Do Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce own a Kentucky Derby horse? Why iconic sports couple is being linked to The Puma

Each year, the Kentucky Derby draws in viewers far and wide to watch one of the most prolific horse races in the world. This year, pop culture fans may want to keep an even closer eye on this year's 152nd edition.

This week, rumors circulated that Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and his celebrity girlfriend, Taylor Swift, secretly owned a share in the current 8-1 favorite, The Puma. While nothing is a bona fide definite, one of the horse's co-owners did all but shut down that rumor.

Along with that, another one of the horse's co-owners also went in with Kelce to purchase his horse, Swift Delivery, in 2024. If Kelce and Swift were to appear at Churchill Downs on Saturday, fans may want to keep an eye on their reaction if The Puma were to cross the finish line in a top position.

Here's the rundown on whether one of the most famous celebrity couples in the world has a horse running at this year's Kentucky Derby.

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Do Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce own a Kentucky Derby horse?

It remains uncertain if Swift and Kelce own a stake in The Puma. However, signs have been pointing to yes as of late.

According to Fox Sports, one of The Puma's co-owners, Michael A. Iavarone, posted an Instagram story that fed into the rumor. Here is a quote of what Iavarone posted:

"OK people. Everyone asking me if Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are partners on The Puma… all I can say is I signed an NDA, so I can’t confirm or deny."

Another important point is that one of The Puma's co-owners, Bruce Zoldan, also owned a significant share of Kelce's 2024 horse named Swift Delivery, according to ESPN. The tight end appeared at that year's Kentucky Derby, despite his horse not racing at the event.

After the social media frenzy, The Puma's odds went as low as 7-2 to win the 152nd Kentucky Derby according to Fox Sports. As of 1:30 p.m. ET on May 1, the horse's odds have jumped back up to 8-1, per Kentucky Derby live odds. This is still a decrease from The Puma's opening line of 10-1. 

Chris Fallica of Bear Bets discussed the rapid fall of odds for the alleged Swift-Kelce horse. According to Fallica, this is lining up to be a classic trap bet that is aimed to gain leverage on a horse that just hasn't seen as much success as its odds would appear.

MORE: What are some important facts to know before placing Kentucky Derby bets?

Who owns The Puma?

Gustavo Delgado (OGMA Investments, LLC), Jose Aguirre (JR Ranch), Randy Guy (High Step Racing, LLC), Michael A. Iavarone (TCC Stables, LLC), and Bruce Zoldan all own a stake in The Puma, according to the Kentucky Derby Website.

Heading into raceday on Saturday, social media rumors circulated that Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce have quietly owned a 10% share of The Puma. Nothing is confirmed yet, but Iavarone posted that he signed an NDA and stated that he can "neither confirm nor deny" the rumors.

MORE: A complete background of each horse and jockey at this year's race

Travis Kelce horse racing history

In May 2024, Kelce appeared at the Kentucky Derby. He reportedly bet $100,000 on 7-1 horse Forever Young, who narrowly lost to Mystik Dan.

Travis Kelce loses out on $100,000 after Kentucky Derby’s photo finish https://t.co/banmMbNrYN pic.twitter.com/L1mCu9dE7U

Later that year, news broke that the Chiefs' tight end purchased a horse named Swift Delivery, a play on his celebrity girlfriend's last name. Zoldan, who also owns a stake in The Puma at this year's Run for the Roses, owned a significant stake in Swift Delivery, per ESPN.

Across 17 starts from 2023 to 2025, Swift Delivery has accumulated four first-place finishes, one second, and three third-place finishes, according to Equibase. The horse's earnings total to $238,512, averaging roughly $14,030 per start.

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