Travis Kelce recaps lost opportunity to bag $100,000 at the Kentucky Derby: “I almost f**king won"
Travis Kelce was among the celebrities who attended the 150th Kentucky Derby this year at Churchill Downs. The event is known for attracting a star-studded crowd and is one of the most iconic horse races.
The annual Derby is also one of the most bet-on events across the entire sports world. Many casual bettors wager on a horse to win it, potentially adding to the excitement of watching the popular horse race.
The Kansas City Chiefs tight end was apparently one of those who decided to wager on the race. During the latest episode of New Heights, Travis explained how he nearly won $100,000 on his bet. He told his brother, Jason Kelce, that he placed a substantial wager on Forever Young and a small one on Sierra Leone.
"I was a nose away from winning that f**king thing dude," Kelce told Jason on the podcast. "I was a beginner, so I just wanted to f**fking put the money that I brought in there and throw it down on like one horse and just get f**kin pumped if that thing was close.
"And sure enough, coming around that corner, you that thing come up. I almost f**king won $100,000 off a Japanese horse in the Kentuky Derby."
Travis Kelce is referring to what ended up being one of the closest finishes in Kentucky Derby history. The race was eventually won by Mystik Dan, who beat out Sierra Leone and Forever Young by just a nose each in a three-way photo finish.
His apparent biggest rooting interest, Forever Young, ran strong down the home stretch to make up ground but lost by just a fraction of a second.
As Kelce mentioned, the horse came from Japan to compete in the Kentucky Derby and nearly took home the trophy. This would have marked the first time in the race's history that a horse from Asia earned a victory.
Travis Kelce's probable bet amount on Forever Young in Kentucky Derby
At the time the Kentucky Derby started, Forever Young had a 10-1 chance of winning the event (per Yahoo Sports). Travis Kelce did not reveal how much he bet on the horse to win the race, but he said he would have $100,000 if it finished first.
If his potential winnings were accurately reported, this means that he likely bet somewhere around $10,000 on Forever Young. He can apparently afford it, especially after recently locking in a two-year contract with the Kansas City Chiefs worth $34.25 million.