Swiss Skydiver runs past the boys, wins the 2020 Preakness

Swiss Skydiver has built her reputation in 2020 as a filly unafraid to race anyone, anytime, anywhere. Saturday, in her ninth start at her ninth different track of the season, she scored the biggest win of her career.

The Daredevil filly became just the sixth female in history to win the Preakness Stakes when beating Kentucky Derby winner Authentic to the wire in a thrilling stretch duel.

Swiss Skydiver becomes the sixth filly to win the Preakness, and only the second to do so in the last 90 years. She joins Rachel Alexandra (2009), Nellie Morse (1924), Rhine Maiden (1915), Whimsical (1906), and Flocarline (1903) in that club.

Owner Peter Callahan earlier this week described himself and trainer Kenny McPeek as “crapshooters” who are “always reaching for the stars.” The duo hit the jackpot at Pimlico with their barnstorming filly.

“She’s just such a special filly,” McPeek said. “I know there were those out there that questioned, ‘Oh, why is he running there?’ She continues to get stronger, and it’s amazing.”

McPeek entered Swiss Skydiver in the Preakness off a second-place finish last month at Churchill Downs in the Kentucky Oaks. Prior to that, she defeated fellow females in the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2), Fantasy Stakes (G3), Santa Anita Oaks (G2) and Alabama Stakes (G1) while running second against males in the Blue Grass Stakes (G2).

Bettors however looked toward Swiss Skydiver’s male counterparts. She went off as a co-fourth choice at 11-1 under jockey Robby Albarado.

Breaking from post No. 4, Albarado found Swiss Skydiver a ground-saving spot along the rail. She tracked as Bob Baffert-trained stablemates Authentic and Thousand Words went through an opening quarter-mile in :24.48 and half-mile in :47.65.

Albarado made a well-timed move on the backstretch, moving around Thousand Words to settle inside of Authentic.

“It was a genius move by Robby coming up the fence,” McPeek said. “He saw a hole and he went right at it. It looked to me like she took him there.”

Swiss Skydiver and Authentic locked eye-to-eye and stayed that way around the far turn and through the stretch.

Authentic won a thrilling stretch duel under jockey John Velazquez against Tiz the Law to win the Kentucky Derby, and found himself locked in another tight one Saturday. Velazquez went with the left-handed whip just as he did at Churchill Downs, while Swiss Skydiver dug in along the rail.

The duo hit the wire with Swiss Skydiver a head in front to become a Preakness champion.

Swiss Skydiver returned $25.40 while making the 1 3/16 miles in 1:53.28.

Behind the 3-2 favorite Authentic in second was 40-1 long shot Jesus’ Team in third place. Art Collector, the 2-1 second choice in the Preakness betting, could only manage fourth place.

Rounding out the field were, from fifth through 11th, Max Player, Excession, Mr. Big News, Thousand Words, Ny Traffic, Pneumatic and Liveyourbeastlife.

McPeek won an American Classic for the second time in his career, having also saddled Sarava to a 2002 Belmont Stakes score. Albarado also scored a second Triple Crown victory, his first coming aboard Curlin in the 2007 Preakness.

Swiss Skydiver, a $35,000 yearling purchase at Keeneland in 2018, entered the day with more than $1.1 million already banked, and added to that by taking the $1 million Preakness. She improved her career record to 11: 6-3-1 with five graded stakes victories and two Grade 1 triumphs.

The filly had already stamped a Breeders’ Cup Distaff “Win and You’re In” ticket Aug. 15 when taking Saratoga's Alabama. Now, thanks to her Preakness win, she also has a fees-paid spot in the Breeders’ Cup Classic if connections choose to take on the boys for a third time in 2020.

Saturday's race brought to an end a unique Triple Crown season, the first that ever ended in the fall. It was the latest that the Preakness had ever been run, well past the June 16 date when it was staged during the final days of World War II in 1945.

Of course, this was all because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which also led to the banning of spectators from the track for the first time in the 145 runnings of the Preakness.