Swiss Skydiver | Horse Racing Free Tips

TVG Features Live Coverage From Santa Anita, Oaklawn Park This Weekend

Swiss Skydiver, 2020's Eclipse champion 3-year-old filly and Preakness Stakes (G1) winner, will make her four-year-old debut live on TVG this weekend in the $300,000 Beholder Mile (G1), one of two graded stakes races on Santa Anita's nine-race card.

Todd Schrupp, Christina Blacker and Britney Eurton will be live at Santa Anita with exclusive interviews and expert analysis. Swiss Skydiver is scheduled to take on seven competitors in the $300,000 Beholder Mile, her first start since finishing seventh in the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) in November which concluded a sophomore season in which she won five graded stakes races, including a thrilling win in the Preakness Stakes over male rivals. Regular rider Robby Albarado will be aboard for owner Peter Callahan.

The road to the Kentucky Derby will continue through Arkansas on Saturday and TVG's Mike Joyce and Caton Bredar will be reporting live from Oaklawn Park throughout the twelve-race card featuring the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2), a steppingstone towards the Arkansas Derby (GI) which is scheduled for April 10. The Rebel Stakes will offer 50-20-10-5 qualifying points to the top four finishers and has drawn a field of eight of some of the most promising 3-year-olds in the country. Trainer Bob Baffert, who saddled Nadal to victory in this race last year, will send out two runners – Hozier and Concert Tour – to take on the 9-5 morning line favorite Caddo River for trainer Brad Cox.

Saturday at Oaklawn will also feature the 8-year-old debut of Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) champion Whitmore for trainer Ron Moquett in the $200,000 Hot Springs Stakes. The Eclipse Award winning sprinter has won the Hot Spring Stakes for the past four consecutive years and will have Ricardo Santana, Jr. in the irons.

The 2020 Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Shedaresthedevil will also return to action on Saturday at Oaklawn in the $350,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) and face four rivals including recent Sam Houston Ladies Classic (G3) winner Letruska. The 4-year-old daughter of Daredevil will have Florent Geroux in the irons for trainer Brad Cox.

TVG will also be broadcasting from Gulfstream Park this weekend and Gabby Gaudet will be reporting live from the track with insights and interviews throughout the twelve-race card which features the $75,000 Silks Run Stakes, a five-furlong turf sprint.

In addition to racing from Santa Anita and Oaklawn Park, TVG will feature racing from Gulfstream Park, Aqueduct and more. Fans can tune in on TVG, TVG2 and the Watch TVG app which is available on Amazon Fire, Roku and connected Apple TV devices.

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Swiss Skydiver Returns to Arcadia for Beholder Mile

Champion Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) crushed her competition on her last trip to the west coast for the GII Santa Anita Oaks last spring and looks to repeat that performance Saturday when she returns to Santa Anita for the GI Beholder Mile. Capturing the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks and GIII Fantasy S. prior to the Santa Anita Oaks last term, the chestnut took on males next out in the GII Toyota Blue Grass S. July 11, finishing a respectable second to Art Collector (Bernardini). Returning to winning ways next out in Saratoga's 10-panel GI Alabama S. Aug. 15, the $35,000 KEESEP buy checked in second to GII Azeri S.-bound Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) in the GI Kentucky Oaks Sept. 4.

Trainer Ken McPeek felt confident enough in his charge to try her against males again in the GI Preakness S. Oct. 3 and she delivered with a gritty defeat of GI Kentucky Derby hero and eventual Horse of the Year Authentic (Into Mischief). Swiss Skydiver completed 2020 with a disappointing and surprising seventh behind two-time champion Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff at Keeneland Nov. 7, but had already done more than enough to secure the Eclipse for top 3-year-old filly. She has been working well leading up to this seasonal bow, most recently breezing a best-of-39 five panels in :58 flat at Gulfstream Mar. 6.

Her biggest competition is likely to come from MGSW Harvest Moon (Uncle Mo). Graduating at second asking when switched to the dirt in July, she scored a decisive optional claimer victory next out at Del Mar three weeks later and captured the GIII Torrey Pines S. there in August. Winning the GII Zenyatta S. at Santa Anita Sept. 27, the bay checked in fourth last out in the Distaff.

Bob Baffert saddles two in this event in As Time Goes By (American Pharoah) and Golden Principal (Constitution). Out of MGISW and blue hen Take Charge Lady (Dehere), As Time Goes By graduated at third asking going six furlongs at Los Alamitos Dec. 13 and romped by nine lengths next out over track and trip Jan. 17. Capturing a Del Mar optional claimer at this distance Nov. 27, Golden Principal completed the exacta in both the Dec. 26 GI La Brea S. and the Feb. 133 GII Santa Monica S.

The post Swiss Skydiver Returns to Arcadia for Beholder Mile appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Champion Swiss Skydiver Makes 4-Year-Old Debut In Saturday’s Beholder Mile

Last year's Eclipse Champion 3-year-old Filly, Swiss Skydiver arrived at Santa Anita from her Gulfstream Park base on Tuesday and is poised to make her 4-year-old debut as she heads a field of eight older fillies and mares in Saturday's Grade 1, $300,000 Beholder Mile at Santa Anita.

Trained by Kenny McPeek and owned by Peter J. Callahan, Swiss Skydiver, who defeated males two starts back in the Grade I Preakness Stakes, has been idle since running seventh at odds of 2-1 in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff at Keeneland Nov. 7.

