{"id":8097,"date":"2025-08-01T14:21:33","date_gmt":"2025-08-01T18:21:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/2025\/08\/01\/former-nfl-star-mike-renfro-looks-to-score-big-in-prestigious-kings-plate\/"},"modified":"2025-08-01T14:21:33","modified_gmt":"2025-08-01T18:21:33","slug":"former-nfl-star-mike-renfro-looks-to-score-big-in-prestigious-kings-plate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/2025\/08\/01\/former-nfl-star-mike-renfro-looks-to-score-big-in-prestigious-kings-plate\/","title":{"rendered":"Former NFL Star Mike Renfro Looks to Score Big in Prestigious King\u2019s Plate"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"styles_paragraph__6o_o7\">TORONTO, August 1, 2025\u2014 As former NFL wide receiver turned Thoroughbred horseman Mike Renfro will tell you, he\u2019s been lucky enough to strike oil twice.<\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_paragraph__6o_o7\">After 11 years playing with the Houston Oilers and the Dallas Cowboys, Renfro is part of the CJ Thoroughbreds team that will send out Tom&#8217;s Magic in the $1 million King&#8217;s Plate on August 16th at Woodbine Racetrack.<\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_paragraph__6o_o7\">\u201cWell, I\u2019m not a history buff on Woodbine or the King&#8217;s Plate, but I know it&#8217;s the most prestigious Thoroughbred race in Canada, the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, in its 166<sup>th<\/sup>\u00a0year, and that it\u2019s a great honour to have a horse in the race,\u201d said Renfro.<\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_paragraph__6o_o7\">A Texan through and through, the Fort Worth native caught passes for the Oilers and Cowboys after starring at Arlington Heights High School and Texas Christian University, where in 1988 he was immortalized in the school\u2019s Athletics Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8099\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8099\" style=\"width: 750px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/MR-Houston-Oilers.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-8099\" src=\"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/MR-Houston-Oilers-800x791.jpeg\" alt=\"Mike Renfro \" width=\"750\" height=\"742\" srcset=\"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/MR-Houston-Oilers-800x791.jpeg 800w, https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/MR-Houston-Oilers-350x346.jpeg 350w, https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/MR-Houston-Oilers-768x759.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/MR-Houston-Oilers-1400x1384.jpeg 1400w, https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/MR-Houston-Oilers.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8099\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mike Renfro<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"styles_paragraph__6o_o7\">Renfro\u2019s prowess on the gridiron, which also earned him a spot in the Southwest Conference and Texas Sports Hall of Fames, is matched equally by his passion for horse racing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_paragraph__6o_o7\">After hanging up the cleats in 1988, Renfro purchased his first horse \u2013 a \u201ccheap Louisiana-bred gelding\u201d named Dr. Death \u2013 who would go on to secure Louisiana-bred Horse of the Year honours that very season.<\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_paragraph__6o_o7\">\u201cI just thought, \u2018What a swell life I get to live \u2013 make it to the NFL, play 11 years, go right into the sport of kings, and have a winner? I couldn&#8217;t have been more blessed,\u201d said Renfro.<\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_paragraph__6o_o7\">He took his involvement in the sport a step further in 1997, joining Lone Star Park in a development role which he held for 12 years.<\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_paragraph__6o_o7\">Today, the former fourth-round pick in the 1978 NFL draft serves as Vice President of Business Development at CJ Thoroughbreds alongside President (and de facto Head Coach) Corey Johnsen and his son, Vice President CJ Johnsen.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8098\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8098\" style=\"width: 750px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/Mikerenfron12.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-8098\" src=\"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/Mikerenfron12-800x560.jpg\" alt=\"Mike Renfro (Photo by Crystal Wise)\" width=\"750\" height=\"525\" srcset=\"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/Mikerenfron12-800x560.jpg 800w, https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/Mikerenfron12-350x245.jpg 350w, https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/Mikerenfron12-768x538.jpg 768w, https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/Mikerenfron12.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8098\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mike Renfro (Photo by Crystal Wise)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"styles_paragraph__6o_o7\">The trio based out of Grapevine, Texas, which has specialized in horse racing, breeding, pinhooking, and more since merging forces in 2018, is brimming with excitement ahead of their\u00a0first King\u2019s Plate appearance.<\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_paragraph__6o_o7\">\u201cIt would be the biggest prize that Mike Renfro\u2019s ever won,\u201d he continued. \u201cI say that, including both sports, because I won everything there was to win in the NFL except the Super Bowl\u2026 this would be on the top of my mantle.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_paragraph__6o_o7\">The horse who could deliver the trophy to Renfro and Co. is a 3-year-old Justify colt.