Fans who watch the Kentucky Derby this year may see a face more synonymous with football than horse racing: NFL insider Ian Rapoport.
Mostly known for breaking news for NFL Network, Rapoport is attending this year's event as part-owner of Jace's Road, a 3-year-old colt racing in the 2023 Run of the Roses. According to Front Office Sports, Rapoport's interest in the sport dates back to his and his wife's "bucket list" trip to Churchill Downs in 2019 to celebrate their 10-year anniversary.
That culminated in March when Rapoport was granted minority ownership of Jace's Road — along with two other horses not racing at the Derby this year — as part of the "A Stake in Stardom" initiative. The program is designed to educate newly minted minority owners into the sport of horse racing; they will then share their experiences with their respective audiences with the intent of spreading interest in the sport.
The initiative began with a 2022 roster of TikTok influencer Sarah Cline and former Barstool Sports contributor Joey Mulinaro. This year, it expanded to include Rapoport, Fox Sports' Lindsay Czarniak and Joy Taylor, ESPN's Anita Marks and influencer Loren Izabel.
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Said Rapoport of his involvement in horse racing: "This whole thing has been pretty wild, I’m not going to lie. I sort of knew what we were stepping into — but I didn’t really, really know.
"This has been a whirlwind … I am a novice," Rapoport told Front Office Sports. "There are people who have a much greater understanding of it than me. I’m merely just learning."
Rapoport added that he liked various aspects of the sport, including the psychology of the horses and jockeys, the strategy involved during the race and the horses themselves.
"Plus, I like dressing up, which is fun," Rapoport added. "So does my wife."
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Rapoport, whose horse is not among the favorites to receive the garland of roses this year, doesn't believe Jace's Horse will win the Kentucky Derby. The horse — who will start in the 10th position — opened as a 50-1 longshot to win, and odds as of Friday afternoon listed him at 32-1.
That said, Rapoport did admit to FOS he has wondered what it would be like should Jace's Road win:
"I’ve imagined (winning). You always see the owner’s box when they show the winner. There’s awkward hugs; awkward high-fives. I’m like, 'That can be me. So how awkward am I going to be? Am I going to be slapping everybody in the head?'" Rapoport said. "But that will be OK. Because if I’m the guy they show on TV – just whacking everyone with elbows – that’ll be fine. Because that will mean we won."