Russell Wilson and wife Ciara marked their entry into horse racing with a dominant first victory at one of America's most storied tracks, a new chapter for the retired Super Bowl champion and his family.
Club Reign, a two-year-old colt owned by the couple's Three Brand Racing operation, romped to a six-length win in a $115,000 maiden special weight race at Saratoga Race Course on Travers Day. The colt beat seven other two-year-olds in what The Sun reported was the very first starter the operation has ever saddled.
Jockey Edgard Zayas rode Club Reign. Trainer Whit Beckman prepared the colt. Wilson, Ciara, and their three children watched from the rail.
Wilson, a 14-year NFL veteran and 10-time Pro Bowl selection, did not downplay the moment. He drew a straight line from football to the finish line, as he told reporters after the race:
"Man, what an exciting day. We're so excited for Three Brand Racing and, obviously, Club Reign. What a blessing."
He went further, calling Club Reign a "tremendous athlete" and marveling at the margin of victory.
"We were so fired up about this horse. We felt like we had a tremendous athlete in this horse. (He's) our first one for me and Ciara and our team, our Three Brand Racing team, and to come out here and to win in Saratoga, and he won by a lot. He's a fast horse."
Wilson also measured the win against the highest point of his football career, leading the Seattle Seahawks past the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014.
"Obviously, there's nothing like holding that Lombardi Trophy in front of hundreds and hundreds of millions of people."
But the debut at Saratoga had its own flavor.
"To win on Travers Day, to win in Saratoga first race out, it feels like rookie of the year."
Three Brand Racing takes its name from Wilson's 3BRAND apparel company. The operation is a joint venture between Wilson and Ciara, and Wilson described the move into horse racing as a natural extension of family life rather than a pure business play.
His brother Harry lives in Louisville, Kentucky, the spiritual home of American horse racing and host of the Kentucky Derby. Wilson credited Harry with sparking his interest in ownership. His eldest daughter, nine-year-old Sienna, is an avid horseback rider, adding another pull toward the sport.
Wilson framed the venture in terms any family-first conservative audience would recognize: shared competition, shared risk, shared reward.
"We felt like this would be a good thing for the family. No matter what happens, let's do some cool stuff. I love competing, I love our family competing, and our Three Brand Racing team loves it, too."
Wilson retired from professional football this summer after stints with the Seahawks, Denver, Pittsburgh, and the New York Giants. He spent the bulk of his career in Seattle, where he earned his ring and built his reputation as one of the most durable quarterbacks of his era. Since stepping away, he has joined CBS Sports as a studio analyst.
Horse racing ownership is a well-worn path for retired athletes and entertainers looking to stay close to competition without absorbing the physical toll. Saratoga Race Course, located in upstate New York and widely regarded as one of the premier thoroughbred venues in the country, is about as high-profile a stage as a first-time owner could choose. Travers Day is one of its marquee cards each summer.
A six-length victory in a maiden special weight on that stage is not a modest beginning. Club Reign did not just win. He separated from the field in a way that invites questions about what comes next, though Wilson and his team have not publicly outlined plans for additional horses or future races.
When a man who has held the Lombardi Trophy says a horse race "feels like rookie of the year," the competitor in him is clearly not retired. He just found a different track.
