Swiss Skydiver Ready to Soar in Santa Anita Oaks
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Photo: Coady Photography
Swiss Skydiver takes the Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn Park
Peter Callahan's Swiss Skydiver will make her first West Coast start June 6 when she faces three others in the $200,000 Santa Anita Oaks (G2) at Santa Anita Park.
"She's been doing super. It was five weeks in between this race and her last race, and it'll be another five between this race and the Ashland (G1)," trainer Kenny McPeek said June 4. "It's a nice race, and to have an opportunity to win it, we looked at it and thought that the logistics were pretty easy, so we shipped her out. She's been there since Tuesday and she likes it out there.
"She's done fine, and (jockey) Mike Smith galloped her today to get to know her a little bit. She's settled in fine. I'll fly out tomorrow, so it will be an exciting trip."
A victory would mark the third consecutive graded stakes score for the daughter of Daredevil . Though Swiss Skydiver calls Churchill Downs home, the filly seems to have little problem shipping. Her past two victories have come in the May 1 Fantasy Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn Park and the March 28 Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) at Gulfstream Park.
Video: Fantasy S. (G3)
With 210 qualifying points toward the Sept. 4 Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1), the filly tops the leaderboard and has safely secured her spot in this year's classic.
Smith will have the call on Swiss Skydiver from the rail.
Swiss Skydiver's most likely opposition Saturday will come from Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Madaket Stables' Speech. Trained by Michael McCarthy, the Florida-bred daughter of Mr Speaker has been second in her past three starts, including the March 8 Santa Ysabel Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita in her only stakes attempt.
Speech enters off a May 2 allowance optional claiming race at Oaklawn over the Santa Anita Oaks distance of 1 1/16 miles, beaten a neck by the flashy Gamine.
Flavien Prat will be aboard Speech from post 3.
Completing the field are a pair of runners from the barn of Bob Baffert. Leaving post 2 is Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud's Merneith, who will be stretching out after a 10 1/4-length win in an April 19 Oaklawn maiden race.
A daughter of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah , Merneith was bred in Kentucky by China Horse Club and was purchased for $600,000 by Narvick International on behalf of her owner for $600,00 from the consignment of de Meric Sales to the Ocala Breeders' Sales March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training.
Drayden Van Dyke will partner aboard her.
The longest price in the field is expected to be Gary and Mary West's Regal Beauty, a daughter of Malibu Moon who enters fresh off a May 17 maiden win at Santa Anita. Regal Beauty worked five furlongs May 30 in 1:01 on the Santa Anita main track.
Abel Cedillo will be aboard the filly from post 4.
The Santa Anita Oaks offers Kentucky Oaks qualifying points to the top four finishers on a 100-40-20-10 basis.
Santa Anita Park, Saturday, June 06, 2020, Race 5Entries: Santa Anita Oaks (G2)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Swiss Skydiver (KY)
Mike E. Smith
124
Kenneth G. McPeek
6/5
2
2Merneith (KY)
Drayden Van Dyke
124
Bob Baffert
2/1
3
3Speech (FL)
Flavien Prat
124
Michael W. McCarthy
8/5
98
4Smiling Shirlee (CA)
SCRATCHED
0
UNKNOWN
-
4
5Regal Beauty (KY)
Abel Cedillo
124
Bob Baffert
10/1
