Busy Work Tab for Preakness Contenders Around Country

Peter Callahan's Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) runner-up Swiss Skydiver is bound for the Oct. 3 Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico Race Course following a five-furlong workout in 1:00 4/5 Sept. 26 at Churchill Downs, according to a report in Daily Racing Form.

She was one of several leading 3-year-olds to work at Churchill Downs Saturday toward a potential start in the 1 3/16-mile Preakness, which will be the final jewel of the Triple Crown this year after COVID-19 scheduling changes. Also breezing Saturday was Bruce Lunsford's Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2) winner Art Collector and Albaugh Family Stables and Spendthrift Farm's multiple graded stakes winner Thousand Words.

McPeek did not respond to messages seeking confirmation of her Preakness status but told Daily Racing Form's Marty McGee that his decision to run her in the Preakness was one of the toughest of his career.

"Two horses in there look pretty formidable,” McPeek told McGee, referring to Authentic and Art Collector, the likely favorites. “Beyond that, we ought to be tough. The filly sure is doing good.”

The trainer has been weighing whether to run her in the Preakness or alternatively a stakes race at Keeneland over the past week.

If Swiss Skydiver runs, she would seek to become just the sixth female to win the classic. Rachel Alexandra was the last filly to win the Preakness during her Horse of the Year campaign in 2009.

Fillies are afforded a weight break under the race conditions. They carry 123 pounds, three less than males.

Also at Churchill, Art Collector, with Brian Hernandez Jr. in the saddle for trainer Tommy Drury, worked a half-mile in :48 while the Bob Baffert-trained Thousand Words breezed five furlongs in 1:00 3/5 under Florent Geroux. 

Art Collector, a 3-year-old son of Bernardini , worked through fractions of :12 2/5, :24 2/5, and :35 4/5. The five-time winner galloped out six furlongs in 1:13 3/5.

"He amazes you every time he goes out there," said Hernandez. "He just does everything so easy. He knows his job. Again this morning, he got under the wire and jumped up and took off again. He knows what the pattern has been with him and he’s gotten into the routine and does his own thing out there."

Art Collector was scheduled to run in the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) but was withdrawn on the morning of entries with a minor foot issue, caused when he nicked the bulb of his left front heel in a routine gallop. 

Thousand Words, scratched from the Kentucky Derby after he flipped in the paddock, worked with blinkers on through fractions of :11 4/5, :24 2/5, and :48 1/5. He completed his work with a six-furlong gallop out time of 1:13 3/5.

His breeze was much faster than a Sept. 19 drill in which he went five furlongs in 1:02 2/5.

"I thought he worked a lot better today with blinkers," Geroux said. "Last week was his first work over the track so he didn't wear them but went very easy. It was a bit more of a serious work today."

The son of Pioneerof the Nile raced without blinkers in two starts this summer after wearing them for racing during the winter and spring. Baffert said he has not decided whether Thousand Words will wear blinkers if he goes in the Preakness.

The Hall of Fame trainer is aiming for his record-breaking eighth victory in the Preakness with Thousand Words and Authentic, winner of the Kentucky Derby. Authentic is scheduled for his final pre-Preakness work Sept. 28, but Baffert said that he might move the breeze ahead to Sept. 27 because there is rain in the Louisville forecast.

Thousand Words and Authentic have resided in the barn of trainer D. Wayne Lukas for much of the past few weeks after Baffert sent most of his Churchill stable of horses back to his regular base at Santa Anita Park.

Seven 3-year-olds considered potential Preakness starters currently are at Churchill Downs before they fly to Baltimore Sept. 29. They are (with trainer): Art Collector (Drury), Authentic (Baffert), Excession (Steve Asmussen), Max Player (Asmussen), Mr. Big News (Bret Calhoun), Swiss Skydiver (McPeek), and Thousand Words (Baffert).

Horses stabled elsewhere under active consideration for the race include Country Grammer (Chad Brown), Jesus' Team (Jose D'Angelo), Liveyourbeastlife (Jorge Abreu), Ny Traffic (Saffie Joseph Jr.), and Pneumatic (Asmussen).

Also Saturday, Country Grammer breezed a half-mile in :50.25 at Belmont Park, Liveyourbeastlife went six furlongs there in 1:16 1/5, and Jesus' Team went five furlongs in 1:03 2/5 at Monmouth Park.