Swiss Skydiver

Swiss Skydiver (foaled March 10, 2017 in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse, the winner of the 2020 Preakness Stakes, Santa Anita Oaks,[2] and Alabama Stakes.[3]

Swiss Skydiver
SireDaredevil
GrandsireMore than Ready
DamExpo Gold
DamsireJohannesburg
SexFilly
FoaledMarch 10, 2017[1]
CountryUnited States
BreederWinStar Farm, LLC
OwnerPeter J. Callahan
TrainerKenneth G. McPeek
Record12: 6 - 3 - 1
Earnings$1,812,980
Major wins
Awards
American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly (2020)
Last updated on October 3, 2020

Background

Swiss Skydiver is a chestnut filly with a white star bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm. In 2018 she was consigned to the Keeneland Association September Yearling Sale and was bought for $35,000 by the trainer Kenneth McPeek.[1] She races in the red and blue colors of the "media magnate" Peter J. Callahan.[4] He named the horse after his granddaughter Callie Rasnake who sent him a video message of her parachuting over the Swiss Alps in November 2018.[5]

She is from the first crop foals sired by Daredevil, who recorded his biggest win in the 2014 Champagne Stakes. Daredevil began his stud career in Kentucky but was sold and exported to Turkey in 2019.[6] Swiss Skydiver's dam Expo Gold showed modest ability on the track, winning two minor races from five starts.[7] She is a female-line descendant of the broodmare Cloud High, making her a distant relative of the Belmont Stakes winner Da' Tara.[8]

Racing career

2019: two-year-old season

Swiss Skydiver's first race was on November 16, 2019, at Churchill Downs, where she came in first. She returned less than two weeks later on November 20, 2019, coming in second place in an Allowance Optional Claiming race.

2020: three-year-old season

Swiss Skydiver started off the 2020 season on January 18 with a 5th-place finish at the Gasparilla Stakes.[9] She then came in 3rd at the Rachel Alexandra Stakes on February 15.[10] She got her first graded stakes win on March 28, when she won the Gulfstream Oaks. She came in at 9:1 odds and led the race before beating Lucrezia by ​3 1⁄2 lengths.[11] She then earned her second graded stakes win on May 1, when she won the Fantasy Stakes. She came in as the underdog at 16:1 odds and defeated Venetian Harbor by ​2 1⁄2 lengths.[12]

Swiss Skydiver captured her third graded stakes win when she won the Santa Anita Oaks on June 6.[13] She defeated Meneith by four lengths as the 3:5 favorite. On July 11, she competed in her first race against male horses at the Blue Grass Stakes. She came in as the 2:1 favorite but was defeated by Art Collector by ​3 1⁄2 lengths.[14]

She came back to win the 2020 Alabama Stakes, the third leg of the New York Triple Tiara, by 3 1/2 lengths, establishing her as the top three-year-old filly of 2020.

In the 2020 Kentucky Oaks, Swiss Skydiver ran in third place for most of the race, before passing the tiring favorite Gamine and just falling short of the eventual winner Shedaresthedevil.

Her next start and biggest win of her career was the 2020 Preakness Stakes, where she was the first filly to enter the Preakness since Ria Antonia in 2014. Swiss Skydiver took the lead on the final turn and battled 2020 Kentucky Derby winner Authentic down the stretch, both well ahead of the rest of the field. She won by a neck, the first filly to win the Preakness since Rachel Alexandra in 2009.[15] The third-place finisher, Jesus’ Team, was ​9 3⁄4 behind Authentic.[16]

Swiss Skydiver moved up to second in the NTRA Top Three-Year-Old Poll, and ninth in the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll.

Her next start could have been either the 2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff against her own gender and the champion mare Monomoy Girl, or the 6 million Breeders' Cup Classic against older males, where she would have a shot at Horse of the Year if she won. She had qualified for both races, the Alabama Stakes for the Distaff and the Preakness Stakes for the Classic. Her owner Peter Callahan was strongly leaning towards the Distaff, but trainer Kenny McPeek was keen to take a shot at the Classic.

Swiss Skydiver's connections chose the Breeders' Cup Distaff. But she stumbled badly coming out of the gate and her race was over before it even began. She moved into contention at the top of the homestretch before tiring to seventh place. Her stumble out of the gate left her no chance to win, but her connections hoped for a possible rematch with the winner Monomoy Girl in 2021.

For her thrilling Preakness Stakes win and coast to coast victories at nine different tracks, Swiss Skydiver was a nominee for the 2020 Secretariat Vox Populi Award.

In the 2020 World's Best Racehorse Rankings, Swiss Skydiver was rated on 122, making her the equal twenty-first best racehorse in the world and the best three-year-old filly alongside Love and Gamine.[17]

2021: four-year-old season

Swiss Skydiver is expected to continue racing in 2021 as a four-year-old.

