Ontario Derby: Who’s afraid of little old Swift Delivery?

Swift Delivery, co-owned by Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce with an obvious reminder of the NFL star’s girlfriend, chases his first stakes success Saturday at 5:25 p.m. EDT in the Grade 3, US$97,737 Ontario Derby at Woodbine.

Durham Cup winner Dresden Row, who has four first-place finishes at Woodbine, actually is the 9-5 morning-line favorite. But Swift Delivery understandably has attracted attention for more than his on-track exploits.

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Trained by dual Hall of Famer Mark Casse, Swift Delivery is the 2-1 second choice and the 3-year-old son of Not This Time out of Rockport Harbor mare Raegen Harper. He arrived at the 1 1/8-mile, synthetic-track tilt for sophomores off a second-place finish over one mile of turf Aug. 31 in the Toronto Cup.

“I thought it was good,” Casse said of the first stakes engagement. “He may be a little better on the all-weather. At least that is what it looks like. It was a solid race. Was it his best race? Probably not. He’s doing well, and we are anxious to get back on the all-weather track.”

On Aug. 27, Team Valor International founder and CEO Barry Irwin announced that the Zoldan Family, owners of Phantom Fireworks, and Kelce, the three-time Super Bowl champion who dates music megastar Taylor Swift, acquired a significant share of Team Valor’s interest in Swift Delivery, who Team Valor owns with Gary Barber.

Bred in Kentucky by Hunt-Steeple Hill, the gray made his first four starts at Woodbine.

“We thought he was one of our better horses as a 2-year-old, but it just never transferred over into the afternoons,” Casse said. “So his 2-year-old year was very disappointing. During the wintertime we gelded him and gave him a bit of a break. Once we started back training him, I could see a difference in him.

“We always had high expectations for him. He has a very good pedigree, and it took him a while to show his ability. I could see him training very well this winter at our training center. He was a happy horse.”

Swift Delivery launched his 3-year-old campaign with a pair of races at Gulfstream Park this April and May. After consecutive thirds in Florida, he came back to compete at Woodbine. His maiden score came for Team Valor and Barber in an allowance race June 23, a 16 1/2-length, head-turning triumph when Barber was the sole owner.

One race later Swift Delivery was back in the winner’s circle courtesy of a 1 1/4-length score at 1 1/6 miles over the inner turf.

“When he won that race by 16 1/2 lengths, I watched the finish with my mouth open,” Casse said. “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.”

Casse is hopeful Swift Delivery, who sports a record of 9: 2-2-1, is sitting on a big performance.

“I think the distance is good for him, and he likes the all-weather, so hopefully it translates into a strong effort on Saturday,” Casse said.

Casse, the 16-time Sovereign Award winner as a Canada champion, already set the record for most Woodbine stakes training wins in one year with 30. He said he is thrilled to see fans of both racing and music take an interest in Swift Delivery.

“It was nice to see everyone that came out to see him,” he said. “Hopefully, we get to see that again this Saturday. Anything that is good for racing makes me happy.”

The field also includes Breeders’ Stakes winner Roscar, Durham Cup (G3) victor Dresden Row and 2023 Coronation Futurity winner Babbo.

A sunny, 65-degree day will greet the field for the Ontario Derby.

Horse Racing Nation coverage of the Woodbine Thoroughbred season is made possible in part through a sponsorship by Woodbine Entertainment Group.