Rob Gronkowski-Thoroughbred horse owner

BLUEJAYWAY

Wish him luck. He has recently purchased a minority interest in the horse "Gronkowski". The horse will be running in the Kentucky Derby this year. The equine is 4 of 6 in the win department. Have no idea of the horses WAR( ) rating.

stevek

https://www.equibase.com/profiles/Results.cfm?type=Horse&refno=9855524&registry=T&rbt=TB

This horse has an absolute zero chance of even getting "in the money" IE: finishing third or better in the Kentucky Derby, let alone winning it.

Australia horses run on the turf, and very rarely come over here and win races on such a high level on the dirt. This horse is 80 to 1 in the early odds, and should be a zillion to 1. LOL

Frankly, Gronk is better off losing and perhaps getting horse racing out of his system as owning thoroughbreds is a money pit for most owners. Hopefully he isn't the type who takes flyers on all sorts of crazy business ventures, and goes broke within ten years, like some other formally rich athletes have done before.

But I doubt if Gronk really cares about all that right now. He gets to have a horse with his name in the Kentucky Derby, and experience the thrill of being an owner and hobnobbing with the rich and famous at Churchill Downs. Might help him in various ways to meet some Hollywood types and establish connections if he wishes to pursue an acting career.

perkdog

I think Gronk is like a little kid, he likes one thing one minute and it’s on to the next “Best thing” like motorcross ect..

stevek

@perkdog said:
I think Gronk is like a little kid, he likes one thing one minute and it’s on to the next “Best thing” like motorcross ect..

I think you're right, although the horse racing thing is also a business venture.

I wouldn't be surprised if some con artist talks Gronk into starting a chain of burger joints called "Gronk's Burgers" or something like that, and Gronk hisses away millions of dollars as it fails in a few years. Many athlete restaurant ideas have miserably failed over the years.

After they see this sucker venture with the horse racing, I'm sure there are countless con artists out there salivating to get their grubby paws on Gronk and fleece him.

perkdog

I think Gronks father represents him in most business decisions, that in itself is potentially a great safe guard from the vultures.

stevek

@perkdog said:
I think Gronks father represents him in most business decisions, that in itself is potentially a great safe guard from the vultures.

That's good news for Gronk.

Like you say "potentially" and I agree with that. Hopefully Gronk will listen to sound business advice, and not pie-in-the-sky ventures like too many athletes get suckered in to.

grote15

I recall reading here that Gronk is very thrifty and hasn't spent any of the money he's made in the NFL yet. I could be wrong about that but I recall erik stating something to that effect a while back, though his personality would seem to suggest otherwise.

erikthredd

His financial situation has been talked ad nauseam here in NE by the local sports talk shows. Its to the point that Gronk farts and these shows twist that into Rob has a problem with his contract.
On a lighter note,how bad is it that Gronk buys a minority stake in a horse ownership then a week later the horse gets injured?

perkdog

Adding to Tim’s post, Gronk claims he hasn’t spent any of his NFL paychecks and only spends his endorsement money.

perkdog

Gronk states he is going to play this season

stevek

Great football coaches such as Belichick, Lombardi, Landry, etc, rather than stifling players such as Gronk, they know how to channel their energy - big difference.

Great coaches don't allow player off season antics, arguing, contract negotiations, etc, all that BS, to interfere with the task at hand and that is to win football games.

The loser football coaches don't comprehend how to do this and they never will.

BLUEJAYWAY

@erikthredd said:
His financial situation has been talked ad nauseam here in NE by the local sports talk shows. Its to the point that Gronk farts and these shows twist that into Rob has a problem with his contract.
On a lighter note,how bad is it that Gronk buys a minority stake in a horse ownership then a week later the horse gets injured?

I see the horse won't be running in the Derby. Came down with a fever.

erikthredd

@BLUEJAYWAY said:

@erikthredd said:
His financial situation has been talked ad nauseam here in NE by the local sports talk shows. Its to the point that Gronk farts and these shows twist that into Rob has a problem with his contract.
On a lighter note,how bad is it that Gronk buys a minority stake in a horse ownership then a week later the horse gets injured?

