As we approach Super Bowl LX and the showdown between the Seattle Seahawks (16-3) and the New England Patriots (17-3), an interesting thread emerged about racehorse owners in the Super Bowl and the list was (somewhat) surprisingly robust. This is not intended to be a comprehensive list, so feel free to connect on social media with others who shared a passion for racehorses and participating in the ultimate game.
Tom and Gayle Benson: The couple won the Super Bowl as owners of the New Orleans Saints during the stretch when the team was led by head coach Sean Payton and quarterbacked by Drew Brees, defeating the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 in the 2010 Super Bowl. Tom Benson passed away on March 15, 2018, but before his passing, the couple enjoyed thoroughbred racing as GMB Racing and had multiple Kentucky Derby contenders over the years. GMB Racing’s top horse, Grade 1 winner Tom’s d’Etat, excelled for Gayle Benson after her husband’s death. She still races horses and owns the New Orleans Saints and the New Orleans Pelicans of the NBA.
Tom Brady: You can’t have a GOAT discussion in football without Tom Brady. To many, the three-time MVP and seven-time Super Bowl champion is without a doubt the greatest to ever step on the playing field. His foray into thoroughbred racing ownership is less clear, but in 2007 Boston Globe reported Brady was a co-owner through Little Red Feather Racing in a filly named Guts Game. The collaboration reportedly also includes Jay-Z, Major League Baseball player Paul LoDuca and NBA superstar LeBron James. Guts Game started well with two wins and three seconds in her first five starts, but she did not win at the stakes level.
Terry Bradshaw: Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw led the Pittsburgh Steelers to four Super Bowl victories in six years as a signal caller for a true NFL dynasty. The “Steel Curtain” Super Bowl victories came in 1975 against the Minnesota Vikings (16-6), 1976 against the Dallas Cowboys (21-17), 1979 against the Cowboys (35-31) and 1980 against the Los Angeles Rams (31-19). Bradshaw was named Super Bowl MVP in 1979 and 1980 long time fan of thoroughbreds. He co-owned 2010 Louisiana Derby winner Mission Impazible and Grade 1 winner Graydar and races undefeated 2026 Kentucky Oaks hopeful Taken by the Wind.
Drew Brees: The All-Pro quarterback was the MVP of the New Orleans Saints’ 31-17 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in the 2010 Super Bowl. Brees has co-owned several running backs over the years, regularly working with former Saints head coach Sean Payton and sports personality Jim Rome.
Jake Delhomme: Original Louisianan Delhomme is a horse racer in his home statewho competes as Set-Hut Stable with his brother Jeff Delhomme (the stable’s trainer) and father, Jerry Delhomme. The family has been spending quite a bit of time in the winner’s circle lately with Louisiana standout Touchuponastar. Delhomme led the Carolina Panthers to the Super Bowl in 2003-’04, losing a heartbreaker to the New England Patriots despite three Delhomme TD passes, 32-29, in one of the best games in Super Bowl history.
Mike Ditka: Hall of Fame tight end and veteran Chicago Bears head coach Mike Ditka is a longtime racing fan who was a regular at the Arlington Million and attended the inaugural Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes. Ditka won an NFL championship before the advent of the Super Bowl, losing 16-13 to the Baltimore Colts in the 1971 Super Bowl as a member of the Dallas Cowboys, and catching a touchdown in the Cowboys’ 24-3 victory over the Miami Dolphins in the 1972 Super Bowl. Ditka also coached one of the most dominant teams in NFL history, the 1985-’86 Chicago Bears, who won the Destroyed the New England Patriots 46-10 in the Super Bowl.
Marshall Faulk: Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk co-owns racehorses through partnerships, including with the Team Valor syndicate. Faulk played a key role in “the greatest show on the grass,” winning the 2000 Super Bowl with the St. Louis Rams, 23-16, over the Tennessee Titans. He was on the losing side in the 2002 Super Bowl, when the New England Patriots topped the Rams 20-17.
Rob Gronkowski: New England Patriots All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski is enjoying life to the fullest, which was evident to spectators at the three Super Bowl parades after winning 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 the opportunity arose to purchase a stake in the racehorse named after him, Gronkowski, ahead of the 2018 Belmont Stakes, Gronk (the human) jumped at the chance. Racehorse Gronkowski, who had raced in Europe, finished second behind Triple Crown winner Justify in his North American debut.