<\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_paragraph__6o_o7\">Purchased for $200,000 at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, CJ Thoroughbreds shares ownership of Tom&#8217;s Magic with an \u201coutstanding partner\u201d in Scott Mawaka of Mo Speed Racing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_paragraph__6o_o7\">The racehorse scouted by \u201cthe eyes of the group,\u201d master bloodstock agent Marette Farrell, required some extra seasoning after being welcomed into the fold, but has been every bit worth the wait.<\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_paragraph__6o_o7\">\u201cWhen we bought him at Keeneland, we knew he&#8217;d take a little time to grow before sending him to a great facility in Kevin Noltemeyer\u2019s Silver Springs Training Center in Lexington,\u201d said Renfro, adding that most of Tom\u2019s Magic growing took place prior at CJ Thoroughbred\u2019s 150-acre farm in Midway, Kentucky.<\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_paragraph__6o_o7\">\u201cHe wasn&#8217;t a first-round draft choice although his bloodlines were very good. I just think some of the really good eyeballs maybe thought he needed some time and he&#8217;d be better as a 3-year-old, which turned out to be the case.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_paragraph__6o_o7\">Under the tutelage of trainer Michael Stidham and assistant trainer Hilary Pridham, Tom\u2019s Magic is twice a stakes winner in 2025 \u2013 first in the Black Gold on March 1 at Fair Grounds and most recently the Tale of the Cat on June 28 at Monmouth Park.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8100\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8100\" style=\"width: 750px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/Toms-Magic-Justify-wins-Black-Gold-S.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-8100\" src=\"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/Toms-Magic-Justify-wins-Black-Gold-S-800x555.jpg\" alt=\"Tom's Magic (Photo by Hodges Photography, Courtesy of Fair Grounds Race Course)\" width=\"750\" height=\"520\" srcset=\"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/Toms-Magic-Justify-wins-Black-Gold-S-800x555.jpg 800w, https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/Toms-Magic-Justify-wins-Black-Gold-S-350x243.jpg 350w, https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/Toms-Magic-Justify-wins-Black-Gold-S-768x532.jpg 768w, https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/Toms-Magic-Justify-wins-Black-Gold-S-1536x1065.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/Toms-Magic-Justify-wins-Black-Gold-S-1400x971.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/Toms-Magic-Justify-wins-Black-Gold-S.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8100\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tom&#8217;s Magic (Photo by Hodges Photography, Courtesy of Fair Grounds Race Course)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"styles_paragraph__6o_o7\">\u201cThey have been modestly pinching themselves that this is a good horse,\u201d said Renfro. \u201cThey\u2019ve obviously trained some great horses, and they know what one looks like.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_paragraph__6o_o7\">The sophomore\u00a0out of Rahy mare Dixie Chicken\u00a0shone in his stakes debut, showing remarkable burst down the lane to claim the Black Gold by two lengths at 5-1.<\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_paragraph__6o_o7\">While Renfro wasn\u2019t on hand to witness the stellar effort live, a review of the film offered all the validation he needed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_paragraph__6o_o7\">\u201cSitting where he did, and to come running so impressively, you\u2019re happy to see that from your horse at any level \u2013 and he excelled that day.<\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_paragraph__6o_o7\">\u201cAs a racing owner, you&#8217;re proud of everything that happens when you can win a stakes \u2013 even a smaller first time stakes \u2013 but we knew we had a race horse at that point.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_paragraph__6o_o7\">A down showing in the Transylvania Stakes (G3) next time out didn\u2019t dampen Tom\u2019s Magic\u2019s spirits, as the resilient racer bred in Ontario by Sean and Dorothy Fitzhenry bounced back with a confident 1 \u00bd-length tally in the Tale of the Cat.<\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_paragraph__6o_o7\">Most, if not all the credit, Renfro said, belongs to the team of Stidham and Pridham.<\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_paragraph__6o_o7\">In the leadup to the Plate, the pair have kept Tom\u2019s Magic active with conditioning sessions at Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland and Turfway Park in Florence, Kentucky.<\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_paragraph__6o_o7\">Everything has gone to plan thus far.<\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_paragraph__6o_o7\">\u201cTom is doing wonderful,\u201d said Renfro. \u201cHe will have had plenty of time between races. We&#8217;re excited, and most importantly, Mike and Hilary, who see him every day, couldn\u2019t be happier.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_paragraph__6o_o7\">When Renfro touches down in Toronto with the CJ Thoroughbreds squad, it will not be his first visit to Canada\u2019s most populous city.<\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_paragraph__6o_o7\">That came in 1965 when a then nine-year-old Renfro accompanied his father Ray \u2013 a two-time NFL champion (1954, 1955) and three-time Pro Bowl receiver with the Cleveland Browns &#8211; who was the Detroit Lions running backs coach at the time.<\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_paragraph__6o_o7\">Alongside competing in the Plate, there is another key difference for the now 70-year-old Renfro\u2019s return. \u200b<\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_paragraph__6o_o7\">\u201cThis time, I\u2019ll be old enough to buy a beverage if I want to. If we can win, I\u2019ll buy the whole room a beverage,\u201d he laughed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_paragraph__6o_o7\">Before the bottles are popped, however, Renfro must first keep his race day nerves in check.