Collect a bunch of colleagues collectively for a gathering this week and the dialogue inevitably turns to the Tremendous Bowl. When the folks concerned are also avid horse racing followers, the dialog then inevitably veers to connections between the 2 sports activities.
As we method Tremendous Bowl LX and the showdown between the Seattle Seahawks (16-3) and the New England Patriots (17-3), one fascinating thread that arose was racehorse house owners within the Tremendous Bowl and the checklist was (considerably) surprisingly strong. This isn’t meant to be a complete checklist, so be happy to chime in on social media with others who shared a ardour for racing horses and competing within the final recreation.
Tom and Gayle Benson: The couple received the Tremendous Bowl as house owners of the New Orleans Saints through the stretch when the crew was led by head coach Sean Payton and quarterbacked by Drew Brees, defeating the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 within the 2010 Tremendous Bowl. Tom Benson died March 15, 2018, however earlier than his passing the couple relished Thoroughbred racing as GMB Racing and had a number of Kentucky Derby candidates over time. GMB Racing’s greatest horse, Grade 1 winner Tom’s d’Etat, excelled for Gayle Benson after her husband’s dying. She nonetheless races horses and owns the New Orleans Saints and the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans.
Tom Brady: You can’t have a G.O.A.T. dialogue in soccer with out Tom Brady. To many, the three-time MVP and seven-time Tremendous Bowl champion is hands-down the best to ever lace ’em up on the gridiron. His foray into Thoroughbred racing possession is much less clear, however in 2007 the Boston Globe reported Brady was a part-owner through Little Pink Feather Racing in a filly named Guts Sport. The partnership additionally reportedly included Jay-Z, Main League Baseball participant Paul LoDuca, and NBA celebrity LeBron James. Guts Sport began scorching with two wins and three seconds in her first 5 begins, however she didn’t win on the stakes stage.
Terry Bradshaw: Corridor of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw guided the Pittsburgh Steelers to 4 Tremendous Bowl wins in six years because the sign caller for a real NFL dynasty. The “Metal Curtain” Tremendous Bowl wins got here in 1975 over the Minnesota Vikings (16-6), 1976 over the Dallas Cowboys (21-17), 1979 over the Cowboys (35-31), and 1980 over the Los Angeles Rams (31-19). Bradshaw was named Tremendous Bowl MVP in 1979 and 1980. Bradshaw is a long-time fan of Thoroughbreds. He was a co-owner of 2010 Louisiana Derby winner Mission Impazible and Grade 1 winner Graydar and races unbeaten 2026 Kentucky Oaks hopeful Taken by the Wind.
Drew Brees: The All-Professional quarterback was the MVP of the New Orleans Saints 31-17 conquer the Indianapolis Colts within the 2010 Tremendous Bowl. Brees has been a co-owner of a number of racehorses over time, continuously partnering with former Saints head coach Sean Payton and sports activities character Jim Rome.
Jake Delhomme: Native Louisianan Delhomme is a horse racing fixture in his house state, competing as Set-Hut Secure together with his brother Jeff Delhomme (the steady’s coach) and father, Jerry Delhomme. The household has spent fairly a little bit of time within the winner’s circle of late with Louisiana standout Touchuponastar. Delhomme led the Carolina Panthers to the Tremendous Bowl in 2003-’04, shedding a heartbreaker to the New England Patriots regardless of three Delhomme TD passes, 32-29, in among the best video games in Tremendous Bowl historical past.
Mike Ditka: Corridor of Fame tight finish and completed Chicago Bears head coach Mike Ditka is a longtime racing fan who was an everyday on the Arlington Million and attended the inaugural Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes. Ditka received an NFL championship earlier than the arrival of the Tremendous Bowl, misplaced to the Baltimore Colts 16-13 within the 1971 Tremendous Bowl as a member of the Dallas Cowboys, and caught a landing within the Cowboys’ 24-3 win over the Miami Dolphins within the 1972 Tremendous Bowl. Ditka additionally coached one of the crucial dominant groups within the historical past of the NFL, the 1985-’86 Chicago Bears, who destroyed the New England Patriots 46-10 within the Tremendous Bowl.
Marshall Faulk: Corridor of Fame operating again Marshall Faulk has been part-owner of racehorses by means of partnerships, together with with the Crew Valor syndicate. Faulk was a key cog in “the best present on turf” and received the 2000 Tremendous Bowl with the St. Louis Rams, 23-16, over the Tennessee Titans. He was on the shedding finish within the 2002 Tremendous Bowl, when the New England Patriots topped the Rams 20-17.
Rob Gronkowski: New England Patriots All-Professional tight finish Rob Gronkowski enjoys life to the fullest, which was apparent to onlookers on the three Tremendous Bowl parades after he received titles with the New England Patriots in 2014-’15, 2016-’17, and 2018-‘19 and with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020-’21. So, when a chance got here alongside to purchase an curiosity within the racehorse named after him, Gronkowski, forward of the 2018 Belmont Stakes, Gronk (the human) jumped on the likelihood. Racehorse Gronkowski, who had been racing in Europe, completed second to Triple Crown winner Justify in his North American debut.
