The $125,000 Toronto Cup Stakes takes place this Saturday at Woodbine, and if there are any Swifties in the audience, they’ll likely keep an eye on one particular racehorse (aptly named Swift Delivery).
Earlier this week, it was announced that the Zoldan Family, owners of Phantom Fireworks, together with Taylor Swift’s Kansas City Chiefs boyfriend — three-time Super Bowl champion Travis Kelce — have bought a significant share in Swift Delivery, a three-year-old horse.
Swift Delivery was bred in Kentucky and made his first four starts at Woodbine before heading to Florida for a pair of races earlier this spring. After back-to-back thirds, the gelding won consecutive races at Woodbine (a 16 ½-length race on June 23 and an allowance race on July 19).
“We bought him as a yearling,” Swift Delivery’s trainer Mark Casse — a dual hall-of-fame trainer and winner of over 3,800 career races — said in a statement, adding that Delivery’s “sire” (father), Not This Time, is one of the best in the country.
“Patrick [Husbands, the jockey] and David Adams [assistant trainer] were very high on this horse, but he just didn’t perform as a 2-year-old. We gelded him in the wintertime and from that point on, he’s trained and performed very well,” Casse added.
Swift Delivery has competed in eight races so far, with two wins and two third-place spots; this Saturday’s first-stakes race (a one-mile event for three-year-olds) will be more competitive — but if he wins, it’ll be huge for his racing career.
With all the press coverage surrounding Kelce’s part-ownership stake in the horse, Casse said he’s thrilled to have the NFL star join the thoroughbred ownership ranks.
“This is great for racing,” Casse said in a statement. “This isn’t just about Travis Kelce buying a horse – he bought a good horse.”
The Toronto Cup is the ninth race scheduled for Saturday. Fans can watch the race live on the Woodbine website. Kelce likely won’t be able to make it to Toronto to cheer on his new investment, as the Kansas City Chiefs are preparing for a game against the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday.
Swift and Kelce are believed to have been dating for nearly a year, and Kelce has made several appearances at Swift’s performances during her Eras Tour. No word as yet on whether he’ll show up when Swift performs in Toronto this November at the Rogers Centre.