I see the horse won't be running in the Derby. Came down with a fever.

Gronk took him out partying and the horse couldn't hang.

stevek

@BLUEJAYWAY said:

@erikthredd said:
His financial situation has been talked ad nauseam here in NE by the local sports talk shows. Its to the point that Gronk farts and these shows twist that into Rob has a problem with his contract.
On a lighter note,how bad is it that Gronk buys a minority stake in a horse ownership then a week later the horse gets injured?

I see the horse won't be running in the Derby. Came down with a fever.

Best thing that could have happened to it. Now give the horse some time off to get acclimated to its new surroundings. Then get it in racing shape thru the proper workout procedures, and enter it in the right class of races.

From looking at the Australia past performances, the horse does have some talent. But it's quite obvious that it's not a Kentucky Derby or Breeders Cup class type of horse. However I think it could be capable of winning some allowance type races or possibly some non-graded type stakes races...maybe.

BLUEJAYWAY

The horse now is being pointed toward the Belmont Stakes in NYC in June. That race being the 3rd leg of the triple crown.

stevek

@BLUEJAYWAY said:
The horse now is being pointed toward the Belmont Stakes in NYC in June. That race being the 3rd leg of the triple crown.

Oh that is sick. That race is even tougher than the Kentucky Derby.

BLUEJAYWAY

@stevek said:

@BLUEJAYWAY said:
The horse now is being pointed toward the Belmont Stakes in NYC in June. That race being the 3rd leg of the triple crown.

Oh that is sick. That race is even tougher than the Kentucky Derby.

I agree. It is a race where most of those entered have never run at the 1 1/2 mile distance before and likely will never again after this race. Belmont is the only 1 1/2 mile track in the USA.

DIMEMAN

@BLUEJAYWAY said:

@stevek said:

@BLUEJAYWAY said:
The horse now is being pointed toward the Belmont Stakes in NYC in June. That race being the 3rd leg of the triple crown.

Oh that is sick. That race is even tougher than the Kentucky Derby.

I agree. It is a race where most of those entered have never run at the 1 1/2 mile distance before and likely will never again after this race. Belmont is the only 1 1/2 mile track in the USA.

There was a horse that ran the heck out of that track in '73....winning by 31 lengths! Greatest Horse Ever!

grote15

@DIMEMAN said:

@BLUEJAYWAY said:

@stevek said:

@BLUEJAYWAY said:
The horse now is being pointed toward the Belmont Stakes in NYC in June. That race being the 3rd leg of the triple crown.

Oh that is sick. That race is even tougher than the Kentucky Derby.

I agree. It is a race where most of those entered have never run at the 1 1/2 mile distance before and likely will never again after this race. Belmont is the only 1 1/2 mile track in the USA.

There was a horse that ran the heck out of that track in '73....winning by 31 lengths! Greatest Horse Ever!

Finally, I agree with Dimeman, lol..

stevek

This horse Gronkowski has a chance in the Belmont of also doing the 31 lengths thing.

Of course I mean losing by 31 lengths. LOL

DIMEMAN

@grote15 said:

@DIMEMAN said:

@BLUEJAYWAY said:

@stevek said:

@BLUEJAYWAY said:
The horse now is being pointed toward the Belmont Stakes in NYC in June. That race being the 3rd leg of the triple crown.

Oh that is sick. That race is even tougher than the Kentucky Derby.

I agree. It is a race where most of those entered have never run at the 1 1/2 mile distance before and likely will never again after this race. Belmont is the only 1 1/2 mile track in the USA.

There was a horse that ran the heck out of that track in '73....winning by 31 lengths! Greatest Horse Ever!

Finally, I agree with Dimeman, lol..

