If Travis Kelce returns to the Kentucky Derby next year, it will be as a spectator — and not as the owner of one of the participating horses.

Travis, 34, gushed about his racehorse, aptly named Swift Delivery, to his brother, Jason Kelce, on an episode of their “New Heights” podcast, which aired Wednesday, August 4. In their discussion, he confirmed Jason’s claim that Swift Delivery, who is 3, has already aged out of eligibility for Triple Crown races.

Swift Delivery can still compete in other races, however, and Travis revealed that the gelding finished second in the Toronto Cup Stakes over the weekend. He also gave fans a Swift Delivery scouting report.

“I liked the way that Swift Delivery ran. I’ve seen three or four races that Swift Delivery has been in, and sure enough heard nothing but great reviews,” he said. “It’s more of a finishing horse. It comes around that [last] turn and just hits the top speed and kind of saves the last straightway with all the juice that it’s got.”

While football remains Travis’ first sporting love, he has dived right into the horse-racing world, brought on by his appearance at the 2024 Kentucky Derby. He attended as a guest of family friends Bruce and Alex Zoldan, who are horse owners themselves.

“I had one of the best times ever at the Derby and they were my hosts, and sure enough, I was like, ‘Man, it’d be fun to get involved and see one of your horses in a race,’” he said. “Sure enough, they asked me if I wanted to jump in on a 3-year-old they had, and it made sense to team up with this one, it being Swift Delivery.”

Even before we knew Travis bought a horse after the race, his attendance garnered plenty of headlines. Some fans lauded (while others mocked) his Derby fashion sense as he donned a pinstriped suit and black fedora on the red carpet before watching the race and coming within inches of winning $100,000.

Travis Kelce’s Style Evolution

Travis Kelce might be one of the NFL’s most accomplished tight ends, but he is equally known for his stylish ensembles off the field. Kelce’s style frequently makes a splash ahead of every Kansas City Chiefs game, whether he struts into a stadium in a tailored suit or a designer two-piece. “Without a doubt, I […]

Travis was, as he put it, “a nose away” from a six-figure payday, which he would have earned if Japanese horse Forever Young placed second. He placed third.

“I was a beginner. I didn’t get too far into that,” Kelce said of his betting. “I just wanted to f–king put the money that I brought in there and throw it down on like one horse and just get f–king pumped if that thing was even close. And sure enough, coming around that corner, you see that thing … come up.”

One Kentucky Wildcat that Mark Pope brought in that has a ton of upside is Oklahoma State transfer Brandon Garrison. Last season for the Cowboys, Garrison averaged 7.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.5 blocks per game. The 6’11 center is a do-it-all big man as he can score around the rim, pass, rebound, and is an elite rim protector. All of these are attributes a center must have to succeed in Mark Pope’s system.

Jace Derryberry of NBA Draft On SI just wrote an article calling Garrison a sleeper in the transfer portal. Derryberry had this to say about Kentucky transfer portal addition Brandon Garrison.

“Brandon Garrison was a highly touted freshman last season at Oklahoma State but will look to make more of a name for himself during his sophomore season after transferring to Kentucky. He is a long and active big man with the potential to be very effective on both sides of the court near the rim.”

– Jace Derryberry on Brandon Garrison

Garrison was a McDonald’s All-American out of high school and is a player that still has a ton of upside when it comes to an NBA future. He will be the backup behind Amari Williams for the Kentucky Wildcats this season, but after this year, Garrison will be the starting center for the Wildcats unless Malachi Moreno is incredible the second, he walks on campus.

Garrison is one of the best backup centers in the SEC, and he is going to play huge minutes for the Wildcats this season. Garrison will also be very important for Kentucky in games where Williams gets in foul trouble, which happens a lot with centers.

Before we ever saw Brock Vandagriff take a snap at quarterback for the Kentucky Wildcats, his former Georgia teammates shed a little light on his game. Of all the tools in his arsenal, one thing stood out: “Brock’s not a slider.”

During his first series of the 2024 season, Vandagriff confirmed that he is in fact not a slider.

The athletic Kentucky quarterback used his legs to move the chains, but he took a few hard shots in the process. You could feel the collective sigh from the crowd when he a couple of those hits.

QB runs can electrify an offense. They also are dangerous. Kentucky can’t afford to lose its starting quarterback. For Vandagriff, it’s all about striking the right balance.

“There’s a part where you gotta pick and choose your spots,” offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan said Tuesday night. “When it was third and eight, Brock lowered his shoulder and got us nine yards. It’s a physical game and you gotta do what you gotta do.

“On some of those first and second downs, when there’s opportunities to get down, you gotta do so. Especially with a kid like that who’s so bought in and 3,000% wanting to prove it to his teammates, it’s almost the other way. You gotta prove to them that you’re willing to step out of bounds and play the next play. Sometimes those guys just gotta go through it to learn that.”

In the first two series of the game, he ran for three first downs. Vandagriff’s rule of thumb is that if it’s to convert a third down or for a touchdown, you gotta lower your shoulder and go for it. He might have broken that rule once or twice on Saturday night.

“Maybe I was just a little amped up going into tonight or something, but I’m just trying to get some yards for the boys,” he said after the win.

Vandagriff’s toughness is inspiring and infectious.

“Brock lowered his shoulder a lot. He showed us that he can run some people over, so that was good to see,” said running back Demie Sumo-Karngbaye. “He’s like a running back out there. He’s got the speed on him. He’s got the toughness. All we need is for me to go to quarterback and I’ll hand him the ball.”

Vandagriff’s toughness was abundantly clear on those running plays. What impressed his coach more was the mental toughness the quarterback showed when things weren’t going according to plan.

“He plays physical, but he’s gotta get down and protect himself because we’re going to need that guy,” said Hamdan. “I think we got a good player there. You guys can really see the toughness, the resiliency, more so when things are going good, but how he responded when things weren’t going good. We’re certainly excited about his play.”

It’s safe to say that Hamdan is not alone. Kentucky fans can’t wait until it’s Brock o’Clock this Saturday against South Carolina.

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