<\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_paragraph__6o_o7\">Running the two-minute drill and making contested catches in packed stadiums alongside Hall of Fame teammates\u00a0Earl Campbell, Tony Dorsett and Dave Casper was good practice.<\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_paragraph__6o_o7\">\u201cI\u2019d get nervous, sure, but I was pretty low key,\u201d he said. \u201c I wouldn\u2019t get too hyped or crazy in pregame warmups.<\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_paragraph__6o_o7\">\u201cMy dad was coaching future Hall of Fame wide receivers in the daytime then he&#8217;d come home at night, and we\u2019d have dinner. He&#8217;d been teaching me a few traits of how to play the game in high school, so I felt pretty polished early on.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_paragraph__6o_o7\">How all that applies to racing is a different story.<\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_paragraph__6o_o7\">\u201cI\u2019m 10 times more nervous now in the horse business,\u201d said a chuckling Renfro. \u201cYou can make all the prior decisions but how many times have you been discussing strategy like, \u2018Okay, the four horse is going to break, they\u2019ll no doubt be on the lead, you&#8217;re going to sit right off it, bide your time, be ready to kick on down the lane and you ought to be right there.\u2019<\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_paragraph__6o_o7\">\u201cFifty percent of the time it all goes out the window when the gates open. I&#8217;m a nervous wreck up to the race, and then after the race, I&#8217;m pretty chill again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_paragraph__6o_o7\">Being a spectator, as opposed to \u201cin the arena\u201d as Renfro put it, can be difficult.<\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_paragraph__6o_o7\">But leaning on his teammates and coaches \u2013 past and present \u2013 remains what he values most, no matter the venue.<\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_paragraph__6o_o7\">\u201cThat special bond developed on a professional sports team is what most athletes that were actually in the arena will tell you was the most rewarding part of it all \u2013 working together as a team, giving it all that you physically have to \u2018win the race\u2019 just like a good equine athlete does.<\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_paragraph__6o_o7\">\u201cHopefully, we will see Tom&#8217;s Magic display that same will to win in the King\u2019s Plate.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_paragraph__6o_o7\"><strong>Matthew Lomon, for Woodbine<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>TORONTO, August 1, 2025\u2014 As former NFL wide receiver turned Thoroughbred horseman Mike Renfro will tell you, he\u2019s been lucky enough to strike oil twice. After 11 years playing with the Houston Oilers and the Dallas Cowboys, Renfro is part of the CJ Thoroughbreds team that will send out Tom&#8217;s Magic in the $1 million [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":82,"featured_media":8099,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,7],"tags":[455,456,106,457,458,459,460],"class_list":["post-8097","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured-news","category-woodbine-news","tag-dallas-cowboys","tag-houston-oilers","tag-kings-plate","tag-mike-renfro","tag-nfl","tag-the-166th-kings-plate","tag-toms-magic"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Former NFL Star Mike Renfro Looks to Score Big in Prestigious King\u2019s Plate - Kings Plate<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/2025\/08\/01\/former-nfl-star-mike-renfro-looks-to-score-big-in-prestigious-kings-plate\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Former NFL Star Mike Renfro Looks to Score Big in Prestigious King\u2019s Plate - Kings Plate\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"TORONTO, August 1, 2025\u2014 As former NFL wide receiver turned Thoroughbred horseman Mike Renfro will tell you, he\u2019s been lucky enough to strike oil twice. After 11 years playing with the Houston Oilers and the Dallas Cowboys, Renfro is part of the CJ Thoroughbreds team that will send out Tom&#8217;s Magic in the $1 million [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/2025\/08\/01\/former-nfl-star-mike-renfro-looks-to-score-big-in-prestigious-kings-plate\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Kings Plate\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-08-01T18:21:33+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/MR-Houston-Oilers.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1536\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1518\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"grace\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"grace\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/2025\/08\/01\/former-nfl-star-mike-renfro-looks-to-score-big-in-prestigious-kings-plate\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/2025\/08\/01\/former-nfl-star-mike-renfro-looks-to-score-big-in-prestigious-kings-plate\/\",\"name\":\"Former NFL Star Mike Renfro Looks to Score Big in Prestigious King\u2019s Plate - Kings Plate\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/2025\/08\/01\/former-nfl-star-mike-renfro-looks-to-score-big-in-prestigious-kings-plate\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/2025\/08\/01\/former-nfl-star-mike-renfro-looks-to-score-big-in-prestigious-kings-plate\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/MR-Houston-Oilers.