And the thing is if I remember correctly. He was in the far gate...came out late....and was dead last at the first turn. Then he kicked it in passing them all on the outside. What a race....what a horse. I still remember what a sad day it was when it came out in the news that he had to be put down.

Edited to correct myself. It was the Preakness that he was last at the turn not Belmont. But he did win by 31 at Belmont.

Also his time of 2:24 flat still stands and could stand forever. Nobody has come close.

stevek

@DIMEMAN said:

@grote15 said:

@DIMEMAN said:

@BLUEJAYWAY said:

@stevek said:

@BLUEJAYWAY said:
The horse now is being pointed toward the Belmont Stakes in NYC in June. That race being the 3rd leg of the triple crown.

Oh that is sick. That race is even tougher than the Kentucky Derby.

I agree. It is a race where most of those entered have never run at the 1 1/2 mile distance before and likely will never again after this race. Belmont is the only 1 1/2 mile track in the USA.

There was a horse that ran the heck out of that track in '73....winning by 31 lengths! Greatest Horse Ever!

Finally, I agree with Dimeman, lol..

And the thing is if I remember correctly. He was in the far gate...came out late....and was dead last at the first turn. Then he kicked it in passing them all on the outside. What a race....what a horse. I still remember what a sad day it was when it came out in the news that he had to be put down.

Edited to correct myself. It was the Preakness that he was last at the turn not Belmont. But he did win by 31 at Belmont.

Also his time of 2:24 flat still stands and could stand forever. Nobody has come close.

The movie "Secretariat" had a lot of fiction in it as most biographical Hollywood movies do. But at one point in the Belmont race in the movie, Sham's trainer says as Secretariat was drawing away the field, "That's impossible" or something like that.

If he did actually say it, it certainly was appropriate because normally in a race such as that when two horses dueling for the lead, cook each other in a 109.4 for 6 furlongs, usually one of them fades badly as Sham did, and the other one usually gets caught around mid stretch by at least one or two horses. But Secretariat, not only of course didn't get caught, he kept drawing away, and was only "ridden out" which means that the jockey Turcotte didn't even have him fully extended...and that is supposed to be "impossible."

DIMEMAN

It was like Secretariat just kept gaining speed. I think that was the race where his time in each quarter was faster than the previous. Which is unheard of in the 1 1/2 mile race. He was a beast!

grote15

I believe when Secretariat was autopsied his heart was several times larger than an average thoroughbred.

As Chick Anderson so eloquently declared, "He's moving like a tremendous machine!"

stevek

<<< I believe when Secretariat was autopsied his heart was several times larger than an average thoroughbred. >>>

I've read that as well.

Justacommeman

@DIMEMAN said:

@grote15 said:

@DIMEMAN said:

@BLUEJAYWAY said:

@stevek said:

@BLUEJAYWAY said:
The horse now is being pointed toward the Belmont Stakes in NYC in June. That race being the 3rd leg of the triple crown.

Oh that is sick. That race is even tougher than the Kentucky Derby.

I agree. It is a race where most of those entered have never run at the 1 1/2 mile distance before and likely will never again after this race. Belmont is the only 1 1/2 mile track in the USA.

There was a horse that ran the heck out of that track in '73....winning by 31 lengths! Greatest Horse Ever!

Finally, I agree with Dimeman, lol..

And the thing is if I remember correctly. He was in the far gate...came out late....and was dead last at the first turn. Then he kicked it in passing them all on the outside. What a race....what a horse. I still remember what a sad day it was when it came out in the news that he had to be put down.

Edited to correct myself. It was the Preakness that he was last at the turn not Belmont. But he did win by 31 at Belmont.

In the Preakness there were only 6 horses and Secreteriat came out of the 3 hole so I’m not sure what you are remembering. He was 6th at the first turn but then went to first near the second quarter pole and eventually put Sham away at the top of the stretch.

What I remember most of the Preakness and Belmont was they were essentially match race between Big Red and Sham.

