Swiss Skydiver parachutes in for Alabama
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic may have limited travel among people in 2020. It has not kept the 3-year-old filly Swiss Skydiver from touring the country. By the looks of it, all the traveling hasn’t had an adverse impact on Swiss Skydiver.
Saturday, Swiss Skydiver brings her traveling road show to New York where she figures a strong favorite in a field of seven entered to run 1 1/4 miles in the Grade 1, $500,000 Alabama Stakes at Saratoga.
Swiss Skydiver has raced six times in 2020, all at different racetracks. She lost stakes at Tampa Bay Downs and Fair Grounds to begin the year. She then reeled off consecutive scores in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks, the Grade 3 Fantasy at Oaklawn, and the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks. Most recently, she finished second to Art Collector when facing males in the Grade 2 Blue Grass at Keeneland.
“A lot of horses would have wilted with all the traveling and everything,” said Ken McPeek, who trains Swiss Skydiver for owner Peter Callahan. “She’s just thrived on it.”
McPeek said the key with Swiss Skydiver is her appetite.
“She’s such a good eater. The filly just kills the feed tub on a regular basis,” he said.
There is also her speed and versatility. Swiss Skydiver’s recent run of success has come when forwardly placed. When need be, as was the case in her maiden victory last fall at Churchill, she has come from off the pace.
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“She’s laid off them without any trouble,” said McPeek, who won the 2018 Alabama with the late-running Eskimo Kisses. “In her first race, she wiggled her way through horses.”
Though she would have enough points to qualify for the Kentucky Derby, Swiss Skydiver is being pointed to the Kentucky Oaks against fillies on Sept. 4. McPeek said that “something unique would have to happen [Saturday] for us to justify” running in the Kentucky Derby.
With jockeys not based in Saratoga prohibited from riding at this meet, Tyler Gaffalione replaces Mike Smith on Swiss Skydiver, who drew post 5. Gaffalione was aboard for the filly’s first two starts.
McPeek will also send out Envoutante, who showed a good late turn of foot to win a first-level allowance at Churchill on May 29. She finished third in the Grade 1 Ashland at Keeneland behind Speech and Venetian Harbor on July 11.
McPeek would like to see a similar off-the-pace trip as in her allowance score, but doesn’t like the inside draw for Envoutante.
“Envoutante doesn’t necessarily like to be down inside,” McPeek said. “Jose Ortiz has got a trickier task, but it’s a high-level problem, a good problem to have.”
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Part of the Alabama pace figures to be provided by Crystal Ball, who lost a ding-dong battle with Paris Lights when beaten a head in the Coaching Club American Oaks here on July 18. She was 4 3/4 lengths clear of the remainder of the field.
Crystal Ball, a daughter of Malibu Moon trained by Bob Baffert, will break from post 3 under Javier Castellano.
Spice Is Nice was beaten 10 lengths by Swiss Skydiver in the Gulfstream Park Oaks. But she was out of position entering the first turn, got squeezed a bit, and had way too much to do to try and catch Swiss Skydiver, who got away with a soft pace.
Trainer Todd Pletcher said that Spice Is Nice, a daughter of Curlin who brought $1.05 million as a yearling, got sick following the Gulfstream Oaks and didn’t make it back to the races until July 3, when she was a handy winner of a first-level allowance race at Belmont Park. That performance, her ultra-impressive 12-length debut victory at Gulfstream in January, and a belief that Spice Is Nice wants every bit of the 1 1/4 miles gives Pletcher some confidence heading into Saturday.
“She always trained like a good horse. We always felt like more ground would suit her well,” Pletcher said. “You got to have a lot of respect for Swiss Skydiver, she’s an awful good filly. We got to hope a mile and a quarter plays in our favor. This race came up pretty tough, I thought.”
John Velazquez, who is 2 for 3 on her, will ride Spice Is Nice from post 2.
Completing the field are Bonny South, winner of the Fair Grounds Oaks and fourth in the Ashland; Harvey’s Lil Goil, winner the Grade 3 Regret on turf; and Fire Coral, fourth in the Indiana Oaks.
The Alabama, a Win and You’re In race for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff on Nov. 7 at Keeneland, goes as race 9 on an 11-race card that begins at 1:10 p.m. and includes the $500,000 Saratoga Derby Invitational for 3-year-olds on turf.