Swiss Skydiver

Swiss Skydiver continued her climb to the top of the sophomore filly division with her third straight graded victory in the GII Santa Anita Oaks. Favored while facing just three rivals here, the chestnut broke on top from her rail draw and clocked an opening quarter in :22.92 and a half in :46.55 with Merneith hot on her heels in second. Simply cantering along with ears pricked and on a loose rein, Swiss Skydiver opened up in the lane under a hand ride from Mike Smith for a facile victory....

Peter Callahan's streaking Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) headlines a compact field of five set for Saturday's GII Santa Anita Oaks. The rail-drawn chestnut ships in from trainer Ken McPeek's Kentucky base after posting a pair of impressive upsets in the GII Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Park Oaks Mar. 28 and GIII Fantasy S. at Oaklawn May 1, respectively. She earned a field-best 99 Beyer Speed Figure after stalking and pouncing and defeating the talented Venetian Harbor (Munnings) by 2 1/2 lengths in the latter. Hall of Famer Mike Smith picks up the mount...

King Guillermo (Uncle Mo), 'TDN Rising Star' Pneumatic (Uncle Mo) and two-time graded-stakes winning filly Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) are the marquee names among 22 3-year-olds that have been made eligible for the 2020 Triple Crown series at the late closing stage. The late additions to the three-race series, which this year begins with the GI Belmont S. June 20, take the total number of Triple Crown nominees to 369, pending late mail. Victoria's Ranch's King Guillermo entered the 3-year-old discussion with his 49-1 upset of Sole Volante (Karakontie {Jpn}) in...

Recent GIII Fantasy S. winner Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil), previously considered for a run in the G1 1000 Guineas at Newmarket in England June 6, will instead stay Stateside and point to the GI Santa Anita Oaks the same day, trainer Ken McPeek said on Twitter Sunday. McPeek cited logistical concerns and a purse reduction among the reasons he's choosing to keep his pupil in America for her next start. The Peter Callahan colorbearer worked a half-mile over the Keeneland turf in :51 flat (8/9) Saturday. "She handled her turf workout...

As we all know, especially right now, life will sometimes present challenges so terrible that the racetrack can be made to seem a pretty frivolous place. Yet there are also times when only a horse can kindle consolation from the embers of disaster. Clay Murdock was 58 when he died in his sleep last September. The general manager of Rancho San Miguel in California had just sealed a deal for the Northern Hemisphere breeding rights to Sir Prancealot (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}), and was buzzing for the future. His loss, out...

After several weeks of inactivity, the 3-year-old filly division roared back to life last weekend as the GIII Fantasy S. at Oaklawn brought together a large and deep field that included five members of the TDN's GI Kentucky Oaks Top Ten. The race was dominated by two horses, Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) and Venetian Harbor (Munnings). As for the rest of the field, each one will need to regroup before they can be considered top candidates for the Oaks. On Saturday at Oaklawn, the highly regarded 'TDN Rising Star' Gamine (Into...

With so few options immediately available for 3-year-old fillies, trainer Ken McPeek may get adventurous with Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil), the winner of Friday's GIII Fantasy S. at Oaklawn. McPeek told the TDN that he is considering running his filly next in the G1 1,000 Guineas in Newmarket, England. "We're going to nominate her to the 1,000 Guineas and do our due diligence," McPeek said. "She might be at a competitive advantage because she has been running.  It would be a historic trip. I don't think anybody has ever done it....

Let go at an overlaid 16-1 exiting a front-running victory in the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks Mar. 28, Peter Callahan's Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) locked up with heavily favored Venetian Harbor (Munnings) in upper stretch and proved the superior stayer on the afternoon, reporting home a 2 1/2-length winner of Friday's GIII Fantasy S. at Oaklawn Park. Shedaresthedevil, victorious in the GIII Honeybee S. earlier in the meet, completed a 1-3 finish for her expatriated sire while never a menace to the top two. Venetian Harbor was exiting a towering 9...

For racing fans missing the familiarity of the GI Kentucky Oaks this Friday, a loaded 14-horse field of talented sophomore fillies are ready to step in and take their star turn in the $400,000 GIII Fantasy S., which kicks off a sorely-needed blockbuster stakes weekend at Oaklawn. Favored at 2-1 on the morning line is Venetian Harbor (Munnings), making her first start in nearly three months. A debut second at even-money sprinting over the Del Mar turf Nov. 15, the $110,000 Keeneland September graduate moved to the main track Dec....

It's been more than a month since the last TDN Kentucky Oaks Top 10 appeared, and how things have changed in such a short period of time. The GI Kentucky Oaks will not be run May 1 but, hopefully, Sept. 4. The road to the Oaks is filled with uncertainty as, with so many racetracks closed, there is no clear path to the race. The only traditional prep for the Oaks that is left on the schedule is the May 1 GIII Fantasy S. at Oaklawn, a race that is...