16-1 shot flies by Fantasy favorite

HOT SPRINGS — Swiss Skydiver, who went off at 16-1, chased down 4-5 favorite Venetian Harbor in a two-horse race Friday in Oaklawn’s Fantasy Stakes.

Venetian Harbor sprinted from the start to take the lead, but Swiss Skydiver came from just off the pace to take down the favorite in 1:42.00.

Venetian Harbor finished 21/4 lengths behind the winner and 103/4 lengths in front of third-place She dares the devil. Alta’s Award was fourth, 133/4 lengths behind the winner in the field of 14.

Swiss Skydiver’s trainer Kenny McPeek — once a regular at Oaklawn who now maintains a wintertime stable at Gulfstream Park in the Miami suburb of Hallandale, Fla. — said the Fantasy win was special.

“It is a big deal,” McPeek said. “It’s a great race, and the timing worked out real well with our shipping her with everything that’s gone on.

“I’m really pleased for the owner, Pete Callahan. He’s a great guy. We had a little bit of a slump for a few years. We haven’t had good horses, but now he’s got a really good one.”

It also was meaningful for McPeek to snap a series of close second-place finishes in graded stakes events at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort. Notable among his near-misses have been second-place finishes in the Grade I Apple Blossom Handicap and Arkansas Derby, and the Grade II Rebel Stakes.

“I remember the seconds more than I do the wins, for some reason,” McPeek said. “I guess that’s what gets me motivated to play at a high level.”

Venetian Harbor, a daughter of Munnings ridden by Flavien Prat, led

from the gate with Swiss Skydiver, ridden by Brian Hernandez, in close pursuit as the two entered the backstretch and through the opening quarter-mile in 45.43. Ring Leader, trained by Mac Robertson and ridden by Joe Talamo, was in third, a length in front of Lake Avenue but four behind the leader.

The position was unchanged through the halfmile in 45.43, but Swiss Skydiver was within a length. Ring Leader and Lake Avenue were still in touch. Shedaresthedevil, a daughter of Daredevil trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Joel Rosario, was seventh, 7 lengths back. Alta’s Award, trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by Ricardo Santana, was 7 1/2 lengths back in eighth.

McPeek said his confidence soared as Swiss Skydiver stalked the leader for the length of the backstretch.

“In her first three starts, we made it a point to rate off the pace,” McPeek said. “She can rate fine. We didn’t want to get into a battle with [Venetian Harbor]. At the same time, we didn’t want to take her back, either. I felt really good when she was going down the backside.”

At three-quarters of a mile, run in 1:09.67, Venetian Harbor led Swiss Skydiver by a half-length, then by a head at the top of the stretch. At that point the closest pursuer, Shedaresthedevil, was 9 lengths off the lead.

“Going around the second turn, she really got within herself and traveled nicely,” Hernandez said. “Turning for home, I had confidence in her because I just asked her for the next gear, and then she went on and put the favorite away and did it with authority.

“Turning for home, I looked over and thought I had a little more horse. When I got her to switch leads, she jumped off and really picked it up nicely.”

Her lead change was motivated by Hernandez’s switch to right-handed urging.

“She’s an extremely efficient mover, and obviously she’s getting better and better,” McPeek said. “I think she’s going to get better as an older horse, so let’s see.”

“The winner came to us at the quarter pole, and for a second I thought I could hold on, but we got tired the last 16th,” Prat said.

Venetian Harbor’s trainer Richard Baltas said he was impressed by the winner.

“I was sitting next to Kenny McPeek, and he told me the filly was training out of her mind,” he said. “I thought my filly was good, obviously, at 4-5. I really don’t have any excuses.”

Swiss Skydiver and Venetian Harbor ran even for the next eighth of a mile, but Swiss Skydiver took the lead 10 yards short of the 1/16th pole and pulled away.

“We had a perfect trip,” Hernandez said. “The filly broke good, and she put herself in a good spot.”

As a bonus, McPeek said his wife Sherri McPeek helped enrich the family’s financial standing.

“I went to bet, and she had already bet everything,” McPeek said. “So, what’s mine is hers and what’s hers is hers, right?”