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Alabama (G1) victor Swiss Skydiver will point to Kentucky Oaks (G1)

by NYRA Press Office

• G1 Alabama victor Swiss Skydiver will point to G1 Kentucky Oaks
• Everfast looks for repeat Spa success in G1 Forego presented by America's Best Racing
• G1 Breeders Futurity likely next on the table for impressive maiden winner Calibrate
• Caracaro training into G1 Kentucky Derby at the Spa
• Snap Decision reaching new heights in steeplechase racing
• Tap It to Win to stick with short and sweet philosophy in G2 Amsterdam
• Rookie Report: Don Alberto debut two well-bred fillies in Wednesday turf maiden
• All stakes Cross Country Pick 5 returns $285, handles $178K

Peter Callahan's Swiss Skydiver, trained by Ken McPeek, was in good order the morning after a triumphant effort in the Grade 1 Alabama at Saratoga Race Course, which added 100 qualifying points to her ledger en route to the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on Friday, September 4 at Churchill Downs.

"She's happy and playing with all the visitors coming by and was happy to go out and eat some grass. She cleaned her feed tub up like she always does. She's an eating machine," said McPeek's assistant Britt Stoddard.

The 3-year-old daughter of Daredevil was an easy 3 ½-length winner of the 1 ¼-mile event for sophomore fillies over the main track and was wrapped up by jockey Tyler Gaffalione in the final eighth of a mile. The impressive score garnered a career-best 102 Beyer Speed Figure. In victory, Swiss Skydiver secured an automatic berth in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff on November 7 at Keeneland Race Course.

McPeek, who won the 2018 Alabama with Eskimo Kisses, Swiss Skydiver is atop the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard with 350 points. She arrived at the Alabama off a game runner-up finish against colts in the Grade 2 Blue Grass on July 11 at Keeneland.

All four of Swiss Skydiver's graded stakes triumphs have taken place over different tracks in winning the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks on March 28, the Grade 3 Fantasy on May 1 at Oaklawn Park and the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks on June 2.

Stoddard said she relishes the opportunity to be able to spend so much time with the talented filly.

"I got to know her in Kentucky by helping out in the barn, but up here I do everything for her," Stoddard said. "She's classy, she's kind and she has kind of a sense of humor. She's just really easy to be around."

Swiss Skydiver, who won her career debut at the historic Louisville oval last September, will attempt to become the first filly to win the Kentucky Oaks and Alabama since Princess of Sylmar in 2013.

Bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm, Swiss Skydiver is out of the Johannesburg broodmare Expo Gold and was purchased by McPeek for $35,000 at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale from the Select Sales consignment.

Everfast looks for repeat Spa success in G1 Forego presented by America's Best Racing

Calumet Farm's Everfast earned a return trip to the winner's circle last out with a 2 ½-length win against allowance company on August 1 at Saratoga. The runner-up in last year's Grade 1 Preakness could have a return engagement at the Spa, as trainer Jack Sisterson said he is pointing to the Grade 1, $300,000 Forego presented by America's Best Racing on August 29.

Sisterson took over the training duties for Everfast heading into his 4-year-old campaign. The Kentucky bred ran second in back-to-back one-mile contests on the main track to start 2020, finishing a neck behind Dressman in an allowance tilt in April at Oaklawn Park before running a half-length back to Owendale in the Blame on May 23 at Churchill.

Everfast tried turf in the Grade 1 Maker's Mark Mile in July at Keeneland, finishing ninth, and Sisterson said a return to the main track best suits his strength. After earning an 83 Beyer for his win over the Spa's main track, he will get another chance in the seven-furlong Forego. Everfast breezed four furlongs in 48.34 on Saturday over the Saratoga main track.

"He's been very consistent in his three dirt runs with a good second at Oaklawn off a layoff, a good second in the Blame and then he went on going seven-eighths in convincing fashion with a lot left in reserve," Sisterson said. "He's definitely a dirt horse and in my opinion, seven-eighths to a mile [is best]. He's naturally built for speed. We didn't train him to pick up the speed, he actually brought that on.

