Swiss Skydiver okay after rough journey in Breeders' Cup Distaff

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Swiss Skydiver came out of her disappointing effort in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff in good order despite “a couple of nicks and dings” and will be regrouped for a 4-year-old campaign, trainer Ken McPeek said Sunday at Churchill Downs.

Swiss Skydiver, who surely will be voted the Eclipse Award for top 3-year-old filly of 2020, finished seventh Saturday in the BC Distaff at Keeneland as the 2-1 second choice. A stumbling start left the Daredevil filly and jockey Robby Albarado with plenty to do, and after drawing nearly even with the eventual winner, Monomoy Girl, near the quarter pole, Swiss Skydiver flattened out to finish 8 1/4 lengths back.

“Robby had to use her pretty good down the backside to get position,” McPeek said.

Swiss Skydiver, owned by Peter Callahan, won the Oct. 3 Preakness over Authentic, who wheeled back Saturday to capture the BC Classic and likely Horse of the Year honors. The filly ends a remarkable 3-year-old campaign with five graded stakes wins at five different tracks and more than $1.76 million in earnings from 10 overall starts, with the Preakness and Grade 1 Alabama her biggest triumphs.

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McPeek said Swiss Skydiver will reside for the time being at his Magdalena Farm in Lexington before eventually being sent for the winter to Florida, where she will rejoin his stable sometime around the first of the year.

“We’ll just let her down easy,” he said. “She had a hard year, a great year. We’re proud of her.”

McPeek’s other top Breeders’ Cup hope of the weekend, the previously unbeaten Simply Ravishing, also was compromised by a stumbling start. The New York-bred filly also found playing catch-up too much to overcome when finishing fourth Friday in the BC Juvenile Fillies, beaten just two lengths by the perfect-trip winner, Vequist.

McPeek exits the weekend still winless with 34 starters in the Breeders’ Cup. That total is second-most among active trainers lacking a BC win, behind Christophe Clement (39).

“Bad luck,” McPeek said.