better. It was a great team-bonding off day.”