"He breezed very well yesterday," he continued. "I actually thought he'd be very lazy on his own because he had a tendency to be very workman-like at home in Keeneland and we didn't want to do too much in his first work back from his win. But he was a different horse at Saratoga breezing. He was full of energy and could have done a lot more. That being said, we'll breeze him on Saturday and point him to the Forego."

Everfast had a 10-race campaign as a sophomore, with nine of those contests against graded stakes company as he traversed the Triple Crown trail. Trained at the time by Dale Romans, Everfast ran second in the Grade 2 Holy Bull and was 1 ¼-lengths back to War of Will in the Preakness, starting a stretch of four straight Grade 1 appearances that included the Belmont Stakes [seventh], Haskell [fourth] and Runhappy Travers [12th].

"He's a course and distance-winner," Sisterson said of the Forego's length. "He was a good second to War of Will in the Preakness and was a good second to Owendale, and that was better than a listed race; that was more like a Grade 2-type of race. So, why not give him a shot?"

Vexatious put in her first breeze since winning the Grade 1, $500,000 Personal Ensign presented by NYRA Bets on August 1, going four furlongs in 48.98 seconds over the main track Saturday.

Vexatious turned back a challenge from five-time Grade 1-winning champion Midnight Bisou, winning the Personal Ensign by a neck and securing an automatic entry to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff in November at Keeneland.

Sisterson said he is looking at the Grade 1, $400,000 Spinster on October 4 at Keeneland, which would make for an easy transition to the Breeders' Cup without requiring additional shipping later in the fall.

"Initially, it was the Spinster at Keeneland. Keeneland is home for us and it's her home and obviously the Breeders' Cup is there this year," he said. "She breezed very well yesterday and will come back again next week, pending weather. We'll keep her on the schedule but we won't force anything upon her. If she breezes like she did again and comes back with another breeze like that, I think she'd tell us she came out of the race in great shape and we might look to run her sooner."

Vexatious has registered triple digit Beyers in consecutive starts, with a 100 for her second-place finish by two lengths on Monomoy Girl in the Grade 2 Ruffian on July 11 at Belmont followed by her 105 earlier this month.

"She's very versatile. She can be in the back; she can be forwardly placed. She has a very high cruising speed," Sisterson said. "She's just a straight-forwarded filly who trains herself."

The 6-year-old daughter of Giant's Causeway is 4-3-7 in 23 lifetime starts with earnings of $723,895.  

G1 Breeders Futurity likely next on the table for impressive maiden winner Calibrate

Following a decisive debut victory on Saturday at the Spa, Winchell Thoroughbreds' Calibrate will take things up several notches for his next start likely to take place in the Grade 1, $500,000 Claiborne Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland Race Course.

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, the son of Distorted Humor registered an 80 Beyer Speed Figure in the 6 ½-furlong maiden special weight.

"We've thought he was capable of it but whether you can duplicate training to the afternoon is a question mark," said Winchell Thoroughbreds racing and bloodstock manager David Fiske. "He ran professionally and didn't get a break any time. All in all, it was the effort we hoped for, but you never know until they go in the gate. I think the plan is to wait for the Breeders Futurity at Keeneland and hopefully the Breeders Cup at Keeneland."

Fiske said winning with a 2-year-old at Saratoga is no easy task.

"We don't bring a whole lot of 2-year-olds up there. You need to have a specific type of horse," Fiske said. "My experience in the past is that 2-year-olds can be reluctant to run through the kickback, so you have to have something with gate speed to get them forwardly placed."

Calibrate did just that utilizing front-running tactics to win by 4 ½ lengths under Ricardo Santana, Jr.

Calibrate will see two turns for the first time in the 1 1/16-mile Breeders' Futurity and Fiske said based off the horse' pedigree the added distance be right within his wheelhouse.

"By Distorted Humor out of a Dynaformer mare, he should be able to go two turns," Fiske said.

