With the Kentucky Derby only hours away, one of the stranger celebrity questions around this year’s race involves Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. The Derby always attracts a mix of sports stars, entertainers, racing insiders, and casual fans, so it is not exactly shocking when celebrity ownership rumors start floating around.
This time, the focus is on whether Swift and Kelce have any stake in one of the horses that was expected to run at Churchill Downs. As the race builds toward its famous “two most exciting minutes in sports,” here is what we know about their possible connection to the Derby field.
The Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift Connection
The Swift-Kelce Derby chatter ended up becoming one of the more unexpected side stories of race week.
The Puma had already been getting attention as a live contender, but the conversation around him really took off once fans started wondering whether Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce had quietly bought into the horse.
The speculation only got louder when co-owner Michael Iavarone played coy online instead of shutting it down, saying he could not confirm or deny anything because of an NDA. That was more than enough to keep the rumor alive.
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There are also a few dots people were quick to connect. Kelce has already dipped into horse ownership before through Swift Delivery, and one of his racing contacts, Bruce Zoldan, is also tied to The Puma. So while nothing has been officially confirmed, the theory did not exactly come out of nowhere.
But the Derby angle changed completely when The Puma was scratched from the race. Gustavo Delgado confirmed swelling was found in his leg because of a skin infection. The issue is not expected to be long-term, but it came at the worst possible time.
So for now, the ownership mystery remains unresolved, and The Puma’s shot at the Derby is over before it began.