By Jessica Martini
Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl-winning tight end Travis Kelce, along with the Zoldan family, have acquired a significant share of Team Valor International's interest in Gary Barber's Swift Delivery (Not This Time), Team Valor's Barry Irwin announced Tuesday.
The Zoldan family have been members of Team Valor's syndicates for nearly four decades, including as partners in 2011 GI Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom. Bruce Zoldan, founder and CEO of Phantom Fireworks, attended this year's Derby along with Ohio native Kelce, who is friends with Zoldan's son, Alex.
Irwin said the seeds of including Kelce in a partnership were planted on that First Saturday in May, but it had all the trappings of meant-to-be when this gelding, whose name includes the name of the football player's famous girlfriend, came on the scene.
“I actually watched the Derby standing right next to him,” Irwin said of Kelce. “I got to know him and we talked about maybe getting a horse or something. And then when Swift Delivery came on my radar, I thought this is too meant to be to be true. I spoke to Gary Barber and asked if he would sell me part of the horse. I told him why. And he said sure. So we struck a deal. Then I called back Bruce and I said, let's each buy a quarter and we will bring Travis in for part.”
Irwin continued, “I have known many celebrities and athletes over the years. This guy is cut from a different cloth. He is a terrific human being. Forget what he is as a personality or as a player, he is a first-class, warm individual. He's very charismatic. And I think he has a great sense of what his importance is and he wears it very lightly. He is a terrific individual.”
Trained by Mark Casse, Swift Delivery romped to a 16 1/2-length maiden victory over the all-weather surface at Woodbine June 23 for Barber. In his first start for the partnership of Barber and Team Valor, the 3-year-old gelding captured an allowance over the Woodbine turf July 19. He is expected to make his stakes debut Saturday in the Toronto Cup.
With football season right around the corner, Kelce won't make it to Woodbine for Saturday's race, but Irwin is hoping to find a horse that the player can watch in the off-season.
“These guys would have a tough time going to any kind of race during the season,” Irwin said. “He has trouble just going to one of his girlfriend's concerts. I think I am going to keep looking for a Derby prospect. If we come up with something, he can make that meet pretty easily. But between now and January, it would be mighty tough.”
Asked if Swift might follow her boyfriend into the racing game, Irwin said, “I think it all depends on how their relationship develops.”
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