In a year full of memorable moments between the Super Bowl and dating Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce added another "once-in-a-lifetime experience" at the Kentucky Derby.
The Kansas City Chiefs' superstar tight end looked back on his time at the iconic race, plus the dapper suit he wore to Churchill Downs, on the May 8 episode of the “New Heights” podcast with older brother Jason Kelce.
"I'm a Derby guy now, man," he said on the podcast. "It was so much fun."
While Jason Kelce had been to the famous race multiple times during his college days at the University of Cincinnati, this was Travis Kelce's inaugural time at the first leg of horse racing's Triple Crown.
“It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I am definitely going to try and experience again,” he said on the podcast. “It was fun just being part of the entire environment.”
Travis Kelce also put his reputation for fashion to one of the ultimate tests at an event known for its flamboyant hats, suits and dresses.
He was spotted in the crowd wearing an off-white pinstripe suit and a fedora with a blue feather, embracing the annual event's reputation for bringing out the best in high fashion and hats.
"Nice little double-breasted pinstripe, all right now," Travis Kelce said about his suit.
"Looking good," Jason Kelce said.
Travis Kelce said it was a custom suit from designer Patrick Christopher.
The official Instagram account for the Kentucky Derby on May 4 shared a video of Travis Kelce jumping in celebration with a wide grin.
"When you show up to the Kentucky Derby and your first bet hits," text over the video read.
Travis Kelce said his biggest bet was on the horse Forever Young, which finished third by a nose behind winner Mystik Dan and Sierra Leone in a photo finish. The 150th running of the race was one of its closest in history, with three horses seemingly crossing the finish line at the same time.
"I was a nose away from winning that f------- thing," Travis Kelce said, before later adding, "I almost won $100,000 off a f------ Japanese horse in the Kentucky Derby. Do you think America would’ve shamed me?"
"I’m shaming you right now," Jason Kelce said. "You bet on a Japanese horse?"
Travis Kelce also described bumping into Motown legend Smokey Robinson, rapper Jack Harlow, a handful of fellow NFL players, and "Tonight Show" host Jimmy Fallon. He said Fallon was cradling a Labrador puppy in his hands.
"That's how you do it. That’s how you make a statement and get everyone to just f------- love you, because the dog was cute as hell," Travis Kelce said. "Who would’ve knew that a dog would’ve stole the show at the Derby?
"I can’t tell you how much I loved just seeing Jimmy. I was literally placing a bet and he just sneaks up right next to me like nothing’s going on. It was a surprise, I wasn’t expecting it. He was on the f------ move, though, man. That guy’s a hard worker, man. It’s so impressive, everything that he does."
Fallon previously shared a video of them shaking hands.
"Chili Flag for the win!" Fallon captioned the post, likely referencing the racehorse who won the Distaff Turf Mile Stakes race at Churchill Downs May 4.
Travis Kelce chimed in in the comments section with, "For the winnnnnnnnnn!!!"
Travis Kelce was also photographed at the Sports Illustrated Revel at the Races party May 3.
The party was held at Ice House in downtown Louisville and included a performance by the Chainsmokers.
The NFL star reunited with the group after joining them in the DJ booth following the 2024 Super Bowl for a special remix of Swift’s song “You Belong With Me."
Alex Pall, one half of the popular DJ duo, featured the Chiefs star on his Instagram story. He shared a snap of Travis Kelce posing with Chandler Parsons as both athletes looked off into the distance.
Swift was not photographed at the Kentucky Derby, though fans wondered if she'd join her boyfriend at the event.
Swift's “Eras Tour” resumes on May 9 in France for four nights at Paris La Defense Arena.
Swift has previously opened up about her intense training regimen in order to perform her three-hour-long show multiple nights a week.
The singer told Time that she initially prepared for six months before the tour kicked off in March 2023 in Glendale, Arizona. Her routine included singing the entire set list while running on a treadmill, strength training and choreography. She also changed her lifestyle to train for the tour, including abstaining from alcohol.
Recovery in between the runs of her shows became important for the singer, too, with Swift saying that she gave herself a full day to rest.
“I do not leave my bed except to get food and take it back to my bed and eat it there,” she told the magazine. “I can barely speak because I’ve been singing for three hours straight.”
In February and March, Swift continued the international leg of her tour in Tokyo, Melbourne, Sydney and Singapore before taking two months off, which coincided with the release of her new album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” on April 19.
During her break from the tour, Swift and Travis Kelce also got to spend time as a couple.
They both attended the first weekend of Coachella to support Jack Antonoff’s band Bleachers and Ice Spice. At the end of April, Swift and Travis Kelce also supported Patrick Mahomes' foundation, 15 and the Mahomies, at a charity gala in Las Vegas.