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Gronkowski to race in Kentucky Derby

By Dave Kovaleski March 31, 2018 at 8:46am

While New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski may be enjoying his offseason, another Gronkowski is preparing for the event of his life.

A horse named after none other than the Patriots superstar won the Burradon Stakes in England on Friday to qualify for the 2018 Kentucky Derby.

When I named this horse Gronkowski I always had the Kentucky Derby in mind..the dream is very much alive @RobGronkowski @Tattersalls1766 pic.twitter.com/gAu6hRl1JK

— Kerri Radcliffe (@Ker_Radcliffe) March 30, 2018

Gronkowski’s owner, Kerri Radcliffe of Phoenix Thoroughbreds, is a Patriots fan, and more specifically, a Rob Gronkowski fan.

“I love the New England Patriots and as Rob Gronkowski is six-five and about the same wide I thought it would be an appropriate name for the horse as he’s built much the same,” Radcliffe told the Racing Post last month.

“Gronkowski is a lovely horse and we are excited about his future,” he stated, adding that in the U.S., the horse should “generate plenty of interest with a name like his.”

And their names are not the only way the tight end and the racehorse are similar.

Gronkowski the football player runs like a thoroughbred on the field.

He is extremely difficult for opposing defenses to stop with his combination of size, speed and skill.

Do you think Gronkowski will win the Kentucky Derby?

And from the look at his most recent race, Gronkowski the horse is a force to be reckoned with as well.

Horse named Gronkowski just won the Burradon Stakes in England and has qualified to run in the Kentucky Derby pic.twitter.com/QkJlkPdVbS

— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) March 30, 2018

Rob Gronkowski, meanwhile, is no stranger to the Kentucky Derby.

The Patriots tight end attended the event last year with quarterback Tom Brady, wide receiver Julian Edelman, former teammate Jimmy Garoppolo, and a few others.

I spy: #Brady #Garappolo #Edelman #Gronk, and… @Patriots #KentuckyDerby @frogs53 @Stillyry #NFL pic.twitter.com/cabdP4gRW8

— SportsMeraMera (@SportsMeraMera) May 7, 2017

It’s not clear whether Rob Gronkowski plans to attend the Run for the Roses this year, but if he does, you can bet who he’ll be rooting for.

The Kentucky Derby is scheduled for May 5.

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Tags:

Kentucky, New England Patriots, NFL, Viral

Dave Kovaleski

Contributor, Sports

SummaryMore Biographical InformationRecent PostsContact

Dave is a lifelong sports fan who has been writing for The Wildcard since 2017. He has been a writer for more than 20 years for a variety of publications.

Dave has been writing about sports for The Wildcard since 2017. He's been a reporter and editor for over 20 years, covering everything from sports to financial news. In addition to writing for The Wildcard, Dave has covered mutual funds for Pensions and Investments, meetings and conventions, money market funds, personal finance, associations, and he currently covers financial regulations and the energy sector for Macallan Communications. He has won awards for both news and sports reporting.

Location

Massachusetts

Languages Spoken

English

Topics of Expertise

Sports