Back in the spring, Major League Baseball debuted an ad campaign built around a souvenir company called “Bryzzo,” run by Cubs stars Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo. That moniker quickly spread through Cubs Nation and the baseball world. And now it has apparently reached horse-racing as well.
MLB.com published a story Tuesday about a dark bay colt in Iowa whose Cubs-fan owners named him Bryzzo after the two stars — apparently without having been aware of the fictional souvenir company.
“We have a tough time coming up with names,” [Albaugh Family Stable managing partner Jason] Loutsch said. “We try to name them after family members or an event or people we like who are famous. I’m a diehard Chicago Cubs fan and we won the World Series, obviously, so I thought it would be great to name him after my two favorite Chicago Cubs, Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant. I took the Bryant and Rizzo and came up with Bryzzo.”
When interviewed last week, Loutsch, who lives in Ankeny, Iowa, said he never heard of the make believe Bryzzo Souvenir Company. He was just hoping some of the Cubs’ good fortune in 2016 would help the colt.
It seems a bit hard to believe Loutsch had never heard the “Bryzzo” nickname before coming up with it (not even on a game broadcast or something?), but we’ll take him at his word.
Anyway, the two-year-old Bryzzo the horse won his second ever race Nov. 17 at Churchill Downs and will now train in preparation for future races, including possibly the Kentucky Derby. If Bryzzo qualifies for his sport’s biggest race, you already know what company will be selling T-shirts for him.
#ThisSeason on Baseball: The #Bryzzo Souvenir Company is getting bigger and better. pic.twitter.com/WzwUhB1ScB
— MLB (@MLB) March 31, 2017
But even if Bryzzo doesn’t reach the Derby, Albaugh Family Stable has another sports-named horse on the way: Dak Attack, who is named after Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and whom Loutsch told MLB.com is a favorite for the 2019 Kentucky Derby.