Bred in Kentucky by Don Alberto Corporation, Calibrate is out of the unraced mare Glamour and Style and was purchased for $340,000 from last year's Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Fiske said owner Ron Winchell developed an affinity for Calibrate at the yearling sale, where he was consigned by James B. Keogh, mainly based off the consultation of Dr. David Lambert of Equine Analysis Systems.

"He was not one of the standouts at the sale. And to Ron's credit, I tried to get him to stop bidding at $300,000 as we thought he'd go for $250,000 to $300,000," Fiske said. "Dr. Lambert has a photographic test. It's a measuring algorithm that he's done on thousands of horses. Heart scans, pedigree analysis and other things like that. This horse really had pretty high marks and ones that scored the way Calibrate did were pretty few and far between. I think Ron had it in the back of his mind that we may not get another horse that scored the way he did."

Caracaro training into G1 Kentucky Derby at the Spa

Global Thoroughbred and Top Racing's Caracaro, runner-up in the Grade 3 Peter Pan and Grade 1 Runhappy Travers this summer at the Spa, continues to train and develop at Saratoga ahead of his upcoming start in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on September 5 at Churchill Downs.

Trained by Gustavo Delgado, the lightly-raced Uncle Mo colt has accumulated 60 Kentucky Derby qualifying points, including 40 for his strong second in the 10-furlong Runhappy Travers won by Tiz the Law.

Delgado's son and local assistant Gustavo Delgado, Jr. said acquiring the points for a spot in the starting gate on the first Saturday in September was paramount.

"The main thing is that we wanted to get the points to get to the Derby and he did that," said Delgado, Jr. "He's on the improve. He will tell us how much he can improve over the next few races."

Caracaro graduated at second asking in a one-mile maiden special weight on January 11 at Gulfstream Park, an impressive six-length score that garnered a 92 Beyer Speed Figure. The colt's numbers have continued to climb earning a 96 Beyer off a six-month layoff when second to Country Grammer in the nine-furlong Grade 1 Peter Pan and moved forward once more when stretched out to 1 1/4-miles in the Runhappy Travers, where he posted a career-best 101 Beyer.

Delgado, Jr. said Caracaro should continue to move forward and will benefit from stronger breezes ahead of his Derby run.

"We didn't have as much time between races to train him [for the Runhappy Travers]. We just had slow breezes," said Delgado, Jr. "Now, we will have two proper breezes, with one on the 22nd and then one more before we leave."

Caracaro is slated to ship to Kentucky on August 31 for his final Derby preparations. He will need to make up ground on likely race favorite Tiz the Law, and Delgado, Jr. is cautiously optimistic his colt can continue to find more.

"I watched the aerial replay of the Travers and you can tell that after the wire the horses that kept going were Tiz the Law and Caracaro," said Delgado, Jr. "We were five lengths behind, but he carried on. He was behind horses for part of the trip and he seemed to accept that and ran well. He wasn't fighting the kickback.

"Hopefully, that's a good sign," added Delgado, Jr. "This is a very nice horse. For me, he must be among the top five 3-year-olds now."

Bodexpress, co-owned by Delgado with Top Racing and Global Thoroughbred, finished third in the nine-furlong Alydar on August 9. Delgado, Jr. said the popular bay, who is nominated to the 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 Alysheba on September 4 at Churchill, should improve next out.

"He was racing off a four-month layoff and might have needed the race," said Delgado, Jr. "He's nominated to the Alysheba but he's also eligible for an allowance race that weekend. He came out of the race well and should move forward."

Snap Decision reaching new heights in steeplechase racing

The regally bred Snap Decision was campaigned by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey for the Phipps Stable through 18 career starts before making the leap to steeplechase racing where he is now in the midst of a six-race win streak that includes four stakes wins.

By Hard Spun and out of the multiple graded-stakes placed Unbridled mare Salute, Snap Decision is a half-brother to Grade 1-winner Mr Speaker and from the same family as Hall of Famer Personal Ensign.

