Swift Delivery and jockey Patrick Husbands winning Race 7 on July 19, 2024. (Michael Burns Photo)
Travis Kelce-owned Swift Delivery to race Saturday
“Believe it or not, my wife and I are Swifties,” said Casse.
Chris Lomon, Woodbine
TORONTO, Ont, – 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 in this Saturday’s $125,000 Toronto Cup Stakes Presented by Crown Royal, at Woodbine.
On August 27, Barry Irwin, founder and CEO of Team Valor International, shared the news that the Zoldan Family, owners of Phantom Fireworks, and Kelce, one of the NFL’s most recognizable names, have acquired a significant share of Team Valor’s interest in the 3-year-old gelding Swift Delivery, who Team Valor owns with Gary Barber.
Swift Delivery’s dual Hall of Fame trainer, Mark Casse, a winner of over 3,800 career races, is thrilled to have Kelce, a three-time Super Bowl champion, who was at this year’s Kentucky Derby, 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.”
Bred in Kentucky by Hunt-Steeple Hill, Swift Delivery made his first four starts at Woodbine before heading to Gulfstream Park in Hallandale, Florida, for a pair of races this April and May.
“We bought him as a yearling,” said Casse. “His sire, Not This Time, is one of the best in the country. Patrick [jockey, 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 on July 19, which followed a head-turning 16 ½-length triumph on June 23 when Barber was the sole owner.
“When he won that race by 16 ½ 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.”
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, the Toronto Cup, on Saturday.
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 is race 9 on Saturday. Fans can watch the race live at woodbine.com/watch-races/