Sam Huff: West Virginia native Sam Huff was not solely a passionate racing fan and Thoroughbred proprietor, he additionally co-founded the West Virginia Breeders Basic in 1987 as a part of his dedication to the game of horse racing, particularly selling West Virginia-breds. Huff, who died in 2021 at age 87, performed most of his profession earlier than Tremendous Bowl period as a two-time All-Professional linebacker for the New York Giants within the Fifties. Whereas Huff technically didn’t play within the Tremendous Bowl, he did win an NFL Championship in 1956 with the New York Giants, so he’s grandfathered into this checklist.
Travis Kelce: The four-time first-team All-Professional tight finish and beau of pop icon Taylor Swift is not going to take part within the Tremendous Bowl this Sunday for the primary time since 2022 after his Kansas Metropolis Chiefs performed for the NFL title in 5 of the final six seasons, successful three Tremendous Bowls. A frequent attendee of the Kentucky Derby, Kelce obtained into racehorse possession in 2024 when he purchased an curiosity in Swift Supply, largely due to the horse’s title. The gelding gave Kelce his first graded stakes win within the 2025 Seagram Cup Stakes.
Marshawn Lynch: In August 2025, John G. Sikura’s Hill ‘n’ Dale at Xalapa acquired a half-interest in 2024 Horse of the Yr Thorpedo Anna, a deal that included Tremendous Bowl Champion Marshawn Lynch. On the time the deal was introduced, Lynch was on the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling sale trying out future racehorse prospects and appeared on America’s Finest Racing’s livestream. A primary-team All-Professional operating again with the Seattle Seahawks in 2012, Lynch received the 2014 Tremendous Bowl with Seattle, 43-8, over the Denver Broncos. The Seahawks misplaced to the New England Patriots within the Tremendous Bowl the next 12 months.
Invoice Parcells: Corridor of Fame NFL coach Invoice Parcells’ racing steady is August Daybreak Farm. He’s raced stakes winners akin to Saratoga Snacks, Play Motion Cross, Hit It As soon as Extra, Forty Beneath, and Maple Leaf Mel. Parcells received two Tremendous Bowls with the New York Giants: defeating the Denver Broncos 39-20 in 1987 and the Buffalo Payments 20-19 within the Scott Norwood wide-right Tremendous Bowl in 1991. Parcells additionally led the New England Patriots to the Tremendous Bowl, falling 35-21 to the Inexperienced Bay Packers in 1997.
Sean Payton: Payton’s Denver Broncos got here up simply in need of reaching this 12 months’s Tremendous Bowl, shedding 10-7 to the New England Patriots within the AFC Championship. He guided the New Orleans Saints to a Tremendous Bowl win in 2009-’10, a season capped by a 31-17 victory over the Indianapolis Colts for house owners Tom and Gayle Benson, who additionally have been concerned in Thoroughbred racing with GMB Racing. Payton attended the 2016 Kentucky Derby when the Bensons had two starters, Mo Tom and Tom’s Prepared, and gave the “Riders Up” name within the paddock earlier than the run for the roses. Payton partnered on a number of horses with Final Mango Racing Secure, a partnership that additionally included singer Jimmy Buffett together with Saints executives and quarterback Drew Brees.
Wade Phillips: An completed defensive coordinator and head coach within the NFL, Phillips oversaw the protection for the Denver Broncos in 2015-’16 after they capped the season with a 24-10 win over the Carolina Panthers. Phillips competed within the 2024 Breeders’ Cup World Championships with Hold the Moon, a a number of graded stakes winner he raced as a part of the CJ Thoroughbreds partnership. His dad, Bum Phillips, developed a love of racing at Truthful Grounds whereas teaching the New Orleans Saints and in addition owned Thoroughbreds.
Jacob Tamme: It’s no shock that Kentucky native and College of Kentucky standout tight finish Jacob Tamme has Thoroughbred racing in his blood — he’s a giant fan of Keeneland Race Course — and he’s transitioned to farming in retirement. Tamme, who received a race at Royal Ascot in 2017 with Con Te Partiro and has owned quite a few horses over time, now operates Tamme Valley Farm, which is an Angus cattle operation in Danville, Ky. Tamme reached the Tremendous Bowl twice, as soon as with the Indianapolis Colts (a 31-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints in 2010) and as soon as whereas taking part in for the Denver Broncos (a 43-8 defeat by the hands of the Seattle Seahawks in 2014).
Wes Welker: Undrafted out of school at Texas Tech, the diminutive extensive receiver made many groups remorse that call. Welker performed for 2 NFL groups earlier than discovering an ideal spot with the New England Patriots as a prime goal for future Corridor of Fame quarterback Tom Brady (Corridor of Fame eligible in 2028). He led the league in receptions thrice and was twice named first crew All-Professional. Welker was a part of two Patriots groups that went to the Tremendous Bowl and performed within the large recreation as soon as with the Denver Broncos, however he was on the shedding aspect for all three. A protracted-time Thoroughbred fanatic, Welker made headlines within the sport of horse racing together with his a number of graded stakes winner Undrafted, who received the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2015 and competed in three editions of the Breeders’ Cup Turf Dash.
Vince Wilfork: An All-Professional defensive sort out and two-time champion with the New England Patriots, Wilfork raced graded stakes winner Nice Minds amongst a number of racehorses he campaigned alone or in partnership. Wilfork and the Pats defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 24-21 in 2005 and beat the Seattle Seahawks 28-24 in 2015. He additionally was on the shedding aspect within the Tremendous Bowl in 2008 and 2012, each instances in opposition to the New York Giants.
