Horse Named After Rob Gronkowski Has 'Minor Setback,' May Miss Kentucky Derby
Gronkowski the horse, the Kentucky Derby hopeful named after New England Patriots star tight end Rob Gronkowski, may miss the Run for the Roses.
"We've had a minor setback and we will know where we are in the next 24 hours,"ย trainerย Jeremy Noseda told Jon Lees of RacingPost.com.
Gronkowski the horse was scheduled to make the trip to Kentucky this weekend, but his status for the race is now up in the air. The horse, 4-1 in its career, earned a starting spot at the Derby by winning theย Listed Burradon Stakes, though according toย ESPN, he's never run in dirt or competed in a race longer than a mile.
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If he can't compete, it would certainly be a disappointment for the Patriots star, who became a minority owner in the horse after learning he was named in his honor.
"When I heard about the racehorse being named after me, I started watching and got really stoked," Gronkowski (the human) said, perย David Whitleyย of theย Orlando Sentinel.ย
"I really can't think of anything cooler than having a top-class thoroughbred named after me, except maybe having him win the Derby," he added, according toย Jason Frakesย of theย Louisville Courier Journal.
That possibility now appears to be in jeopardy, though Gronkowski (the horse) was always a long shot atย 45-1 odds.