Sham picked a bad year to be foaled. Sham was great in his own right

m

DIMEMAN

@Justacommeman said:

@DIMEMAN said:

@grote15 said:

@DIMEMAN said:

@BLUEJAYWAY said:

@stevek said:

@BLUEJAYWAY said:
The horse now is being pointed toward the Belmont Stakes in NYC in June. That race being the 3rd leg of the triple crown.

Oh that is sick. That race is even tougher than the Kentucky Derby.

I agree. It is a race where most of those entered have never run at the 1 1/2 mile distance before and likely will never again after this race. Belmont is the only 1 1/2 mile track in the USA.

There was a horse that ran the heck out of that track in '73....winning by 31 lengths! Greatest Horse Ever!

Finally, I agree with Dimeman, lol..

And the thing is if I remember correctly. He was in the far gate...came out late....and was dead last at the first turn. Then he kicked it in passing them all on the outside. What a race....what a horse. I still remember what a sad day it was when it came out in the news that he had to be put down.

Edited to correct myself. It was the Preakness that he was last at the turn not Belmont. But he did win by 31 at Belmont.

In the Preakness there were only 6 horses and Secreteriat came out of the 3 hole so I’m not sure what you are remembering. He was 6th at the first turn but then went to first near the second quarter pole and eventually put Sham away at the top of the stretch.

What I remember most of the Preakness and Belmont was they were essentially match race between Big Red and Sham.

Sham picked a bad year to be foaled. Sham was great in his own right

m

Mark...you are correct. You must have read my post before I edited it. It was the Preakness where he was last at the first turn.

I have read so much on Big Red over the last to days that I got some of the facts switched between races. I think he still hold the record time at both the Derby and Belmont. Not sure about the Preakness.

Another terrible day in racing was in '75 at Belmont in the match race Ruffian was in and went down. That was just an awful thing to see. She was such a great Philly.

Justacommeman

@DIMEMAN said:

@Justacommeman said:

@DIMEMAN said:

@grote15 said:

@DIMEMAN said:

@BLUEJAYWAY said:

@stevek said:

@BLUEJAYWAY said:
The horse now is being pointed toward the Belmont Stakes in NYC in June. That race being the 3rd leg of the triple crown.

Oh that is sick. That race is even tougher than the Kentucky Derby.

I agree. It is a race where most of those entered have never run at the 1 1/2 mile distance before and likely will never again after this race. Belmont is the only 1 1/2 mile track in the USA.

There was a horse that ran the heck out of that track in '73....winning by 31 lengths! Greatest Horse Ever!

Finally, I agree with Dimeman, lol..

And the thing is if I remember correctly. He was in the far gate...came out late....and was dead last at the first turn. Then he kicked it in passing them all on the outside. What a race....what a horse. I still remember what a sad day it was when it came out in the news that he had to be put down.

Edited to correct myself. It was the Preakness that he was last at the turn not Belmont. But he did win by 31 at Belmont.

In the Preakness there were only 6 horses and Secreteriat came out of the 3 hole so I’m not sure what you are remembering. He was 6th at the first turn but then went to first near the second quarter pole and eventually put Sham away at the top of the stretch.

What I remember most of the Preakness and Belmont was they were essentially match race between Big Red and Sham.

Sham picked a bad year to be foaled. Sham was great in his own right

m

Mark...you are correct. You must have read my post before I edited it. It was the Preakness where he was last at the first turn.

I have read so much on Big Red over the last to days that I got some of the facts switched between races. I think he still hold the record time at both the Derby and Belmont. Not sure about the Preakness.

Another terrible day in racing was in '75 at Belmont in the match race Ruffian was in and went down. That was just an awful thing to see. She was such a great Philly.

No I saw it after you edited it. The Preakness was only a six horse field and Big Red started from the middle. There was no outside gate. It was an easy trip for him.

m

BLUEJAYWAY

I remember when "Big Red" was upset that summer,1973, at Saratoga. He was defeated by a horse called "Onion". Trained by the "Giant Killer", trainer H.Allen Jerkins. Mr. Jerkins was also known as "The Chief".

