‘Rob Gronkowski’ Won $25,000 In 29 Seconds

Photo Via Palm Beach Kennel Club on Facebook

Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski may have been sitting on the sidelines with an injury on Sunday as his team took a beating from the Denver Broncos, pushing New England out of the running for another Super Bowl appearance, but a dog of the same name was able to take home a title of his own and scoop up more than $25,000 in less than a minute.

“The Great Rob Gronkowski,” a greyhound that raced in Florida’s “$50,000 He’s My Man Classic” series on Saturday, ran 545 yards in a staggering 29 seconds, putting him in the top spot and setting a new stake record that was once held by Palm Beach Kennel Club legend Ozzie The Man.

“Rob Gronkowski is most likely the fastest and most famous four-legged athlete in the country today,” according to a press release from the Palm Beach Kennel Club, the organization that hosted the event.

“The Great Rob Gronkowski” is owned by Steve Sarras, who grew up in Brockton and runs for the Rader Racing Kennel. The dog has been tearing up the tracks, soaring past his competitors in a number of races since the spring.

In March, Sarras told Boston that he named the dog after Gronk because he is a huge Patriots fan (if it weren’t obvious). “I named [the dog] after him hoping he’d be real good. He’s a special dog,” he said.

Turns out, Gronkowski the dog isn’t the only four-legged friend owned by Sarras that bears the name of someone affiliated with the Pats. There’s a range of pups from the same litter with team-inspired monikers, including one dog named after the late Myra Kraft, Patriots’ owner Robert Kraft’s wife.

Saturday’s race featured eight of the fastest sprinting greyhounds in the country, but Gronkowski was able to stay seven lengths ahead of the second-place racer. After Gronk’s win, which capped off months of racing, Sarras said taking the title was “awesome.”

This is the second dog with a name associated with Gronkowski that has won a championship at the “He’s My Man” series in the last two years. In 2012, “Conk Gronk,” who also raced for Rader Racing Kennel, took first place in the annual competition. This is the Rader Racing Kennel’s seventh “He’s My Man” championship and fourth consecutive win, adding another record-breaking notch to the team’s belt.