Swiss Skydiver continued her climb to the top of the sophomore filly division with her third straight graded victory in the GII Santa Anita Oaks. Favored while facing just three rivals here, the chestnut broke on top from her rail draw and clocked an opening quarter in :22.92 and a half in :46.55 with Merneith hot on her heels in second. Simply cantering along with ears pricked and on a loose rein, Swiss Skydiver opened up in the lane under a hand ride from Mike Smith for a facile victory. Speech completed the exacta.
“When a horse puts their ears forward like that, that means there usually is something left in the tank,” said Smith, who was aboard Swiss Skydiver for the first time Saturday. “They are kind of taking a breather, looking at things. When I tightened the reins up, she really accelerated. I kept busy until the eighth pole and really, she was on cruise control after that. She's an extremely talented filly.”
“She's good, just keeps getting better too,” said trainer Ken McPeek, who flew in from his Churchill Downs base Friday. “I was reluctant to bring her, we thought maybe we ought to wait for the [GI] Ashland with a short field and everything. She's easy to be around, she loves to run. They asked me to bring her vet records [and] I said, There aren't any!”
Opening her account with a dominant victory at Churchill in November, Swiss Skydiver was a close second next out in a sloppy optional claimer there just two weeks later and was fifth in Tampa's Gasparilla S. Jan. 18, Third in the GII Rachel Alexandra S. Feb. 15, she was a decisive winner in the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks Mar. 28 and followed suit with a victory in Oaklawn's GIII Fantasy S. May 1.
Pedigree Notes:
Swiss Skydiver is one of two graded winners and three black-type winners for her young sire Daredevil, who was exported to Turkey last year. Her dam Expo Gold is also responsible for SP Miss Hot Legs (Verrazano). She produced a Daredevil colt in 2018 and a Danzing Candy colt in 2019. Expo Gold was bred back to that California stallion last term.
Saturday, Santa Anita
SANTA ANITA OAKS-GII, $196,000, Santa Anita, 6-6, 3yo, f,
1 1/16m, 1:43.20, ft.
1–SWISS SKYDIVER, 124, f, 3, by Daredevil
1st Dam: Expo Gold, by Johannesburg
2nd Dam: Clouds of Gold, by Strike the Gold
3rd Dam: Cloudy Colors, by Personal Flag
($35,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP). O-Peter J. Callahan; B-WinStar Farm,
LLC (KY); T-Kenneth G. McPeek; J-Mike E. Smith. $120,000.
Lifetime Record: 7-4-1-1, $557,980. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click
for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Speech, 124, f, 3, Mr Speaker–Scribbling Sarah, by Freud.
($65,000 Ylg '18 OBSWIN; $95,000 RNA Ylg '18 FTKJUL;
$190,000 2yo '19 OBSMAR). O-Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners
& Madaket Stables LLC; B-Gail Rice (FL); T-Michael McCarthy.
$40,000.
3–Merneith, 124, f, 3, American Pharoah–Flattermewithroses,
by Flatter. ($350,000 Wlg '17 FTKNOV; $600,000 2yo '19
OBSMAR). O-HRH Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud; B-China
Horse Club (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $24,000.
Margins: 4, 7 1/4, 4HF. Odds: 0.60, 2.00, 4.30.
Also Ran: Regal Beauty. Scratched: Smiling Shirlee. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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