Justacommeman

@BLUEJAYWAY said:
I remember when "Big Red" was upset that summer,1973, at Saratoga. He was defeated by a horse called "Onion". Trained by the "Giant Killer", trainer H.Allen Jerkins. Mr. Jerkins was also known as "The Chief".

I’ve been to Saratoga a few times. The graveyard of favorites. It’s a strange but beautiful place

m

erikthredd

You know Gronk is somewhere in Foxboro right now giggling like a little kid.
https://www.weei.com/blogs/lucy-burdge/gronkowski-horse-opens-69-1-odds-win-belmont-stakes

stevek

@erikthredd said:
You know Gronk is somewhere in Foxboro right now giggling like a little kid.
https://www.weei.com/blogs/lucy-burdge/gronkowski-horse-opens-69-1-odds-win-belmont-stakes

The actual odds of this horse winning are 69,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 to 1 - approximately. LOL

erikthredd

@stevek said:

@erikthredd said:
You know Gronk is somewhere in Foxboro right now giggling like a little kid.
https://www.weei.com/blogs/lucy-burdge/gronkowski-horse-opens-69-1-odds-win-belmont-stakes

The actual odds of this horse winning are 69,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 to 1 - approximately. LOL

If the Pats don't rework his contract soon we might be seeing Gronk riding that horse on race day.

DIMEMAN

@erikthredd said:

@stevek said:

@erikthredd said:
You know Gronk is somewhere in Foxboro right now giggling like a little kid.
https://www.weei.com/blogs/lucy-burdge/gronkowski-horse-opens-69-1-odds-win-belmont-stakes

The actual odds of this horse winning are 69,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 to 1 - approximately. LOL

If the Pats don't rework his contract soon we might be seeing Gronk riding that horse on race day.

That would be a sight to see. That would about double the jockey weight!

BLUEJAYWAY

At that price I'll go $1 win and show. Like the lottery says "You never know". That $2 could be spent on worse things.

stevek

@BLUEJAYWAY said:
At that price I'll go $1 win and show. Like the lottery says "You never know". That $2 could be spent on worse things.

In the US, horse races are run counter-clockwise. In Australia where this horse comes from, many of the races are run clockwise.

Sure would be funny if after breaking out of the starting gate, this horse suddenly turned around and started running the other way.

BLUEJAYWAY

@stevek said:

@BLUEJAYWAY said:
At that price I'll go $1 win and show. Like the lottery says "You never know". That $2 could be spent on worse things.

In the US, horse races are run counter-clockwise. In Australia where this horse comes from, many of the races are run clockwise.

Sure would be funny if after breaking out of the starting gate, this horse suddenly turned around and started running the other way.

I also wonder if the horse has ever gotten use to the time change. Or horses that are use to running in the daytime then switch to night time racing, and vice versa. Does it affect them?

stevek

@BLUEJAYWAY said:

@stevek said:

@BLUEJAYWAY said:
At that price I'll go $1 win and show. Like the lottery says "You never know". That $2 could be spent on worse things.

In the US, horse races are run counter-clockwise. In Australia where this horse comes from, many of the races are run clockwise.

Sure would be funny if after breaking out of the starting gate, this horse suddenly turned around and started running the other way.

I also wonder if the horse has ever gotten use to the time change. Or horses that are use to running in the daytime then switch to night time racing, and vice versa. Does it affect them?

Horses are creatures of habit, which is one reason why once they develop habits at a certain age, it is very difficult, if not virtually impossible, to retrain them.

To the best of my knowledge, and it ain't much (LOL), the day-night thing doesn't affect them, but I've read where they do need time to get acclimated when traveling overseas. Usually at least a couple weeks or more, for reasons I'm not sure...but it may be the habit thing I mentioned...getting used to a new barn, new surroundings, etc, to enable them to be at top efficiency in order to win a horse race.