Bonding over a Churchill Downs victory, the North Siders rallied behind Alex Bregman’s winning horse, fueling team chemistry just as the high-stakes National League playoff race intensifies.
This Chicago Cubs team seems more connected than ever.
After a strong homestand in which the Cubs won 2-of-3 games against the Pittsburgh Pirates last weekend and 2-of-3 games against the Atlanta Braves earlier this week, the team spent Thursday’s off day with each other.
Instead of heading out to Cincinnati right away to prepare for a big three-game series against the Reds at Great American Ball Park, the Cubs’ team plane made a pit stop in Louisville, Kentucky.
Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman’s horse, Act of Parliament, was participating in a race at Churchill Downs that evening. Act of Parliament is a horse owned by Bregman and his family, and with the Cubs being off that day, the team decided to show him some support.
The entire team showed up to watch Act of Parliament in this high-stakes race. This was a true bonding experience for a team that is in the thick of a playoff race. These types of outings can make a team stronger for the stretch run.
And the outside world can see just how close this team is.
As Bregman’s horse crossed the finish line and won this race, the entire Cubs team celebrated with the veteran third baseman. Javier Assad, Miguel Amaya, Matthew Boyd, David Peterson, Kevin Gausman, and Ryan Rolison were a few of the players in the middle of this celebration following Act of Parliament’s victory.
Even manager Craig Counsell (who doesn’t show much emotion during games) was in the middle of that celebration. He can be seen jumping up and down as he celebrates with his players.
A video of that celebration was shared on X by Timmy Smith:
It’s really great to see this Cubs team come together for another teammate. This group of guys seems to be really close with one another, and that can certainly help a team with the playoffs right around the corner.
Bregman shared on his Instagram story that Crow-Armstrong gave his horse a pep talk before the race, and the rookies wore funny costumes. Rolison was dressed up as a horse, and Pedro Ramirez was in a jockey costume.
After last night’s fun, the Cubs will now shift their focus to the final nine games of the regular season. The North Siders currently own the top Wild Card spot in the National League, but both the Phillies (tied) and the Padres (one game back) are right behind them in the Wild Card standings.