He completed his flat career in November 2018 with a good third in a nine-furlong optional-claiming route at the Big A won by millionaire New York-bred Mr. Buff. He made his debut over the jumps the following April for owner Bruton Street-US and trainer Jack Fisher.

On Wednesday, the classy 6-year-old gelding will look to run his streak to seven wins as the field high weight in the 2 3/8-miles Michael G. Walsh Novice at Saratoga.

"He's doing great. The only thing that beats him is 165 pounds on his back," said Fisher.

Fisher said the talented bay has enjoyed the transition to jump racing.

"He was at a stage of his flat career where he was probably going to be a high-priced claimer or have to do something else," said Fisher. "I think it was a great out for the Phipps Stable to find a spot for him here."

McGaughey said he's enjoyed keeping tabs on Snap Decision in his new career.

"Jack Fisher is a friend of mine and he texts me updates," said McGaughey. "I keep track of his races. He's still a good horse. We always thought he was a better horse than what he did on paper. We gelded him and that helped. The last time we ran him on the flat he ran third at Aqueduct."

McGaughey campaigned the $1.2 million earner Mr Speaker, a son of Pulpit, who won 6-of-18 starts, including a win in the 2014 Grade 1 Belmont Derby at 10-furlongs on the turf.

Snap Decision's dam Salute, a daughter of the great Personal Ensign, also showed stamina for McGaughey with a runner-up effort in the nine-furlong Grade 2 Demoiselle at the Big A in 2004.

"It's an all-stamina pedigree as nearly all the Phipps horses are. He has talent. He won races and was placed in stakes," recalled McGaughey. "Mr Speaker won the Belmont Derby and Personal Ensign wanted to run long. The whole family was that way, the mother Salute was second in the Demoiselle as a 2-year-old going a mile and an eighth."

McGaughey said he's happy to see his former charge thriving in his second career.

"Jack will give him a good home. They've got a great facility down in Maryland and they're good horse people. It's a good place for him," said McGaughey.

Fisher said Snap Decision's class and intelligence made the transition easy and that the horse is thoroughly enjoying his new surroundings.

"He enjoys what he's doing. He loves jumping," said Fisher. "I do have a track here but we also have turn out fields and everyone gets to go out for an hour or two and he really enjoys that."

After a pair of runner-up efforts for Fisher, the happy horse notched his first win over the jumps last July at Monmouth Park to kick off a winning streak that includes scores in the William Entenmann Memorial Hurdle at Belmont, the Foxbrook Champion Hurdle at Far Hills, the David Semmes Memorial at Great Meadow and a last-out score in the Jonathan Kiser Novice traveling 2 1/16-miles on July 22 at the Spa.

To keep his streak going, Snap Decision will have to topple a field of nine on Wednesday that includes the Fisher-trained City Dreamer for Riverdee Stable and Fast Car for owner Robert LaPenta.

Under different circumstances, Fisher said he could have entered Snap Decision in the Grade 1 New York Turf Writers Cup on Thursday, where the conditioner will saddle three horses, including likely race-favorite Moscato.

"If I didn't have Moscato he would be in there. Plus, the owners have three horses entered in that race already," said Fisher. "Hopefully he can keep the streak going and continue to improve."

Tap It to Win to stick with short and sweet philosophy in G2 Amsterdam

Live Oak Plantation's Tap It to Win benefited from a cut back in distance in his last start, and Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse said he will shorten him up once again in the Grade 2, $150,000 Amsterdam on Saturday, August 29 at Saratoga.

After running fifth in the 1 1/8-mile Grade 1 Belmont Stakes on June 20, Casse said he thought the Tapit colt would benefit from returning to sprints. He proved his conditioner right in the seven-furlong Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens on Whitney Day at the Spa August 1, running second to Echo Town in an 11-horse field over the fast main track.

Two of Tap It to Win's three career wins have come in sprints, as he looks to build on those efforts in the 28th running of the six-furlong Amsterdam. On Saturday, the Florida homebred registered his first breeze since the Jerkens, going four furlongs in 47.72 seconds over Saratoga's main track.

