Oaks, Preakness, Breeders' Cup on Swiss Skydiver's radar

Swiss Skydiver hasn’t backed down from a challenge this season. The talented filly has raced at seven tracks as a 3-year-old and won four graded stakes, including Saturday’s Alabama (G1) at Saratoga.

“She just breathes different air,” trainer Kenny McPeek said. “Everything we've asked her to do, she says no problem."

WATCH: Alabama recap

With three more Grade 1 events on Swiss Skydiver’s radar, there’s no slowing down anytime soon.

Next up — barring a change of heart and decision to run in the Kentucky Derby — is the Kentucky Oaks on Sept. 4 at Churchill Downs. That race is setting up as a showdown between Swiss Skydiver and Gamine, the two leaders of the 3-year-old filly division.

One month later, Oct. 3, is the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico. McPeek said Saturday that the final leg of the 2020 Triple Crown series is an option if all goes well in the Kentucky Oaks.

And then, on Nov. 7, Keeneland hosts the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Swiss Skydiver bought herself a spot in the starting gates for that event thanks to taking the Alabama, a “Win and You’re In” race for the Distaff division.

“She seems to be getting bigger and stronger as the year goes,” said McPeek, who purchased Swiss Skydiver for a bargain $35,000 in 2018. “She's just a very special filly to be around.”

Swiss Skydiver’s Alabama victory was dominant. She stalked pacesetter Crystal Ball through the first six furlongs of the 1 1/4-mile stakes before moving out front in the far turn, opening up a 6 1/2-length lead in the stretch and then coasting in to hit the wire in 2:03.04.

McPeek credited jockey Tyler Gaffalione for gearing Swiss Skydiver down in the final 70 yards. She finished 3 1/2 lengths clear of runner-up Bonny South, a margin that doesn’t reflect how authoritative her victory was.

"I felt comfortable the whole way around there,” Gaffalione said. “She was just carrying me. She had her mind on business, and she knew exactly what she wanted to do today. She put in a big performance. Hopefully we didn't take too much out of her and she'll be good to go for the Oaks.”

Swiss Skydiver has now accumulated a whopping 450 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks. As a quirk of the COVID-19-affected racing calendar, she’s won four 100-point Kentucky Oaks preps: the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) on March 28, the Fantasy Stakes (G3) on May 1 at Oaklawn Park, the Santa Anita Oaks (G2) on June 6 and now the Alabama.

The Daredevil filly could’ve run for another 100 points July 11 in Keeneland’s Ashland Stakes (G1), but connections instead let her take on the boys that day in the Blue Grass (G2). Swiss Skydiver ran second to Art Collector and earned 40 Road to the Kentucky Derby points.

Those 40 points would get Swiss Skydiver into the Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5 if McPeek and owner Peter Callahan chose that option.

Racing in the Derby would also mean taking on Tiz the Law, who most recently romped to victory Aug. 8 in the Travers Stakes (G1). With three Grade 1 wins this season, Tiz the Law is likely to go off the shortest-priced Kentucky Derby favorite in recent memory.

“Peter and I will sit down and talk about it, but we're leaning pretty hard to the Oaks,” McPeek said. “Tiz the Law's race here last week was ultra-impressive and if you hold the two against each other, I'm not sure we want to be up against him yet.”

The 1 1/8-mile Kentucky Oaks will bring a tremendous challenge of its own in Gamine.

The Into Mischief filly has invaded New York twice this summer for trainer Bob Baffert with a pair of Grade 1 wins to show for the trips. Gamine won Belmont Park’s Acorn Stakes (G1) by 18 3/4 lengths on June 20, then blitzed Saratoga’s Test Stakes (G1) by seven lengths on Aug. 8.

Gamine has shown tremendous speed but hasn’t gone two turns yet in a stakes race. By contrast, Swiss Skydiver has won four graded stakes this season at 1 1/16 miles or further.

“It's going to get a lot of attention,” McPeek said of a Gamine vs. Swiss Skydiver showdown. “We don't have any fear of her. My filly might even have an advantage because Churchill is our base and she's went two turns repeatedly and hasn't had any trouble doing that.”

Brian Hernandez Jr., who McPeek described as his “go-to jock,” will pilot Swiss Skydiver in the Kentucky Oaks, the trainer said.

Looking later into the season, the Preakness would be perfectly spaced between the Kentucky Oaks and a potential Breeders’ Cup start for Swiss Skydiver.

The last filly to win the Run for the Black-Eyed Susans was Rachel Alexandra in 2009.

“We found out how she fit against colts,” McPeek said. “If she could win the Oaks and is still in good order, I think the Preakness would be a great race to win with the filly."

And then in November, Swiss Skydiver already has punched her ticket to battle older fillies and mares in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Fighting Mad, Midnight Bisou, She’s a Julie and Vexatious also have won Challenge Series races in the division.

The Kentucky Oaks, Preakness and Breeders’ Cup Distaff all represent tall tasks for Swiss Skydiver. But as the barnstorming filly has proven in 2020, she’s not backing down from any challenges.