It’s a good bet that fans of pop megastar Taylor Swift and her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, will be cheering for Swift Delivery Aug. 31 in the $125,000 Toronto Cup Stakes at Woodbine.
On Aug. 27, Barry Irwin, founder and CEO of Team Valor International, who owns the gelding in partnership with Gary Barber, shared a press release with BloodHorse announcing Kelce’s involvement.
TEAM VALOR: NFL Superstar Kelce Joins Ownership of Swift Delivery
Swift Delivery’s dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse, a winner of more than 3,800 career races, is thrilled to have Kelce join the Thoroughbred ownership ranks.
“This is great for racing,” said Casse. “This isn’t just about Travis Kelce buying a horse—he bought a good horse.”
Swift Delivery under exercise rider Harold Fortune gallops at Woodbine
Bred in Kentucky by Hunt-Steeple Hill, Swift Delivery made his first four starts at Woodbine before heading to Gulfstream Park in Hallandale, Fla., for a pair of races this spring.
“We bought him as a yearling,” said Casse. “His sire, Not This Time, is one of the best in the country. (Jockey) Patrick (Husbands) and (assistant trainer) David Adams 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.”
“He’s an easy horse to be around,” added assistant trainer Kathryn Sullivan. “He loves to train and he’s very professional.”
After back-to-back thirds in the Sunshine State, Swift Delivery was able to shake it off and win consecutive races at Woodbine.
His milestone first win came for Team Valor and Barber in an allowance race July 19, which followed a head-turning 16 1/2-length triumph June 23 when Barber was the sole owner.
“When he won that race by 16 1/2 lengths, I watched the finish with my mouth open,” recalled Casse. “When he won the other in July on the inner turf, he drew post 11. I told Gary and Barry that this horse would have to be Superman to win that race from there.
“Patrick had the horse near the back, and I thought, ‘Are you going to get him a little closer?’ And in typical Patrick style, he was patient and when he asked the horse to go, they took off.”
Swift Delivery wins an allowance race at Woodbine
Now, the horse with a record of two wins and two thirds from eight starts will enter a new era when he contests his first stakes race Saturday in the Toronto Cup.
Casse expects Swift Delivery to be up for the challenge in the one-mile event for 3-year-olds over the world-renowned E. P. Taylor turf.
The 16-time Sovereign Award winner as Canada’s champion trainer hopes it will be a win-win for all involved, including fans of Swift and Kelce.
“Believe it or not, my wife (Tina) and I are Swifties,” said Casse. “We love Taylor Swift, and I am also a big Travis Kelce fan. Any time I can, I watch him play. My kids are excited too. My daughter, who is in Calgary, called me. My son, who is in Ottawa, called me too.
“This is great for horse racing and hopefully on Saturday, we can deliver.”
The Toronto Cup has a post time of 5:19 p.m. ET as race 9 on Saturday’s 10-race card. Fans can watch the race live at woodbine.com/watch-races/.
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
