Ken McPeek | Horse Racing Free Tips

Swiss Skydiver Returns To Churchill, Will Be ‘Uncomplicated’ To Get Ready For Kentucky Oaks

Peter Callahan's newly minted Grade I winner Swiss Skydiver returned to Churchill Downs Tuesday evening and made her reappearance beneath the Twin Spires Wednesday for the first time since her 3 ½-length triumph in the $600,000 Alabama (GI).

Swiss Skydiver had a routine gallop Wednesday during the exclusive training window from 7:30-7:45 a.m. (all times Eastern) for horses preparing for the $3 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (GI) and the $1.25 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI). Tyler Gaffalione will have the call on Swiss Skydiver for the Oaks.

“Tyler got her ready as a 2-year-old and rode her twice to start her career,” trainer Kenny McPeek said. “Through different circumstances – either he was zigging or we were zagging – he didn't get to ride her back. Brian Hernandez is my regular rider and he has a commitment in the Derby aboard Art Collector and our thought was if she ran well in the Oaks that we would try the Preakness (GI).

“She'll work either Friday or Saturday and be ready for the race. It'll be just a maintenance breeze here at Churchill. Other than that it's uncomplicated to get her ready for the Oaks.”

Joining Swiss Skydiver on the track at 7:30 a.m. was Victoria's Ranch's King Guillermo, who broke from the starting gate and galloped 1 ½ miles under exercise rider Edgar Medina. King Guillermo will be making his first start since his runner-up effort behind Nadal in the May 2, $500,000 Arkansas Derby (GI).

“Having not raced in four months, we wanted him to get reacquainted with the gate,” trainer Juan Avila said. “Everything went well this morning there.”

A trio of Longines Kentucky Oaks contenders also joined Swiss Skydiver on the track Wednesday at 7:30 a.m. including the first local appearance from Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Madaket Stables and Heider Family Stables' $400,000 Ashland Stakes (GI) winner Speech, who arrived at Churchill Downs just past noon Tuesday. The three-time winner had an easy 1 ½-mile gallop. Her stablemate, Jim and Donna Daniell's $600,000 Blue Grass Stakes (GII) third-place finisher Rushie, who trained just past 8 a.m. Rushie is also nominated for the $500,000 Pat Day Mile presented by LG&E and KU (GII) on the undercard of the Kentucky Derby.

Raymond Daniels and Wayne Scherr's graded stakes placed Necker Island was the only other Derby contender, besides King Guillermo, on the track at 7:30 a.m. where he galloped 1 ½ miles with Hillary Hartman in the saddle. Trainer Chris Hartman reported Necker Island is scheduled to work in company Friday morning.

Four Kentucky Derby contenders were on the track prior to the exclusive training session: Lloyd Madison Farm's $300,000 Indiana Derby (GIII) runner-up Major Fed galloped 1 ½ miles at 5:15 a.m. under exercise rider Margarito Fierro; West Point Thoroughbreds and Pearl Racing's Arkansas Derby third-place finisher Winning Impression galloped 1 ½ miles under rider Emerson Chavez; John Oxley's Blue Grass Stakes fourth-place finisher Enforceable jogged about 1 3/8 miles; and George Hall and SportBLX Thoroughbreds' $1 million Travers Stakes (GI) third Max Player galloped about 1 ½ miles under exercise rider Juan Vargas.

Jim Bakke and Gerald Isbister's $200,000 Ellis Park Derby runner-up Attachment Rate galloped 1 ½ miles at 9:45 a.m. with exercise rider Faustino Herrarte in the saddle. Trainer Dale Romans reported Attachment Rate is nominated to the Pat Day Mile and the race decision remains en flux.

Bruce Lunsford's Blue Grass (GII) and Ellis Park Derby winner Art Collected arrived at Churchill Downs from the Skylight Training Center on Wednesday morning and will train over the track on Thursday.

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Liam’s Map Filly Navigates Traffic to Garner Rising Stardom at Ellis

Crazy Beautiful (Liam’s Map) worked her way out of a tough spot in the lane to blow away the field in Sunday’s Runhappy Debutante S. at Ellis and earn the ‘TDN Rising Star’ nod. The grey was one of now three good-looking debut winners for Ken McPeek so far this meet when she ran to 19-10 favoritism going long on the lawn July 5, and she was the public’s tepid pick in this full field to handle a different surface and sharper trip. Sluggish at the start and ridden along by Rafael Bejarano to steadily advance down on the fence, Crazy Beautiful caught the eye while traveling strongly from midpack heading for home after a :45.46 half. Initially guided wide to go around a wall of horses into the stretch, she bounced twice off of Xtrema (Exaggerator) and had to find a Plan B. Bejarano guided his mount back down to the inside as the horses who were occupying that part of the track were backing up, and Crazy Beautiful kicked on willingly to blow away her foes with good-looking strides while stopping the clock better than a fifth of a second faster than the boys went in the Runhappy Juvenile S. Longshot maiden Mania (Run Away and Hide) was second, and looked briefly like she might just inherit the victory as the stewards took some time to review an objection lodged by Xtrema’s rider against Crazy Beautiful.

“My horse was much the best in the race,” Bejarano said. “I was in perfect position. Behind horses she was fine. But as soon as you got close to the horses, she kind of got excited, angry because of the first time dirt in her face. Last time she was on the turf. I came out a little bit, but [Extrema] pushed me in and tried to make me look bad. This is going to be a really good horse.”

