February 7, 2024
TORONTO — By Matthew Lomon
Super Bowl Sunday is right around the corner, and in true Railbirds fashion, we’re getting you prepped for the big game by bringing pro football and horse racing together as one!
This time around, instead of comparing equine athletes to some of the NFL’s brightest stars, we’re giving the world’s most overlooked athletes, jockeys, their flowers.
Take a look at which top North American riders match the profile of Super Bowl MVP candidates from both the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers.
Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.
SB MVP candidate: Patrick Mahomes, QB Kansas City Chiefs (+130)
It might be a little early to dive into the GOAT conversation, but when the time is right, both Irad Ortiz Jr. and Patrick Mahomes will have a case. By far the most dominant forces in their respective sports, these two consistently show up in the biggest of moments.
In 2023, Ortiz Jr. took home his fifth career Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey, won three Breeders’ Cup events, and led the North American circuit in earnings ($39.1 million) and wins (366).
His gridiron equivalent may look like the rest of us, but he also owns an otherworldly resume. Last year alone, Mahomes secured regular season and Super Bowl MVP honors, First Team All-Pro status, and a fifth Pro Bowl selection.
Already shoe-ins for their respective Hall of Fames, achieving sports immortality is all that’s left for these two.
Jockey: Axel Concepcion
SB MVP Candidate: Isiah Pacheco, RB Kansas City Chiefs (+3500)
Coming off a 2023 season that resulted in an Eclipse Award for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey, sophomore standout Axel Concepcion rides like he has something to prove. Sound familiar, Chiefs fans?
The 18-year-old rising star, who began his season in Puerto Rico before fully joining the U.S. tour in late February, landed inside the top 50 in earnings ($5.1 million, 49th overall) and top 15 in wins (199, 14th overall).
Chiefs ball-carrier Isiah Pacheco, known for his, let’s call it ‘aggressive’ running style, is another young buck who found immediate success at the pro level. The New Jersey native parlayed a standout performance in last year’s Super Bowl (76 rush yards, 1 TD) into a breakout sophomore campaign.
It’s anyone, any time, any place for these two bulldogs.
Jockey: Kazushi Kimura
SB MVP Candidate: Christian McCaffrey, RB San Francisco 49ers (+450)
It’s one thing to routinely get the job done, but to do it at such a high level for so long is what makes 49ers Swiss army knife Christian McCaffrey and Woodbine’s leading rider Kazushi Kimura special.
The latter is a back-to-back Sovereign Award winner for Outstanding Jockey (2021, 2022) with another nomination undoubtedly coming for 2023. Kimura, like McCaffrey, battled through injury to claim his usual spot atop the North American leaderboards (20th in wins, 22nd in earnings).
Number 23 for San Francisco put together an All-Pro season of his own, leading the NFL in total touches (339), yards from scrimmage (2023), and total touchdowns (21). This is the second time McCaffrey’s done exactly that in his eight-year career (2019 with the Carolina Panthers).
Expect more of the same from these two in 2024.
Jockey: Manuel Franco
SB MVP Candidate: George Kittle, TE San Francisco 49ers (+5000)
Here, we have two guys who have been around for a while now and spent some time on very good teams, or if you’re Manuel Franco, horses.
Over the course of his 11-year career, Franco has commanded multiple Grade 1 winners, namely Sharing and Tiz the Law. The 29-year-old Puerto Rico native steered these two to victory in the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) and 2020 Belmont Stakes (G1). He finished 2023 with the sixth most wins (241) and ninth most earnings ($17.6 million).
Tight End University Co-Founder George Kittle has contributed his fair share to a number of successful 49ers squads over his seven professional seasons. Whether it’s blocking elite pass rushers or winning one-on-one against top cover men, Kittle elevates those around him.
The team and the mount are always in good hands with these two.
