Swiss Skydiver Makes 4-Year-Old Debut in Beholder Mile

Trainer Ken McPeek has never shied away from presenting his champion filly Swiss Skydiver with a challenge.

He did just that when he sent her out to face the boys in last year's Preakness Stakes (G1) and was rewarded with a Triple Crown victory that ultimately clinched the Eclipse Award as the champion 3-year-old filly.

Now, in scheduling the 2021 debut for owner Peter Callahan's champion, McPeek has again given the daughter of Daredevil  a formidable task, shipping her to California to run in the $300,000 Beholder Mile (G1) for older fillies and mares at Santa Anita Park.

"It's no layup," Callahan said about returning from a 4-month layoff in a grade 1 stakes, "and I don't think we'll see one all year."

Facing the likes of grade 2 winner Harvest Moon and rising star for trainer Bob Baffert As Time Goes By in the Beholder was not the plan McPeek and Callahan originally envisioned for the dual grade 1 winner. Callahan said the April 16 Baird Doubledogdare Stakes (G3) at Keeneland was the likely spot for her 4-year-old debut but those plans were scrapped when Swiss Skydiver began acting like a filly who was eager for a race rather than another workout.

"She's getting back to the races sooner than we thought, but she's really full of energy, and we'd be wasting that energy working her every six or seven days," Callahan said. "She's telling us she wants to do it, so here we go."

Callahan expects a six-race campaign for Swiss Skydiver, which he hopes will include an electrifying rematch with Monomoy Girl, the reigning champion older dirt female. The two met Nov. 7 in the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1)—Swiss Skydiver's most recent start—but Callahan's filly stumbled at the start and never fully recovered, finishing seventh, 8 1/4 lengths behind the victorious Monomoy Girl.

"If they both stay sound, God willing, they will collide somewhere down the line," Callahan said. "We want another shot at the champ. To be the champ, you have to beat the champ."

Callahan said he and McPeek toyed with the idea of facing Monomoy Girl in the Feb. 28 Bayakoa Stakes (G3) but they opted for the Beholder and a return to the racetrack where she won the Santa Anita Oaks (G2) a year ago. The showdown between the two distaff stars most likely will not happen in their next start either, as Monomoy Girl is targeting the April 17 Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) at Oaklawn Park and Callahan has penciled in the April 30 La Troienne Stakes (G1) at Churchill Downs for Swiss Skydiver.

There could even be another race against males in her future.

"There's an outside chance of taking on males, maybe at a mile-and-a-quarter. I really like her at a mile-and-a-quarter but we'll worry about that later," McPeek said about the filly bred by WinStar Farm out of the Johannesburg mare Expo Gold. "We'll sort through all the timing and scheduling. You don't want to count your chickens before they are hatched."

As for the Beholder, which will be Swiss Skydiver's first start at a distance less than 1 1/16 miles since the third start of her career, the 4-year-old's works for her comeback were capped by a lightning quick but eventful :58.09 five-furlong work at Gulfstream Park March 6.

"That workout didn't go as we planned because another horse hooked up with her in the middle of the breeze, and she went a little quick. But she came out of it fine and that's the most important thing," McPeek said. "She's plenty fit. We're excited about Saturday. The Beholder is a great race, and it's a good first race for her. It's all good."

Swiss Skydiver, who was bought for $35,000 from the Select Sales consignment at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, enters Saturday's race with six wins in 12 career starts and earnings of $1,845,480.

Harvest Moon, a 4-year-old daughter of Uncle Mo  owned by Alice Bamford and Michael Tabor, is also unraced since the Distaff, where she was fourth. Prior to that, she reeled off four straight wins for trainer Simon Callaghan, capped by a victory in the Zenyatta Stakes (G2).

As Time Goes By, a 4-year-old owned by the Coolmore-affiliated team of Tabor, Susan Magnier, and Derrick Smith, makes her stakes debut Saturday after maiden and allowance wins by a combined 13 lengths.

In each of her four starts for Baffert, including the aforementioned two wins, a second, and a third, As Time Goes By has been sent off at 4-5 or lower in the wagering. By Baffert's Triple Crown winner American Pharoah  out of the Dehere mare Take Charge Lady, she is a half sister to grade 1 winners Take Charge Indy  and Will Take Charge .

Baffert also will send out Karl Watson, Mike Pegram, and Paul Weitman's Golden Principal, a Constitution  filly who was second in the Santa Monica Stakes (G2) and La Brea Stakes (G1) in her past two starts.

The field of eight also includes Matriarca's Sanenus, who was a six-length winner of the La Canada Stakes (G3) in her last start.

Entries: Beholder Mile S. (G1)

Santa Anita Park, Saturday, March 13, 2021, Race 8

• Grade I
• 1m
• Dirt
• $300,000
• 4 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 4:20 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Swiss Skydiver (KY)	Robby Albarado	124	Kenneth G. McPeek	8/5
2	2Golden Principal (FL)	Juan J. Hernandez	120	Bob Baffert	8/1
3	3Harvest Moon (KY)	Flavien Prat	122	Simon Callaghan	5/2
4	4Sanenus (CHI)	UMBERTO RISPOLI	122	Michael W. McCarthy	4/1
5	5Miss Stormy D (KY)	Tyler Baze	120	Carla Gaines	20/1
6	6As Time Goes By (KY)	Mike E. Smith	120	Bob Baffert	4/1
7	7This Tea (KY)	Abel Cedillo	120	George Papaprodromou	30/1
8	8Clockstrikestwelve (KY)	Tiago Josue Pereira	120	Jonathan Wong	20/1