McPeek added, “She trained like a good thing from the beginning. I was a little nervous because she hadn’t run on the dirt yet. But it looks like she’s just as good on that as she was on the turf.”

McPeek said Crazy Beautiful would most likely run next in the GIII Pocahontas S. at Churchill Sept. 3, but would also be nominated for the Sept. 7 Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies as a grass option.

The winner’s SW and GSP dam sold for $20,000 at the 2018 Keeneland November sale carrying a Midnight Lute filly and was exported to Saudi Arabia.

RUNHAPPY DEBUTANTE S., $99,179, Ellis, 8-9, 2yo, f, 7f, 1:23.71, ft.
1–CRAZY BEAUTIFUL, 120, f, 2, by Liam’s Map
              1st Dam: Indian Burn (SW & GSP, $236,158),
                                by Indian Charlie
                2nd Dam: Christmas Affair, by Black Tie Affair (Ire)
                3rd Dam: Anna Lisa Beth, by Topsider
($250,000 Ylg ’19 FTKOCT). 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O-Phoenix
Thoroughbred, LTD; B-Carolyn R Vogel (KY); T-Kenneth G.
McPeek; J-Rafael Bejarano. $58,245. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0,
$80,445.
2–Mania, 118, f, 2, Run Away and Hide–Taptap I’mgone, by
Tapit. ($4,500 RNA Ylg ’19 KEEJAN). O-Robert S. West, Jr., Bob
Grayson, Jr. & Pavel Matejka; B-Robert West Jr., Millford Farm
& Mike Riordan (KY); T-Pavel Matejka. $18,950.
3–Fabricate, 120, f, 2, Speightster–Counterfactual, by Scat
Daddy. ($75,000 RNA Ylg ’19 KEESEP). O-Hidden Brook Farm &
Denholtz Stables; B-Greydawn Stables & Machmer Hall (KY);
T-Ian R. Wilkes. $9,475.
Margins: 3 3/4, 3/4, HD. Odds: 2.50, 24.80, 4.00.
Also Ran: Xtrema, Hipnotizada, Wholebodemeister, Puye Timing, Lacey Boss, Seguro, Yogurt, Maci’s Jamming, Tourrista. Click for the Equibase.com chart or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Laoban Firster Scores at the Spa

1st-Saratoga, $72,000, Msw, 8-2, 2yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 1:44.76, fm.
SIMPLY RAVISHING (f, 2, Laoban–Four Wishes, by More Than Ready), looking to become her freshman sire Laoban’s (Uncle Mo) second career winner, stalked a moderate early pace set by Uyuni (Uncle Mo) before taking command in the stretch and rolling home a one-length winner over the slow-closing favorite Mrs Frankel (Ire) (Frankel {GB}). The $50,000 Fasig-Tipton October yearling purchase went off the longest shot in the field at 14-1. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $39,600.
O-Harold Lerner LLC, Magdalena Racing (Sherri McPeek) & Nehoc Stables; B-Meg Levy (NY); T-Kenneth G. McPeek.

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Art Collector Heads Churchill Workers

Bruce Lundsford’s Art Collector (Bernardini), winner of the GII Toyota Blue Grass S. in his latest start, worked over a muddy Churchill Downs track Saturday morning. Trained by Tom Drury, the colt carved out fractions of :12.80 and :24.60 before galloping out five furlongs in 1:01.20 and six panels in 1:14.80.

“It’s so nice to have a horse who is versatile and can really run over any surface,” said Drury. “He did everything very easily this morning and it was really just a perfect work. We are still taking things one day at a time. We just have to get there and we’re keeping our fingers crossed.”

Drury indicated the colt remains on course to make his next start in Sunday’s Runhappy Ellis Park Derby ahead of a tilt at the Sept. 5 GI Kentucky Derby. Also targeting Ellis’ Derby next weekend, Jackie Rojas, Wayne Scherr and Raymond Daniels’ Necker Island (Hard Spun) covered four furlongs in :47.80.

Other possible Kentucky Derby contenders that recorded breezes Saturday were John Oxley’s GIII Lecomte S. winner Enforceable (Tapit) (five furlongs in 1:02.60) and Lloyd Madison Farm’s GIII Indiana Derby runner-up Major Fed (Ghostzapper) (four furlongs in :50.20).

“I was very happy with how [Enforceable] worked this morning,” said 21-year-old Declan Carroll, whose father, David, oversees trainer Mark Casse’s Churchill Downs string. “He did everything in stride. I was just the pilot.”

Highlighting the fairer set Saturday morning, Peter Callahan’s Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) worked five furlongs in 1:01 in preparation for the Aug. 15 GI Alabama S. at Saratoga. The chestnut, who was runner-up behind Art Collector in the Blue Grass last month, carved out intermediate fractions of :13.40, :26.40 and :38.20 before rounding out the move in 1:14.20 for six furlongs, according to Churchill Downs clocker John Nichols.

“She worked really good and handled the muddy surface well,” Brian Hernandez Jr., who was aboard for the work. “She’s a very talented filly as we saw in the Blue Grass how well she handled running against the boys. She cruised along out there this morning.”

Trained by Kenny McPeek, Swiss Skydiver, who is automatically qualified for the Sept. 4 GI Kentucky Oaks with 350 points, annexed the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks, GIII Fantasy S. and GII Santa Anita Oaks earlier this spring.

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