NFL Thoroughbreds Matched With Horse Racing Stars

Eddie Lacy (above left) and Tonalist are two elite athletes at the top of their respective sports. (All NFL images via WikiMedia Commons unless otherwise noted; All Thoroughbred images by Eclipse Sportswire)
There is probably no position in sports that requires so many of the same elite Thoroughbred qualities to excel as running backs in the National Football League. NFL running backs need to possess a combination of speed, vision, athleticism, power and determination to thrive in the most competitive football league on the planet.
Let’s pair some of the top ball carriers in the NFL with top Thoroughbreds currently in training (feel free to disagree in the comments section!):
1. Marshawn Lynch – Honor Code

The beauty of being a fan of either Lynch or Honor Code is the highlight reel replays. Honor Code makes his races memorable with his incredible closing ability and determination in the stretch. Lynch is the king of the SportsCenter highlight run in which he uses his power to steamroll a handful of opponents en route to paydirt. Neither will accept being denied.
2. Adrian Peterson – Shared Belief

Both Peterson and Shared Belief rank among the greatest of their respective generations and possess a rare combination of speed, power and athleticism. When both Peterson and Shared Belief are at the top of their game, they are almost impossible to stop.
3. Eddie Lacy – Tonalist

Both Lacy and Tonalist are at their best grinding down opponents and using immense physical ability to impose their will on those who challenge them. Lacy is at the top of his game in his third NFL season, while Tonalist has a graded stakes win to his credit as well as a couple of top-three finishes in Grade 1s in his third year on the track.
4. Jamaal Charles – Private Zone

Private Zone is an amazing athlete with remarkable speed, much like Charles, whose fluid acceleration and elusiveness has made him arguably the most dangerous running back on the planet and a home run threat every time he totes the rock. Private Zone has been an elite sprinter for four seasons, longer than you realize, just like Charles, who somehow is now in his eighth season.
5. Matt Forte – The Pizza Man

Both Forte and The Pizza Man are beloved in Chicago, where both have enjoyed tremendous success — Forte as the Bears elite running back and The Pizza Man at Arlington Park, where he won the American St. Leger in 2014 and the Arlington Million in 2015. Both standouts also are vastly underrated and underappreciated outside of Chicago.
6. Le'Veon Bell  – Dortmund

A brick-house of an athlete who is incredibly nimble for his size serves as an apt description for both Bell and Dortmund. One plays for a Hall of Fame NFL family in the Rooneys, owners of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the other comes from the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert.
7. LeSean McCoy – Beholder

LeSean McCoy image via YouTube
Fast, slick and fluid, both McCoy and Beholder are like perfectly engineered race cars with effortless acceleration and speed. Both also enjoyed success from the moment they began their professional careers. McCoy led all running backs by touchdowns in his third season in 2011 and by rushing yards in 2013, both for his former team, the Philadelphia Eagles. Beholder was a champion at two and three.
8. DeMarco Murray – Keen Ice

DeMarco Murray image via YouTube
Murray seemed to get stronger as the game went on in 2014, churning out a league-best 1,845 yards on the ground, many of which came in the fourth quarter to ice victories for his former team, the Dallas Cowboys. Likewise, Keen Ice is at his best late in races when he gets rolling in the stretch and overwhelms his fading opposition. Murray has one huge season to his credit (2014), while Keen Ice has one career stakes win that came in August in the $1.6-million Travers Stakes over Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. 
9. Jeremy Hill – Frosted

Both Hill and Frosted have made a significant impact at the top of their respective sports in just two years of competition and remain relatively underappreciated despite elite performance. Hill churns out yardage in the anonymity of Cincinnati while Frosted has excelled in the shadow of Tripe Crown victor American Pharoah.
10. Carlos Hyde – Nyquist

Carlos Hyde image via 49ers.com
How the heck can you compare a horse named after a hockey player to a football player? Well, I’m gonna try. Both are rising stars in their respective sports with a combination of speed, grace and power. Hyde stormed out of the gates in 2015, his first season as the starter, with a bang, gutting the Minnesota Vikings defense to the tune of 168 yards and two touchdowns. Nyquist opened his career with four straight wins, including a pair of Grade 1 wins. 
Bonus: Barry Sanders - American Pharoah

Barry Sanders image via Pro Football Hall of Fame
I didn’t view any active running back as on par with American Pharoah, so I went back a few years to find a gridiron star worthy of the comparison to the first Triple Crown winner since 1978. I considered Emmitt Smith because his trio of Super Bowl rings was an obvious link to the Triple Crown, but the reality is Barry Sanders is a much better match when it comes to physical ability. Sanders was a threat to score every time he touched the ball and every American Pharoah race is a huge draw for fans who don’t want to miss what could be an unforgettable performance. Sanders and American Pharoah both are arguably the most physically gifted athletes of their generation in their respective sport. Sanders is enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio; American Pharoah also will become a Hall of Famer in his first year of eligibility.