We haven't seen this much excitement out of Tom Brady in quite some time.
But the New England Patriots quarterback couldn't be more jubilant after Orb -- the pre-race favorite in the Kentucky Derby -- came from behind to snatch victory on Saturday.
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Orb's win set off a huge celebration among friends and family of owners Stuart Janney III and Ogden Mills "Dinny" Phipps. It just so happened that some of those friends appeared to be Brady and some of his former Patriots buddies -- who were a few of the NFL players in attendance at Churchill Downs.
In the video, Brady is bear-hugging Phipps' son, Ogden Phipps II, according to Comcast SportsNet New England. Dan Koppen and Tedy Bruschi make appearances, and that just might be Wes Welker jumping on the pile toward the end.
Brady's connection to Orb's people was unclear. Maybe he's longtime friends with the Phipps family, or maybe he's just a huge racing fan who decided to surprise the winners. The Boston Herald, among others, reported that Brady put down $4,700 on Orb, giving him a nice $25,000 payday, though we cannot verify that. If true, it certainly might explain at least part of his excitement.
Either way, Patriots fans can hope this is a good omen for their team as the Pats should be among the favorites to contend for the Super Bowl next February. Maybe we'll see Phipps II return the hug after another Super Bowl triumph.
Follow Kenny Legan on Twitter @KennyLegan.