Racing Statistics
Statistics
Date Race Racecourse Grade Place Distance Time Margin Weight Jockey Ref
Nov 16, 2019 Maiden Churchill Downs 1 7 Furlongs 1:23.93 5 1/2 Lengths 118 lbs Tyler Gaffalione
Nov 30, 2019 Allowance Churchill Downs 2 1 mile 1:38.57 (1 1/2 Lengths) 118 lbs Tyler Gaffalione
Jan 18, 2020 Gasparilla Stakes Tampa Bay Downs 5 7 Furlongs 1:22.80 (6 Lengths) 118 lbs Alonso Quinonez
Feb 15, 2020 Rachel Alexandra Stakes Fair Grounds Race Course II 3 ​1 1⁄16 miles 1:43.97 (6 1/2 Lengths) 122 lbs Brian Hernandez Jr.
Mar 28, 2020 Gulfstream Oaks Gulfstream Park II 1 ​1 1⁄16 miles 1:43.54 3 1/4 Lengths 122 lbs Paco Lopez
May 5, 2020 Fantasy Stakes Oaklawn Park II 1 ​1 1⁄16 miles 1:42.00 2 1/2 Lengths 121 lbs Brian Hernandez Jr.
Jun 6, 2020 Santa Anita Oaks Santa Anita Park II 1 ​1 1⁄16 miles 1:43.20 4 Lengths 124 lbs Mike E. Smith
Jul 11, 2020 Blue Grass Stakes Keeneland Race Course II 2 ​1 1⁄8 miles 1:48.11 (3 1/2 Lengths) 118 lbs Brian Hernandez Jr.
Aug 15, 2020 Alabama Stakes Saratoga Race Course I 1 ​1 1⁄4 miles 2:03.04 3 1/2 Lengths 121 lbs Tyler Gaffalione
Sep 4, 2020 Kentucky Oaks Churchill Downs I 2 ​1 1⁄8 miles 1:48.28 (1 1/2 Lengths) 121 lbs Tyler Gaffalione
October 3, 2020 Preakness Stakes Pimlico Race Course I 1 ​1 3⁄16 mile 1:53.28 neck 123 lbs Robby Albarado [16]
November 7, 2020 Breeders' Cup Distaff Keeneland Race Course I 7 ​1 1⁄8 miles 1:47.84 (8 1/4 Lengths) 121 lbs Robby Albarado

Pedigree
Pedigree of Swiss Skydiver (USA), 2017[1]
Sire
Daredevil (USA)
b. 2012		 More Than Ready (USA)
b. 1997		 Southern Halo Halo
Northern Sea
Woodmans Girl Woodman
Becky Be Good
Chasethewildwind (USA)
b. 1994		 Forty Niner Mr. Prospector
File
Race the Wild Wind Sunny's Halo (CAN)
Redpath
Dam
Expo Gold (USA)
b. 2008		 Johannesburg (USA)
b. 1999		 Hennessy Storm Cat
Island Kitty
Myth Ogygian
Yarn
Clouds of Gold (USA)
b. 1999		 Strike the Gold Alydar
Majestic Gold
Cloudy Colors Personal Flag
Getoffmycloud (family: 5-i)[8]

References
  1. "Swiss Skydiver". Equineline.
  2. "Swiss Skydiver". Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  3. "Swiss Skydiver leaves Alabama rivals in the clouds".
  4. "July 2016 Member of the Month: Peter J. Callahan". July 12, 2016.
  5. Wilkin, Tim (August 13, 2020). "A real Swiss Skydiver". Times Union.
  6. "Derby Winner Super Saver, Daredevil to Turkey".
  7. "Expo Gold profile". Equibase.
  8. "Diversion - Family 5-i". Thoroughbred Bloodlines.
  9. "Swiss Skydiver Taking Plunge Against Boys in Blue Grass Stakes". Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  10. "One Thousand Guineas Possible Target for Swiss Skydiver". Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  11. "Swiss Skydiver shows rare speed, steals Gulfstream Park Oaks". Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  12. "Swiss Skydiver Outruns Venetian Harbor in Fantasy Stakes". Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  13. "Swiss Skydiver Too Strong In Santa Anita Oaks". Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  14. "Art Collector gets past Swiss Skydiver to win Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland". Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  15. "Preakness Stakes 2020: Winner, results, replay, recap, payouts". NBC Sports. 3 October 2020.
  16. "Preakness Stakes Grade 1". equibase.com. October 3, 2020. Retrieved October 3, 2020.
  17. "The 2020 World Thoroughbred Rankings". Horseracingintfed.com. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
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