"He's doing good and worked good yesterday and we're looking at the Amsterdam with him," Casse said. "We're going to cut him back even more. He ran well last time and we were happy with him and we're going to try and shorten him up even more. We're trying to keep him against straight 3-year-olds, so the opportunities are becoming a little limited. We'll run him there and go from there."

Stretched out to 1 1/16 miles, Tap It to Win won against allowance company on June 4 at Belmont while earning a personal-best 97 Beyer Speed Figure, convincing the connections to take a shot in the Belmont Stakes later that month that saw its usual distance of 1 ½ miles shortened to a one-turn race to accommodate the revised Triple Crown schedule for 2020.

Tap It to Win is 3-2-0 in eight career starts.

Other stakes-experienced sprinters from the Casse barn put in works at Saratoga, with Old Chestnut and Jack and Noah each registering five-furlong works on Sunday over the Oklahoma turf track.

Gary Barber's Jack and Noah put in a bullet work in 59.83, the fastest of 33 timed at the distance. The 3-year-old son of Bated Breath ran fifth in the Grade 3 Quick Call going 5 ½ furlongs on July 24 at Saratoga in his first start since winning the Sir Cat going six furlongs in June at Belmont.

"Jack and Noah got away a little slow last time and never showed much of anything," Casse said. "He hasn't had the best of luck at the break. We gave him a little bit of time and took it easy and he worked extremely well this morning."

Live Oak Plantation's Old Chestnut, who went in 1:02 flat, ran second to Turned Aside in the Quick Call in his graded stakes debut. The sophomore Speightstown colt and his stablemate are both likely for the 5 ½-furlong $85,000 Mahony for 3-year-olds on August 26 at Saratoga, set to be contested on the Mellon turf course.

"We'll probably run them both in there," Casse said.

Casse said Barber's Got Stormy is training well heading into Saturday's Grade 1, $400,000 Fourstardave, a turf handicap for 3-year-olds and up going one mile on the inner turf. A "Win and You're In" qualifier to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile, Got Stormy beat the boys in the contest last year, becoming the first filly to capture the Fourstardave in 35 runnings when she set a course record of 1:32.

Casse said he is hoping for firm turf for Got Stormy, who has registered all three of her career graded stakes wins under those conditions.

"She's doing well. Keeping an eye on the weather, we just haven't been able to get firm turf this year, so I don't know how it'll play out," Casse said.

Tracy Farmer's Sir Winston could be heading back to a race in the near future following a bullet four-furlong breeze in 47.09 over the Saratoga main track Sunday. The 2019 Grade 1 Belmont Stakes winner defeated allowance company in his 4-year-old bow on January 31 at Aqueduct Racetrack before running second in the Flat Out on June 11 at Belmont. Returning to graded stakes company, Sir Winston ran sixth in the Grade 2 Suburban on July 4 at Belmont in his last start.

"He worked very good this morning," Casse said. "He had been real lackluster and hasn't been training like we wanted, but today was a little more like it. We hadn't planned on a race for him, but now that he worked the way he did, we'll look for something."

War of Will, the 2019 Grade 1 Preakness winner, put in a five-furlong work in 1:00.80 on Sunday at Churchill. Casse said the 4-year-old son of War Front, also owned by Barber, is headed to the Grade 1, $1 million Woodbine Mile on September 19.

Rookie Report: Don Alberto debut two well-bred fillies in Wednesday turf maiden

Don Alberto Corporation will debut two Kentucky homebred juvenile fillies in Wednesday's third race at Saratoga, a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight over the Mellon turf course.

Trained by Chad Brown, Ingrassia, a Medaglia d'Oro bay filly, is out of the stakes placed Henrythenavigator mare Infanta Branca, who is a half-sister to multiple graded stakes winner Lil's Lad.

Ingrassia arrives at her debut off two breezes over the Oklahoma training turf, including a five-furlong move in 1:02.20 on August 10.