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-08-01T18:21:33+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/#\/schema\/person\/9209e801403a657b5a057cdc21d48152\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/2025\/08\/01\/former-nfl-star-mike-renfro-looks-to-score-big-in-prestigious-kings-plate\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-CA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/2025\/08\/01\/former-nfl-star-mike-renfro-looks-to-score-big-in-prestigious-kings-plate\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-CA\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/2025\/08\/01\/former-nfl-star-mike-renfro-looks-to-score-big-in-prestigious-kings-plate\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/MR-Houston-Oilers.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/MR-Houston-Oilers.jpeg\",\"width\":1536,\"height\":1518,\"caption\":\"Mike Renfro\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/2025\/08\/01\/former-nfl-star-mike-renfro-looks-to-score-big-in-prestigious-kings-plate\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Former NFL Star Mike Renfro Looks to Score Big in Prestigious King\u2019s Plate\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/\",\"name\":\"Kings Plate\",\"description\":\"Kingsplate\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-CA\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/#\/schema\/person\/9209e801403a657b5a057cdc21d48152\",\"name\":\"grace\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-CA\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b7c19feccbbc4043664bfa04e711cee9?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b7c19feccbbc4043664bfa04e711cee9?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"grace\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/author\/grace\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Former NFL Star Mike Renfro Looks to Score Big in Prestigious King\u2019s Plate - Kings Plate","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/2025\/08\/01\/former-nfl-star-mike-renfro-looks-to-score-big-in-prestigious-kings-plate\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Former NFL Star Mike Renfro Looks to Score Big in Prestigious King\u2019s Plate - Kings Plate","og_description":"TORONTO, August 1, 2025\u2014 As former NFL wide receiver turned Thoroughbred horseman Mike Renfro will tell you, he\u2019s been lucky enough to strike oil twice. After 11 years playing with the Houston Oilers and the Dallas Cowboys, Renfro is part of the CJ Thoroughbreds team that will send out Tom&#8217;s Magic in the $1 million [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/2025\/08\/01\/former-nfl-star-mike-renfro-looks-to-score-big-in-prestigious-kings-plate\/","og_site_name":"Kings Plate","article_published_time":"2025-08-01T18:21:33+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1536,"height":1518,"url":"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/MR-Houston-Oilers.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"grace","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"grace","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/2025\/08\/01\/former-nfl-star-mike-renfro-looks-to-score-big-in-prestigious-kings-plate\/","url":"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/2025\/08\/01\/former-nfl-star-mike-renfro-looks-to-score-big-in-prestigious-kings-plate\/","name":"Former NFL Star Mike Renfro Looks to Score Big in Prestigious King\u2019s Plate - Kings Plate","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/2025\/08\/01\/former-nfl-star-mike-renfro-looks-to-score-big-in-prestigious-kings-plate\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/2025\/08\/01\/former-nfl-star-mike-renfro-looks-to-score-big-in-prestigious-kings-plate\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/MR-Houston-Oilers.jpeg","datePublished":"2025-08-01T18:21:33+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/#\/schema\/person\/9209e801403a657b5a057cdc21d48152"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/2025\/08\/01\/former-nfl-star-mike-renfro-looks-to-score-big-in-prestigious-kings-plate\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-CA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/2025\/08\/01\/former-nfl-star-mike-renfro-looks-to-score-big-in-prestigious-kings-plate\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-CA","@id":"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/2025\/08\/01\/former-nfl-star-mike-renfro-looks-to-score-big-in-prestigious-kings-plate\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/MR-Houston-Oilers.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/MR-Houston-Oilers.jpeg","width":1536,"height":1518,"caption":"Mike Renfro"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/2025\/08\/01\/former-nfl-star-mike-renfro-looks-to-score-big-in-prestigious-kings-plate\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Former NFL Star Mike Renfro Looks to Score Big in Prestigious King\u2019s Plate"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/#website","url":"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/","name":"Kings Plate","description":"Kingsplate","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-CA"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/#\/schema\/person\/9209e801403a657b5a057cdc21d48152","name":"grace","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-CA","@id":"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b7c19feccbbc4043664bfa04e711cee9?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b7c19feccbbc4043664bfa04e711cee9?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"grace"},"url":"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/author\/grace\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8097"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/82"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8097"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8097\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8101,"href":"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8097\/revisions\/8101"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8099"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8097"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8097"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8097"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}