Other prominent Beholder contenders include Simon Callaghan's multiple graded stakes winning Harvest Moon and Bob Baffert's scintillating recent allowance winner As Time Goes By.

Arguably the most incredible story in American racing last year, Swiss Skydiver, a Kentucky-bred daughter of Daredevil, out of the Johannesburg mare Expo Gold, ran at nine different tracks with six different jockeys in 10 starts from coast to coast, winning five, while running second twice and third once.

With four works on her comeback tab in February, Swiss Skydiver had her final work in preparation for the Beholder Mile this past Saturday at Gulfstream. Although McPeek had hoped for five furlong move in about a minute, she encountered unexpected company and was clocked in 58.09 breezing, best of 39 at the distance.

With all five of her wins coming in graded stakes, Swiss Skydiver was ultra impressive in her lone Santa Anita appearance, going gate to wire while taking the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks by four lengths on June 6 at odds of 3-5. Her first Grade 1 win came in Saratoga's iconic Alabama Stakes on Aug. 15, as she pressed the early pace en route to a resounding 3 ½ length score at even money.

In winning the Preakness Oct. 3, she got the jump on Kentucky Derby winner Authentic and was tenacious late in posting a neck victory over the eventual Breeders' Cup Classic winner and Horse of the Year. Well supported in the Distaff, Swiss Skydiver stumbled at the break and never threatened thereafter, ending the year with 2020 earnings of $1,794,320.

A first-out maiden winner going seven furlongs at age two on Nov. 16, 2019 at Churchill Downs, Swiss Skydiver, who will be ridden for the third consecutive time by Robby Albarado, is 12-6-3-1 overall with total earnings of $1,845,480.

Although a winner of four consecutive races, from her maiden victory on July 3 at Los Alamitos, through her victory here in the Grade 2 Zenyatta Stakes Sept. 27, Harvest Moon, a 4-year-old daughter of Uncle Mo, was dismissed at 16-1 in the Breeders' Cup Distaff Nov. 7, but ran a very respectable fourth, beaten 2 ½ lengths, after pressing the pace throughout. Owned by Alice Bamford and Michael B. Tabor, Harvest Moon was bred in Kentucky by Alice Bamford and is out of the Shamardal mare Qaraaba.

A two-time graded stakes winner, Harvest Moon will likely engage Swiss Skydiver early, thus ensuring a lively pace. With four wins from six starts, Harvest Moon has earnings of $340,720.

Heavily favored at odds-on in all four of her starts, As Time Goes By comes off a rollicking nine length one mile allowance win here on Jan. 17, as she pressed the early pace and crushed four rivals under Joel Rosario at 3-5. A four length maiden winner going six furlongs two starts back, As Time Goes By appears to be coming to her best in what will be her first stakes assignment.

A 4-year-old filly by 2015 Triple Crown Champion American Pharoah, As Time Goes By is out of the Dehere mare Take Charge Lady, who was a multiple graded stakes winner earner of more than $2.4 million that coincidentally, was trained by McPeek. Owned by Michael B. Tabor and Mrs. John Magnier, As Time Goes By will be ridden for the first time by Mike Smith.

THE GRADE 1 BEHOLDER MILE WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 8 of 9 Approximate post time 4 p.m. PT

Swiss Skydiver – Robby Albarado – 124
Golden Principal – Juan Hernandez – 120
Harvest Moon – Flavien Prat – 122
Sanenus – Umberto Rispoli – 122
Miss Story D – Tyler Baze – 120
As Time Goes By – Mike Smith – 12
This Tea – Abel Cedillo -120
Clockstrikestwelve – Tiago Pereira – 120

First post time for a nine-race card on Saturday is at 12:30 p.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com.

The post Champion Swiss Skydiver Makes 4-Year-Old Debut In Saturday’s Beholder Mile appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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‘Ultra-Sharp’ Swiss Skydiver Gets Unexpected Company, Fires Bullet In Final Work For Beholder Mile

Champion sophomore filly Swiss Skydiver is preparing to make her 4-year-old debut in Saturday's Grade 1 Beholder Mile at Santa Anita Park, reports the Daily Racing Form, even though her final breeze on Monday at Gulfstream Park was a bit quicker than planned.

Trainer Ken McPeek explained that Swiss Skydiver broke off solo at the five furlong pole, but found unexpected company at the head of the lane. She tugged jockey Robby Albarado through five furlongs in 58.09 seconds, over two seconds faster than all other works at that distance.

“I wasn't thrilled somebody else's work horse hooked in with us,” McPeek told drf.com. “She was supposed to go in around a minute, but she got too aggressive with the company and went too fast. It is what it is though, and she came out fine afterwards. It's hard not to be satisfied with the work. All is good. She's just ultra-sharp now. She's ready to run.”

Winner of the Preakness Stakes over Horse of the Year Authentic in 2020, Swiss Skydiver has two Grade 1 wins on her resume. She was second the Kentucky Oaks to Shedaresthedevil, second to Art Collector in the G2 Blue Grass Stakes, and won three other prep races for the 2020 Oaks. Most recently, Swiss Skydiver finished seventh in the Breeders' Cup Distaff in November before being given time off to prepare for 2021.

Her record stands at six wins from 12 starts for earnings of $1.8 million.