Swiss Skydiver surges for Beholder Mile triumph

ARCADIA, Calif. - The standard was established last year when Swiss Skydiver won five stakes at as many venues, including the Grade 1 Alabama Stakes at Saratoga in August and the Grade 1 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico in May.

“She can take her racetrack with her,” jockey Robby Albarado said.

For the start of her 2021 campaign, Swiss Skydiver was back on an airplane from trainer Ken McPeek’s Gulfstream Park base for Saturday’s Grade 1 Beholder Mile at Santa Anita.

The venue was familiar and so was the result. Swiss Skydiver closed from fourth to win the $301,000 Beholder Mile by 2 3/4 lengths over the promising As Time Goes By.

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“I gave her some room and she took off,” Albarado said. “It was all her. She’s been phenomenal.”

For Swiss Skydiver, the champion 3-year-old filly of 2020, the Beholder Mile was her first start in California since a win in the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks last June. For owner Peter Callahan, McPeek and Albarado, the win in the Beholder was the latest example of Swiss Skydiver’s brilliance.

Sent off favored, Swiss Skydiver ($4.80) raced on the rail behind pacesetter Golden Principal, who set fractions of 23.14 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 46.80 for a half-mile. Albarado moved Swiss Skydiver off an inside position and outside of Golden Principal on the turn before taking the lead in early stretch.

“She’s special and she’s so good,” McPeek said.

Swiss Skydiver led by 1 1/2 lengths with a furlong remaining and was timed in 1:36.18. She earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 101.

“I felt she was comfortable,” Albarado said. “When she got in front she pricked her ears up. She did it so easily.”

The Beholder Mile, the top race on dirt for older fillies and mares at the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting, was the stakes debut for As Time Goes By. Ridden by Mike Smith, As Time Goes By was the 9-5 second choice. She raced wide throughout and finished with interest.

“The mare wants to go farther,” Smith said. “I wasn’t quite quick enough early and I got hung out there.”

Smith said second was as good of a performance that he could expect from As Time Goes By, considering the champion filly that won the race.

“She ran a good second,” Smith said. “I wasn’t beating her today.”

Golden Principal held third after finishing second in two seven-furlong races earlier at this meeting – the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on Dec. 26 and the Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes for fillies and mares on Feb. 13.

As Time Goes By and Golden Principal are trained by Bob Baffert.

Harvest Moon, fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Keeneland on Nov. 7, finished fourth in the Beholder in her first start of 2021, and was followed by This Tea, Clockstrikestwelve and Miss Stormy D. Sanenus, the winner of the Grade 2 La Canada Stakes in January, was withdrawn on Friday.

Swiss Skydiver was a troubled seventh in the BC Distaff last November, stumbling badly at the start before finishing 8 1/4 lengths behind Monomoy Girl. The BC Distaff at Del Mar on Nov. 6 is a long-range goal for the filly, who is by Daredevil.

Swiss Skydiver has won 7 of 13 starts and has earned $2,025,480.