All I can say is… WHAT THE HELL?!?

Yep, that was the initial reaction when I first heard of the news. Apparently, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson will be racing against a horse named Restore the Road on turf at Cincinnati’s River Downs on June 9.

That’s the same day when the 2007 Belmont Stakes come out of the gates to culminate this year’s Triple Crown series. I guess ‘’Ocho Cinco'’ here wants to chime in with that day’s little ‘’horse racing'’ atmosphere eh? Hey, what can you do? Chad Johnson have always liked the attention.

Chad’s latest exploit is for the benefit of his favorite charity, ‘’Feed The Children.'’ The race, billed as ‘’Man vs. Beast,'’ will be the feature race at River Downs on June 9 when Belmont Park hosts the 2007 Belmont Stakes in New York City.

Ocho Cinco’s rival, Restore the Road, is a 4-year-old colt trained by Ivan Vasquez and owned by Patricia Genn. Restore the Horse will break from the inside at the eight hole while the NFL football wide receiver will break from the outside rail going 1/16th of a mile.

‘’I'm looking forward to it,'’ Cincinnati Bengals wideout Chad Johnson said Friday, after the first day of minicamp. ‘’It’s going to be fun. Some of the things I’m going to be doing this year are crazy, and racing a horse is one of them.'’

‘’I'm ready,'’ he said. ‘’He has two extra legs, so I will get a two-extra-leg lead. It’s all for fun. The important thing is raising money to help those in need.'’

Johnson’s teammate on the other hand, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer, doesn’t like the wide receiver’s chances. ‘’I don’t think he really understands how fast horses are,'’ Carson Palmer said.

‘’I've been to the Kentucky Derby and been to different tracks and seen horses run. I don’t think he knows what he’s getting himself into. Just because he’s my teammate, I’ve got to back him up. But I’ll be secretly putting money on that horse.'’

Hey, maybe I will too.

Can Chad Johnson beat the horse Restore the Road on June 9 at River Downs to win the race dubbed as ‘’Man vs. Beast?'’ Bodog has the odds.

Chad Johnson -110

Restore the Road -130

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Chad Johnson Restore the Road