Gronkowski joins Brown barn, eyes Belmont Stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. – While Chad Brown doesn’t plan on running Kentucky Derby runner-up Good Magic in the Belmont Stakes, he could have another horse in that race.

On Tuesday, it was announced that Gronkowski, the 3-year-old named for New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, is being moved from trainer Jeremy Noseda to Brown by owner Phoenix Thoroughbreds. On Wednesday, Brown said he expected the horse to clear quarantine Monday.

“They indicated they’d like to point to the Belmont if we have time and he’s working well,” Brown said. “If not, they said, ‘Tell us what you think about him and where we should be pointing to.’ ”

Gronkowski had earned a spot in the Kentucky Derby via the European Road to the Derby, established this year by Churchill Downs. However, a temperature interrupted his training and forced him to miss that race.

Gronkowksi has won four consecutive races, each at one mile over a synthetic surface.