With convincing wins in the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) and Fantasy (G3), Swiss Skydiver emerged as a top contender for the Sept. 4 Kentucky Oaks (G1), and the Kenny McPeek-trained filly will look to carry her form out west in Saturday’s $200,000 Santa Anita Oaks (G2).
The chestnut daughter of Daredevil heads a field of five in the 1 1/16-mile race, one of five stakes on the Santa Anita Derby undercard, and the Santa Anita Oaks will award points on a 100-40-20-10 scale to the top four finishers as a qualifier in the Road to the Kentucky Oaks series.
Swiss Skydiver showed promise despite breaking poorly in a pair of starts at age 2, but her sophomore season began poorly with a fifth in the Gasparilla S. at Tampa Bay Downs and a well-beaten third in the Rachel Alexandra (G2) at Fair Grounds. The former late runner reversed course in the Gulfstream Park Oaks, leading wire-to-wire posting a 3 1/4-length upset at 9-1, and Swiss Skydiver tracked the speed in the May 1 Fantasy before drawing off to a 2 1/2-length score at 16-1.
Mike Smith picks up the mount.
Speech, second when making her stakes debut in the Santa Ysabel (G3) in early March, will attract support following an excellent neck second to Gamine in a May 2 allowance at Oaklawn Park. Flavien Prat has the call on the Florida-bred Mr Speaker filly for Michael McCarthy.
Merneith, a stirring 10-length maiden winner when making her third career outing at Oaklawn on April 19, will stretch back out to a two-turn distance. She is one of two for Bob Baffert, and Drayden Van Dyke retakes the mount on the daughter of American Pharoah. Baffert will also send out Regal Beauty, a 3 1/4-length maiden scorer at Santa Anita on May 17.
California-bred stakes winner Smiling Shirlee completes the field.
Any thought on these horses running at S.A. on Sat. Race 5 #4 Smiling Shirlee and race 9 #3 KP All Systems Go.
Hey James, both enter in good form. Smiling Shirlee moved forward when switching back to dirt after a couple of turf races, connections taking a shot in this short field. And while she’s got her work cut out for her against Swiss Skydiver and Speech, a Grade 2-placing would be a good consolation prize. KP All Systems Go is a major win contender, I like the stretch back out to 1 1/8 miles. His dam was purchased overseas as a yearling for six figures, she couldn’t run a lick in the U.S. but hails from a classy German female family. No surprise KP All Systems Go has improved with experience, he’s eligible to keep progressing.
Good luck,
James Scully