McPeek hopes Swiss Skydiver has better Keeneland trip

When Swiss Skydiver last ran at Keeneland, in July's Blue Grass Stakes (G2), the filly finished in second place to Art Collector. On Saturday, the Preakness Stakes-winning filly will return, hoping to win the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, going 1 1/8 miles on the same track.

Trainer Kenny McPeek said during a media conference call on Mnday that the filly did not turn in her best performance at Keeneland in July. But he said the track had nothing to do with it.

“I think we went too fast early in that race,” McPeek said. “The pace of that race wasn’t, for me, ideal. When I saw how quickly she went the first half mile, I was immediately concerned.”

The filly shook off the Blue Grass loss and has two wins since, in the Alabama (G1) and the Preakness, plus a second-place finish in the Kentucky Oaks.

McPeek was faced with a tough decision in the weeks between the Preakness and the Breeders’ Cup about which race to choose for the Daredevil filly. The Distaff offered a less impressive field, and the Classic, carries more prestige and is at Swiss Skydiver’s preferred distance of 1 1/4 miles.

In the end, McPeek and owner Peter Callahan decided the Distaff was the way to go.

“We felt like in this case the Classic had a lot more depth to it, although we were going to get, I think, seven pounds, maybe even more.” McPeek said. “Either seven or nine pounds we were going to get as a weight break as a 3-year-old filly, but we didn’t feel like the weight was something that we wanted so much as we wanted a little bit less depth to the field.”

The choice brings about a matchup with former champion and 2018 Distaff winner Monomoy Girl. McPeek had nothing but praise for the mare and her trainer, Brad Cox.

“I remember (Cox) at a point where he was struggling and he was at Oaklawn, and he and I had a brief talk about the quality of the horses he needs and he needed to get better horses,” McPeek said. “Well, he’s certainly done that, he’s done a heck of a job. It’s going to be a great race.”

McPeek also announced jockeys for his entries in Friday’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Robby Alvarado will be aboard Camp Hope, while Brian Hernandez Jr. will pilot King Fury.

“A little bit out of the box on this,” McPeek said of the Juvenile. “I think Camp Hope is a horse that we’re certainly taking a shot with. We think he’s high-level talent, we want to find out how good he is.”

The Breeders’ Cup is scheduled to take place at Keeneland on Nov. 6 and 7.