"Chad is very pleased with her. We're expecting for her to run pretty well. Its first time out but I think Chad is happy with her and that's most important," said Fabricio Buffolo, Executive Director of Don Alberto Corporation. "She has worked a few times on turf, and she seems to like it. She seems to be a turf filly, so hopefully she runs well for us."

Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. will climb aboard Ingrassia from post 2.

Fellow Don Alberto color bearer Reina Del Sol will look to win first out for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.

The gray or roan daughter of Tapit is out of the Galileo mare Reach the Stars, who is a half-sister to 1998 Champion Older Female Escena.

"I think this race will be good for her," Buffolo said. "The last time they added blinkers to her work on turf and she seems to like it. We'll see how it goes and I think she'll definitely benefit from a first start."

Junior Alvarado will ride Reina Del Sol from post 5.

Trainer Graham Motion will send out first time starter Puma Punku for owner Flaxman Holdings. The chestnut daughter of Kitten's Joy is out of Gypsy's Warning, a multiple Group 1 winner in her native South Africa, who won the Grade 1 Matriarch in 2010 for Motion.

Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez will be aboard from post 4.

All stakes Cross Country Pick 5 returns $285, handles $178K

Saturday's Cross Country Pick 5 featuring all stakes racing from Saratoga Race Course, Woodbine Racetrack and Monmouth Park, paid $285.75 for selecting all five winners for the 50-cent wager. The sequence's total pool was $178,174.

Offering all five stakes in less than an hour span, the sequence commenced at the Spa when Domestic Spending edged a late-charging Gufo by a head to win the second running of the $500,000 Saratoga Derby Invitational in Race 8. The Chad Brown trainee made a late rally in the stretch and repelled a furious push by the Christophe Clement-trained Gufo in the final jumps to win the 1 3/16-mile test for 3-year-olds on the Mellon turf course. The Saratoga Derby, the first leg of the New York Racing Association's Turf Triple series, saw Domestic Spending return $16.40 on a $2 win bet, winning at 7-1 under jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr.

Monmouth saw favorite Pneumatic reward bettors by posting a 2 ¼-length victory in the Pegasus for 3-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles on the main track in Race 10. Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Pneumatic tracked in third position under jockey Joe Bravo before taking command entering the stretch and completing the course in 1:44.76. He paid $3.60.

Adding an international flair, Woodbine was the site of the third leg in Race 9 with the Grade 2 King Edward for 3-year-olds and up going one mile on the turf. March to the Arch rallied from last-of-8 a quarter-mile in to eventually draw away from Admiralty Pier by 2 ¼ lengths after gaining the lead in the final furlong. Ridden by Rafael Hernandez and trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, March to the Arch returned $9.60.

Back at Saratoga, Swiss Skydiver took the day's feature with a command performance in the Grade 1, $500,000 Alabama for sophomore fillies in Race 9. The Ken McPeek trainee captured the 140th running of the Alabama by 3 ½ lengths, earning an automatic entry to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff in November at Keeneland. Under jockey Tyler Gaffalione, Swiss Skydiver topped a seven-horse field to set up a matchup against fellow contender for top 3-year-old filly Gamine in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on September 4 at Churchill Downs on the eve of the Kentucky Derby. Swiss Skydiver, who paid $4.30, could be a possibility to once again run against colts in the Grade 1 Preakness on October 3 in the Triple Crown series' final leg, McPeek said.

Woodbine closed out the sequence with the Woodbine Oaks for 3-year-old fillies foaled in Canada in Race 10. Curlin's Voyage, ridden by Patrick Husbands, won by 1 ¾ lengths for trainer Josie Carroll. In defeating a 10-horse field going 1 1/8 miles on the all-weather track, Curlin's Voyage returned $4.70.

The minimum bet for the multi-track, multi-race wager is 50 cents. Wagering on the Cross Country Pick 5 is also available on track, on ADW platforms, and at simulcast facilities across the country. Every week will feature a mandatory payout of the net pool.

The Cross Country Pick 5 will continue each Saturday throughout the year. For more information, visit NYRABets.com.