Swift Delivery, a racehorse partly owned by NFL star Travis Kelce, pop icon Taylor Swift’s boyfriend, finished second at the Toronto Cup on Saturday.
The thoroughbred had been on a winning streak, finishing first in its previous two outings, but was unable to beat a horse named Piper’s Factor this weekend.
The race was on Woodbine Racetrack’s E.P. Taylor turf course in Toronto.
With second place, Swift Delivery and jockey Patrick Husbands earned their team 20 per cent of the $125,000 purse for the one-mile race.
But cash was not the only prize on Saturday. Woodbine spokesperson Leanne Elnicki said Swift Delivery’s connection to the pop icon drew many new faces to the track, which does not charge for attendance at most events.
“We definitely saw an uptick in young women, I can say that unequivocally,” Elnicki said in an interview after the race.
For the love of Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce is redefining the bro code
If the cynics were outraged, Woodbine welcomed the attention. “We love when new people discover our sport, and if it means discovering it through, you know, the connection of Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift, hey, we’re all for it,” Elnicki said.
Kelce, a Kansas City tight end and winner of three Super Bowls, has reportedly been dating Swift since last year, drawing a surge of interest in the athlete’s activities from “Swifties” around the world.
The Kansas City Chiefs' Travis Kelce celebrates with partner Taylor Swift after Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S., February 11, 2024.Brian Snyder/Reuters
Team Valor International, a stable of partnership-owned racehorses, said Tuesday that Kelce “recently acquired a significant share” of its interest in three-year-old Swift Delivery, bred in Kentucky.
Swift Delivery had its first four starts at Woodbine before heading to Gulfstream Park in Hallandale, Fla., for two races last spring. “After back-to-back thirds in the Sunshine State, Swift Delivery was able to shake it off and win consecutive races at Woodbine,” the horse racing operator said in a news release last week.
The horse’s trainer, Mark Casse, who was quoted in the release, described himself as a Taylor Swift fan and said Kelce placed a good bet by investing in Swift Delivery.
“This is great for horse racing,” Casse said.
But the horse had a slow start at the Toronto Cup, trailing in last place for a while. Swift Delivery had to fight to have the upper hand and the crowds in the stands went wild when it overtook most of the competition from the outside.
Ultimately, however, it was too late for the jockey and his black horse to come around and end up on top.