Sam HuffWest Virginia native Sam Huff was not only a passionate racing fan and Thoroughbred owner, he also co-founded the West Virginia Breeders Classic in 1987 as part of his dedication to horse racing, specifically promoting West Virginia-bred horses. Huff, who died in 2021 at the age of 87, played most of his career before the Super Bowl era as a two-time All-Pro linebacker for the New York Giants in the 1950s. Although Huff didn’t technically play in the Super Bowl, he did win an NFL championship with the New York Giants in 1956, so he’s on this list.
Travis Kelce: Four-time All-Pro tight end and beau of pop icon Taylor Swift will not participate in the Super Bowl this Sunday for the first time since 2022 after his Kansas City Chiefs played for the NFL title in five of the past six seasons and won three Super Bowls. Kelce, a frequent visitor to the Kentucky Derby, became a racehorse owner in 2024 when he bought a stake in Swift Delivery, largely because of the horse’s name. The gelding gave Kelce his first victory in the 2025 Seagram Cup Stakes.
Marshawn Lynch: In August 2025, John G. Sikura’s Hill ‘n’ Dale of Xalapa acquired a half interest in 2024 Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna, a deal involving Super Bowl champion Marshawn Lynch. At the time the deal was announced, Lynch was at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling sale to preview future racehorse prospects and appeared on the America’s Best Racing livestream. Lynch, a first-team All-Pro who returned to the Seattle Seahawks in 2012, won the 2014 Super Bowl with Seattle, 43-8, over the Denver Broncos. The following year, the Seahawks lost to the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.
Bill Parcells: Hall of Fame NFL coach Bill Parcells’ racing stable is August Dawn Farm. He has played with stakes winners such as Saratoga Snacks, Play Action Pass, Hit It Once More, Forty Under and Maple Leaf Mel. Parcells won two Super Bowls with the New York Giants, beating the Denver Broncos 39-20 in 1987 and the Buffalo Bills 20-19 in Scott Norwood’s wide-right Super Bowl in 1991. Parcells also led the New England Patriots to the Super Bowl, losing 35-21 to the Green Bay Packers in 1997.
Sean Payton: Payton’s Denver Broncos fell just short of reaching this year’s Super Bowl, losing 10-7 to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship. He guided the New Orleans Saints to a Super Bowl victory in 2009-’10, a season that ended with a 31-17 win over the Indianapolis Colts for owners Tom and Gayle Benson, who were also involved in thoroughbred racing with GMB Racing. Payton attended the 2016 Kentucky Derby when the Bensons had two starters, Mo Tom and Tom’s Ready, and gave the “Riders Up” call in the paddock before heading to the roses. Payton worked on several horses with Last Mango Racing Stable, a partnership that also included singer Jimmy Buffett, along with Saints executives and quarterback Drew Brees.
Wade Phillips: Phillips, a veteran defensive coordinator and head coach in the NFL, oversaw the Denver Broncos’ defense in 2015-’16 as they ended the season with a 24-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers. Phillips competed at the 2024 World Breeders’ Cup Championships with Hang the Moona multi-rated stakes winner he raced as part of the CJ Thoroughbreds partnership. His father, Bum Phillips, developed a love of racing at Fair Grounds while coaching the New Orleans Saints and also owned thoroughbreds.
Jacob Tamme: It’s no surprise that Jacob Tamme, a Kentucky native and University of Kentucky standout, has thoroughbred racing in his blood — he’s a big fan of Keeneland Race Course — and has turned to farming after retirement. Tamme, who won a race at Royal Ascot in 2017 with Con Te Partiro and has owned numerous horses over the years, now operates Tame Valley Farman Angus cattle operation in Danville, reached Ky. Tamme made the Super Bowl twice, once with the Indianapolis Colts (a 31-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints in 2010) and once while playing for the Denver Broncos (a 43-8 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in 2014).
Wes Welker: The diminutive wide receiver, an undrafted out of Texas Tech, made many teams regret that decision. Welker played for two NFL teams before finding a perfect spot with the New England Patriots as a top target for future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady (Hall of Fame eligible in 2028). He led the league in receptions three times and was named first-team All-Pro twice. Welker was part of two Patriots teams that went to the Super Bowl and played in the big game once with the Denver Broncos, but he was on the losing side of all three. A long-time Thoroughbred enthusiast, Welker made horse racing headlines with his multiple stakes winner Undrafted, who won the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2015 and competed in three editions of the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.
Vince Wilfork: Wilfork, an All-Pro defensive tackle and two-time champion with the New England Patriots, raced graded stakes winner Great Minds among several 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 was also on the losing side in the Super Bowl in 2008 and 2012, both times against the New York Giants.
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