“I couldn’t dream any more, any bigger,” Sergei Bobrovsky could hardly keep his heaving emotions under check in June. The goalie had just helped the Florida Panthers win their second straight Stanley Cup by defeating the Edmonton Oilers. Justifiably, his teammates could hardly stop lauding him after their triumph. And now, it looks like the name “Bobrovsky” is enough to ensure victory far away from the ice as well!

With the Travers Stakes just days away from arriving at the Saratoga Race Course, the track is gearing up to welcome the runners in all its glory. The Spa is also getting into the racing spirit by hosting several races every day leading up to the Grade 1 competition. Today, at the Skidmore Stakes, though, it was as much about Florida’s very own Bobrovsky as it was about the horses.

A post by TDN on X from August 16 emphatically shared how the horse, named after Sergei Bobrovsky, triumphed at Saratoga on Saturday. “A switch to the turf handled with ease by BOBROVSKY (Daredevil) as he soars home to win the Skidmore Stakes at Saratoga!” reads the sonorous caption of the post, as the short video clip which accompanies the same shows the winning jockey, Junior Alvarado, beaming with joy after the race.

The Daredevil colt made his turf and stakes debut by winning the $150,000 5 1/2-furlong Mellon turf sprint by catching up to and leaving frontrunner Monster in the dust. Bobrovsky stayed close to Monster to the half-mile and ultimately picked up the lead a sixteenth from the finishing line. Bobrovsky won the race by 1 3/4-lengths, while posting 1:02.75 on the clock.

Dale Romans, Bobrovsky’s trainer, clarified his decision to name the horse after the Panthers’ scintillating netminder. Noting that his admiration for hockey was evoked by his business partner, Vinnie Viola, who also happens to be the owner of the NHL franchise from South Florida. “Me and my partner – since Vinnie Viola bought the Panthers – started watching hockey for the first time and became big fans of the Panthers, and Bobrovsky, he’s a winner,” said Dale.

The trainer further noted that what made today’s victory particularly important was the fact that the horse hadn’t set foot on grass since he left the paddock as a yearling. However, Romans knew what Bobrovsky packed under his hood. “He’s deep in pedigree for the turf, so I was confident he would handle it okay,” the trainer said after the race. But his confidence might have stemmed from another factor as well.

At the Skidmore Stakes, Bobrovsky had an incredibly sophisticated jockey riding on his back. Junior Alvarado is at the top of his game with back-to-back Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes wins earlier this year, along with another victory at the Grade II Jim Dandy Stakes just weeks ago. All of those wins came aboard Sovereignty, the Bill Mott-trained colt who has been making waves this horse racing season.

We imagine Sergei will only grin in his signature reserved poise when he hears about his involvement in today’s big win for Alvarado at Saratoga. But he wouldn’t be the first star from the skating rink to have left an impression on the horse racing community!

Sergei Bobrovsky is the latest hockey star to step onto horse turf

The most valuable player of the Stanley Cup Playoffs every year receives the Conn Smythe Trophy: An award that has carved its name into the hearts of hockey fans since it was first introduced in 1965. Named after the former Toronto Maple Leafs owner, this award is a nod to the late Canadian businessman and soldier’s lasting legacy. Goes without saying that it’s unsurprising that such an iconic name from the hockey world also wanted to dip his feet into the “sport of kings”.

As a racehorse owner, Smythe won a jaw-dropping 145 stakes races, with the Queen’s Plate being his favorite event to compete in. Smythe’s favorite horse, Wonder Where, won the Canadian Oaks and was also named Canadian Horse of the Year. Eddie Olczyk, a former Chicago and Toronto star and the current commentator for the Seattle Kraken, also extensively covers horse racing for NBC Sports to help the sport reach a bigger audience.

Stanley Cup winners Erik Johnson and Swedish legend Peter Forsberg also invested heavily in horse racing after their NHL retirement. Naturally, with the legacy of such hockey stalwarts looking down at him, Alarado couldn’t be happier to register his own win with the horse named after Sergei Bobrovsky. With the Travers Stakes coming up at Saratoga, we imagine the Venezuelan jockey will only be feeling confident before the weekend race.

Bill Mott, Sovereignty’s trainer, also claimed yesterday that the horse is looking good ahead of the G1 race. Do you think Bobrovsky’s thrilling victory will help his rider help Sovereignty find a win of his own this Saturday at the Spa? Share your thoughts!