Swiss Skydiver wears down Venetian Harbor in Fantasy Stakes

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Swiss Skydiver won a stretch battle with Venetian Harbor to claim the Grade 3, $400,000 Fantasy by 2 1/2 lengths Friday at Oaklawn Park – and pick up 100 points for the rescheduled Kentucky Oaks.

The Kentucky Oaks has been postponed to Sept. 4 due to the coronavirus pandemic and in response to that action the Fantasy was moved from April to May. It was run on the penultimate card of the meet at Oaklawn.

Swiss Skydiver was winning her second straight stakes, behind the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks on March 28.

“She’s only on the improve and a pretty exciting filly to be around,” trainer Ken McPeek said following the race Friday.

Swiss Skydiver, who was sent to post at a surprising 16-1, returned $34.20.

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The champion British Idiom, who was second choice to 4-5 favorite Venetian Harbor, finished 10th.

“She had a rough run into the first turn,” trainer Brad Cox said. “She’s cooling out fine. We’ll see how she looks tomorrow.”

Cox said about an hour after the race that he could not at that time give her a physical excuse for the performance, which was her second start of the year following a runner-up finish in the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra in February at Fair Grounds.

Swiss Skydiver stalked Venetian Harbor through fractions of 22.25 seconds for the opening quarter and 45.43 for the half-mile. She moved closer to that one past the half-mile pole, and the pair raced together through six furlongs in 1:09.67, carrying on through the stretch until Swiss Skydiver dug in and moved past the leader in the final sixteenth of a mile. The winner went on to cover the 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:42.

“We had the perfect trip,” winning rider Brian Hernandez Jr. told publicity at Oaklawn. “The filly broke good and she put herself in a good spot. We had the favorite in front of us the whole way, but going around the second turn, she really got within herself and traveled nicely. Turning for home, I had confidence in her because I just asked her for the next gear, and she went on and put the big favorite away and did it with authority.”

Flavien Prat rode Venetian Harbor.

“She had a good trip,” he told publicity. “The winner came to us at the quarter pole and for a second I thought I could hold on, but she got tired the last sixteenth.”

Shedaresthedevil finished third, 10 3/4 lengths behind Venetian Harbor. It was another half-length back in fourth to Alta’s Award. The horses also earned Kentucky Oaks points, on a scale of 40-20-10.

Following the race there was a claim of foul against Alta’s Award, but the stewards made no change to the order of finish.

McPeek said that on multiple occasions last year he’d tried to get two-turn races for Swiss Skydiver. He said route racing has made a difference for the daughter of Daredevil. For her Gulfstream Park Oaks win over 1 1/16 miles, she earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 90.

“She’s fast, has a nice cruising speed, and is a real efficient filly,” McPeek said.

McPeek said Swiss Skydiver is scheduled to ship to Kentucky on Sunday morning and will first be based at Keeneland before moving over to Churchill Downs.

Swiss Skydiver races for Peter J. Callahan. She earned $240,000 for her win in the Fantasy, which was her third career victory from six starts. She has now earned $437,980. Swiss Skydiver was bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm.

Piece of My Heart takes Gardenia

Piece of My Heart won her second straight race at the Oaklawn meet, when she led throughout for 1 1/2-length victory over Comical in the $80,000 Gardenia. The 1 1/16-mile overnight stakes was for 3-year-old fillies. It was another 2 1/4 lengths back in third to Antoinette.

Piece of My Heart ($19.20) set fractions of 23.03 for the opening quarter, 46.03 for the half-mile, and 1:10.78 for six furlongs. She went on to cover the distance on a fast track in 1:43.28. Joe Talamo was aboard for trainer Mac Robertson.

Piece of My Heart came into the Gardenia off a first-level allowance win last month at Oaklawn.

“She ran a big race last time and came back really well and went into the race strong, had a couple of good works,” Robertson said in a post-race interview broadcast by Oaklawn.

Piece of My Heart is a daughter of Flat Out who races for Wolfe Racing and Hugh Robertson.

Man in the Can defeats elders in Ark. Breeders’ Championship

Man in the Can ($11.80) won his second straight stakes of the Oaklawn meet Friday, when he held off K J’s Nobility for a neck win in the $165,000 Arkansas Breeders’ Championship. The score came one start after his victory in the $100,000 Rainbow for 3-year-olds bred in Arkansas.

Following the race, there was a stewards’ inquiry, but no change was made to the order of finish.

Man in the Can defeated older rivals Friday, in what was his first start at two turns. He covered the 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:43.25.

“As soon as that horse got to him, he just wanted to keep moving forward,” Joel Rosario said in a post race interview broadcast by Oaklawn.

Man in the Can is a homebred son of Can the Man for JRita Young Thoroughbreds. He is trained by Ron Moquett.