Swiss Skydiver's dam to be offered at Keeneland November

Preakness Stakes heroine Swiss Skydiver is a daughter of Daredevil, who was exported to stand in Turkey. The filly has some international flair on the bottom side of her pedigree as well, as her dam Expo Gold, who will be offered at Keeneland November, is by Johannesburg, a champion on two continents who now stands in Japan. Johannesburg now has the distinction of having both a son and a daughter who have produced classic winners.

Johannesburg, by Hennessy, won all seven starts during a juvenile campaign that earned him both an Eclipse Award and Cartier Award in 2001 for Coolmore. He won the Group 3 Norfolk Stakes at the Royal Ascot meeting, then ripped off Group 1 victories around Europe in the Phoenix in Ireland, the Prix Morny in France, and the Middle Park in England. Johannesburg then successfully stretched out in distance and transferred to dirt to win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Belmont Park.

Johannesburg retired to Coolmore’s Ashford Stud in Kentucky for 2003 and had shuttle stints in Australia and Argentina before he was purchased by the Japan Bloodhorse Breeders Association to stand at its Shizunai stallion station on Hokkaido beginning in 2010. The stallion is best known as the sire of multiple Grade 1 winner Scat Daddy, who went on to become an internationally successful stallion in his own right and sire of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify.

Johannesburg also is the sire of Grade 1 winner Strapping Groom; Argentinian champion Juhayna and fellow Argentinian Group 1 winner Bamba Jane; Australian Oaks winner Once Were Wild and fellow Australian Group 1 winner Turffontein; and French Group 1 winner Sageburg.

:: DRF BREEDING LIVE: Real-time coverage of breeding and sales

Swiss Skydiver’s dam, Expo Gold, won 2 of 5 career starts against minor competition, but has added to Johannesburg’s quietly outstanding résumé as a broodmare sire. She is the dam of four winners from as many starters, led by Swiss Skydiver, whose five graded stakes scores this season are highlighted by Grade 1 wins in the Preakness and Alabama; she also was second in the Kentucky Oaks. Expo Gold also is the dam of stakes-placed Miss Hot Legs and Is It Gold, both of whom will be offered at Keeneland November.

As a broodmare sire, Johannesburg also is represented by Basin, who won the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes as a juvenile and was elevated to the victory in a division of this year’s Grade 1 Arkansas Derby; by Grade 1 Pacific Classic winner Collected, runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Classic; by Irish Oaks and Yorkshire Oaks winner Seventh Heaven; by Irish 1000 Guineas winner Jet Setting; and by English Group 1 winner Crusade.

Expo Gold, who is currently in foal to first-year stallion Catholic Boy, will be consigned by Taylor Made Sales, as agent, at Keeneland November

“Swiss Skydiver’s Preakness win puts her in rarified air alongside other iconic fillies like Preakness winner Rachel Alexandra and Kentucky Derby winner Winning Colors,” said Mark Taylor, Taylor Made’s vice president of marketing and public sales operations. “We are excited to offer her dam, Expo Gold, at Keeneland in November. Her mating to Catholic Boy follows the same cross as Swiss Skydiver and as . . . Miss Hot Legs.”

Dual-surface Grade 1 winner Catholic Boy is by More Than Ready, the sire of Daredevil. Miss Hot Legs is by another son of More Than Ready, Verrazano. She will be offered as a broodmare prospect at Keeneland November by Hunter Valley Farm, as agent.

Is It Gold, by the A.P. Indy horse Indygo Shiner, will be consigned by South Point Sales, as agent, at Keeneland. She is in foal to standout freshman sire Nyquist.