Skydiver leaves no doubt in Alabama
On paper, Swiss Skydiver was the best horse by far in Saturday’s Alabama Stakes, worthy of her status as the odds-on favorite in the nearly 150-year-old race. Because there’s always time to be filled in during racing telecasts, however, possible circumstances under which she might be beaten were naturally discussed. For example, maybe likely pacesetter Crystal Ball, who had nearly wired the field in the Coaching Club American Oaks, would somehow hold on despite the Alabama’s added furlong. Maybe Swiss Skydiver would be lured into a speed duel that would set the table for late-running Bonny South. Sure, the favorite was a formidable foe, but Spice is Nice, a daughter of Curlin out of a Bernardini mare, was arguably best suited for the Alabama’s mile and a quarter distance.
And then there was Swiss Skydiver’s busy schedule. After six races this year, at six different tracks from New York to California (Saratoga would be the seventh), maybe the Daredevil filly was beginning to wear down, which might account for her being unable to go with Art Collec
tor late in the Blue Grass.
The race unfolded as expected, with Crystal Ball showing the way and Swiss Skydiver – kept under a tight hold by Tyler Gaffalione – stalking in second. Swinging into the far turn, Swiss Skydiver made what at first appeared might be a premature move as she began pulling away from Crystal Ball.
But it was all part of the plan. The lead was three lengths straightening out and 6½ at the eighth pole and from there, with Gaffalione doing nothing more than waving his stick a couple of times, Swiss Skydiver did a pretty good impression of Tiz the Law finishing up in the Travers, cantering the last 70 yards under a hand ride and winning with plenty left in the tank.
Swiss Skydiver hadn’t made it back to the winner’s circle before talk of running her in the Kentucky Derby began. Winning trainer Ken McPeek praised his star filly (“every race there’s a little more there”) but said she was more likely to go next in the Kentucky Oaks. There, Swiss Skydiver could well encounter the freakish Gamine, who has been unbeatable at shorter distances. How would Gamine fare versus Swiss Skydiver in the ninefurlong Oaks? It might be fun finding out. Asmussen 2-year-olds After the meet passes the halfway point, 2-yearold races become more interesting as distances lengthen – from 5-5½ furlongs to between six and seven – and horsemen send out promising youngsters deemed to have two-turn potential. One of those promising 2-year-olds was the Tapit filly Thoughtfully, a $950k yearling purchase at last summer’s FasigTipton Saratoga sale. The Steve Asmussen trainee cruised to a four-length win last Wednesday in the Adirondack Stakes after breaking her maiden by nearly nine lengths on June 11. The victory came five days after Asmussen’s Jackie’s Warrior took the Saratoga Special by three.
In Saturday’s sixth-race maiden special weight, Asmussen debuted Calibrate, another impressive 2-year-old. Looking more like a veteran with multiple starts behind him than a horse running in his first race, the Distorted Humor colt raced in traffic before dashing up the rail in the stretch, powering away to win by 4½ lengths.
“He’s a very talented horse,” Asmussen said on the America’s Best Racing telecast. “He has all the essentials you want. He’s very mature physically. He has a calm demeanor. As the races get longer, there’s no telling how good he can be.”