Travis Kelce has revealed he came agonizingly close to landing a $100,000 bet at the Kentucky Derby, only to lose out after an incredible three-horse photo finish.
Kelce rocked up at the Kentucky Derby on Saturday looking dapper in a white suit and black top hat, having also attended the Chainsmokers’ Sports Illustrated concert in Louisville on the eve of the big race.
Not long after arriving at Churchill Downs the following day, the Kansas City Chiefs star was seen celebrating what appeared to be an early betting victory in a video which showed him jumping up and down in jubilation.
Nevertheless, later in the day Kelce was left with entirely contrasting emotions when Forever Young, the horse he backed in the all-important Derby, lost out on a three-horse photo finish. After seemingly betting $12,500 on the Japanese horse at odds of 7-1, it meant he only narrowly lost out on a huge $100,000.
‘I was a nose away from winning that f***ing thing dude,’ he told brother Jason on their New Heights podcast. ‘It was like a photo finish at the end. It was three horses, I had [number] 11.
‘I had a little bit on two. Placed [11] as the winner, yeah.’
When Jason asked if he placed a trifecta – which involves betting on the first three finishers in a race in the correct order – Kelce continued: ‘No, no. I was a beginner, I didn’t get too far into that.
‘I just wanted to f***ing put the money that I brought in there and throw it down on one horse and just get f***ing pumped if that thing was even close.
‘And sure enough round that corner you see that thing f***ing running. Come on come on come on… goooooo! Gooooooo! I put enough money on that f***ing thing.’
He added: ‘I almost won a f***ing hundred thousand off a Japanese horse at the Kentucky Derby. Do you think America would have shamed me for that?’
Mystik Dan prevailed in that photo finish to win the Kentucky Derby at odds of 18-1, with Sierra Leone pipping Forever Young to second place at 3-1.
After attending the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, Kelce then jetted over to Florida for Sunday’s Miami Grand Prix.
There was no sign of girlfriend Taylor Swift at either event, however, with the NFL legend heading to both of them solo.
Kelce’s teammate Patrick Mahomes was also in Miami along with his wife Brittany. Both Chiefs stars are investors in the Alpine F1 team, meaning they had a vested interest in Sunday’s race.
Following McLaren star Lando Norris’ victory, the Kansas City duo were among a host of high-profile figures at the after party at Carbone Beach, along with the likes of Tyreek Hill, LeBron James and Kevin Durant.
