Griffin Johnson isn’t supposed to be here, at least not in the traditional sense of horse racing. He’s not the heir to a racing empire. He didn’t grow up walking shed rows or dreaming of the Kentucky Derby. He’s a TikTok star, a Gen Z face of the internet, followed by 9.7 million people. But this Saturday at Saratoga, the influencer found himself in the winner’s circle, not for a collab, but for something far more personal. Ewing, the 2-year-old colt he co-owns, had just delivered a wire-to-wire win in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special Stakes… and Griffin was right there—not performing, but living it.

The race was all heart. After a slow break from the rail, Ewing surged to the lead, clocking :22.26 for the opening quarter and refusing to fold under pressure from undefeated favorite Obliteration. When the two ‘TDN Rising Stars’ turned for home, Ewing found another gear, floated his rival wide, and never let him back in. He stopped the clock in 1:18.03, stamping himself as the first black-type winner for sire Knicks Go and stamping Griffin as more than just a sideline spectator. This wasn’t a flash-in-the-pan ownership. It was commitment. That energy spilled into TikTok.

As Griffin shared a video from the stands, yelling through the final furlongs, “yeaaa… come on… runnn… yaaay.” It was captioned as “Reacting to my horse winning a $200,000 race.” The post wasn’t curated. It wasn’t aesthetic. Sweaty, shaky, and real. The kind of post you don’t stage, because you’re too busy feeling it. And that’s where Johnson’s presence in horse racing feels different. That same tone continued when NYRA cameras caught up with him for a post-race interview alongside paddock analyst Maggie Wolfendale.

“He’s a horse that loves the run,” Johnson said, voice full of quiet belief. “He’s quick out of the gate… and he came out and did what he was supposed to do.” Wolfendale, who had covered Ewing in a 2-year-old feature earlier this year, chimed in: “He’s so high energy—it’s like he wants to go out every day and do his thing.” Johnson didn’t miss a beat: “He shows up every morning ready to run, and you know, not every horse gets as excited as he does. And I’m really excited to see what he does with that, and I think that we’ll be here in Ewing a lot more.” No self-promotion. No catchphrases. Just love for the horse, the people, and the moment.

That’s the X-factor. He didn’t just celebrate the win; he honored it. Along with trainers Mark Casse, West Point Thoroughbreds, and racing’s backbone. And then, like anyone who’s been bitten by horse racing’s strange, addictive magic, he said the thing that matters most: “I’ll be forever grateful to horse racing.” Because sometimes, it’s not about where you came from or how many followers you have. It’s about showing up and caring deeply. But wait, was Ewing the only horse he co-owns? Not quite.

Griffin Johnson isn’t just watching but is building something real in horse racing

Like his looks, Griffin Johnson’s taste is in horses. Beyond his breakout moment with Ewing at Saratoga, Johnson is also a minority owner (2.5% stake) in the Kentucky Derby-qualified colt Sandman. That partnership came through America’s Best Racing’s “A Stake in Stardom” initiative with West Point Thoroughbreds, aiming to connect new audiences, especially younger ones. And so far, it’s working. Johnson’s online following and content around the horse racing legend Sandman have generated millions of impressions.

Sandman, a top 3-year-old by Tapit, has already made major noise on the Triple Crown trail. He captured the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby. And that’s not all. He even punched his ticket to Churchill Downs. With it, he held his own in the 2025 Kentucky Derby, finishing seventh before continuing toward the Preakness. Trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, Sandman runs under a deep partnership that includes St. Elias Stable, D.J. Stable, CJ Stables, and West Point Thoroughbreds. While it was Ewing who delivered Griffin his first graded stakes win, Sandman is the one who’s already carried him to America’s biggest racing stage.

As for Ewing, he’s no second fiddle. A $585,000 OBS April purchase, the colt became the first black-type winner for freshman sire Knicks Go with his Saratoga Special triumph. He’s trained by Casse as well and campaigned in partnership with D.J. Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds, and Kenneth Freirich. His pedigree adds layers of intrigue. His dam, Sassy Ali Joy, never raced herself but produced stakes-placed Tuscan Queen. So while Sandman might’ve blazed the Derby trail… Ewing is now writing his own chapter in horse racing; and Griffin Johnson? It seems like he is just getting started.