Swiss Skydiver Turns in Final Work for Whitney

Peter Callahan's three-time grade 1 winner Swiss Skydiver  put in her final serious preparation Aug. 1  ahead of the Aug. 7, $1 million Whitney Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course. 

With Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard, the 4-year-old daughter of Daredevil   went five furlongs in 1:01.21 over the fast Saratoga main track. 

A winner over six different ovals, including Saratoga when she captured last year's Alabama Stakes (G1), Swiss Skydiver has won with five different jockeys aboard. 

Ortiz Jr. will look to increase that number when he pilots the chestnut filly in the Whitney. 

"He loved her and said she felt great," trainer Kenny McPeek said. "We're excited, we should be ready. She's adaptable to racetracks and jockeys, it doesn't really matter."

Swiss Skydiver has posted six graded stakes wins over five different ovals with her biggest claim to fame taking place against males in last year's Preakness Stakes (G1). The last female to capture the Whitney was undefeated Hall of Famer Personal Ensign in 1988. 

The Whitney is part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series and awards the winner a berth in the Nov. 6 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Del Mar.

McPeek breezed graded stakes winner King Fury  over the Oklahoma Training Track turf Sunday in preparation for Saturday's $1 million Saratoga Derby Invitational (G1T) at 1 3/16 miles over the Mellon turf course. 

The son of Curlin  , out of grade 1 winner Taris , worked with Jose Ortiz aboard in company with Fighting Seabee , winner of the 2019 With Anticipation Stakes (G3T), and finished off his five-furlong move in 1:01.25. 

Owned by Fern Circle Stables and Three Chimneys Farm, King Fury scored in the April 10 Stonestreet Lexington Stakes (G3) over a sloppy and sealed track at Keeneland two starts back. He arrives at his turf debut off a close second to Masqueparade  in the June 26 Ohio Derby (G3) at Thistledown. 

McPeek said he would like to run King Fury in the Aug. 28, $1.25 million Runhappy Travers (G1) at the Spa. 

"Jose seemed to think that he can handle the turf," McPeek said. "We'll learn a little something about him, and it's a big purse. That's been our goal all summer is to get him to the Travers. The turf race is looking deep but it shouldn't hurt him. 

"It's a very good group of 3-year-olds and Essential Quality  had another workmanlike win yesterday (in Saratoga's Jim Dandy Stakes, G2), but it's hard to separate the 3-year-olds until the Breeders' Cup," McPeek continued. "That's the race that really separates everybody."