Swiss Skydiver (USA)
March 10, 2017 – Living
Daredevil (USA) x Expo Gold (CAN), by Johannesburg (USA)
Family 23-b
March 10, 2017 – Living
Daredevil (USA) x Expo Gold (CAN), by Johannesburg (USA)
Family 23-b
A big, strong filly who liked going a distance, Swiss Skydiver reached the highwater mark of her career when she outdueled Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (USA-G1) winner Authentic—the eventual American Horse of the Year—by a neck for the Preakness Stakes (USA-G1). A winner of four other graded stakes against her own sex in 2020, including the historic Alabama Stakes (USA-G1), she was the obvious choice as the American champion 3-year-old filly of 2020. She was a Grade 1 winner again at 4 but made only four starts that year before being exported to Japan for broodmare duty.
Race record
16 starts, 7 wins, 3 seconds, 2 thirds, US$2,216,480
2020:
2021:
Honors
Eclipse Award, American champion 3-year-old filly (2020)
Assessments
Earned a rating of 122 pounds in the Intermediate category on the 2020 Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings, 8 poinds below 5-year-old Ghaiyyath (the 2020 European Horse of the Year), whose 130-pound rating also topped the Intermediate category and tied with 2020 American champion female sprinter Gamine for best among 3-year-old fillies on dirt.
Earned a rating of 117 pounds in the Mile category on the 2021 Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings, 12 pounds below overall highweight Knicks Go (the 2021 American Horse of the Year) and 3 pounds below Monomoy Girl among older females on dirt.
As an individual
A good-sized, lengthy chestnut mare with a long pelvis, strong hindquarters, and a straight hind leg, Swiss Skydiver was utterly determined in a drive. She had a professional demeanor as a racehorse.
As a producer
Swiss Skydiver's first foal, a filly by 2014 European Horse of the Year Kingman, was born on February 15 at Northern Farm, Japan.
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Swiss Skydiver was bred by WinStar Farm. A US$35,000 purchase from the 2018 Keeneland September yearling sale, she was owned by Peter J. Callahan. She was trained by Kenny McPeek and was ridden to her Preakness win by Robby Albarado. She was sold to Northern Farm for $4.7 million at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton November mixed sale and arrived in Japan in December 2022 after being sent to Europe for a breeding to multiple Group 1 winner Kingman.
Pedigree notes
Sired by 2014 Champagne Stakes (USA-G1) winner Daredevil (by More Than Ready), Swiss Skydiver is inbred 5x4x5 to two-time American champion sire Mr. Prospector and 5x5 to Mr. Prospector’s sire, 1963 American co-champion 2-year-old male Raise a Native. She is out of the winner Expo Gold, whose dam Clouds of Gold (by Strike the Gold) is a Grade 3-placed half sister to stakes winner Mister Business (by Runaway Groom).
Clouds of Gold, in turn, is out of the unraced Personal Flag mare Cloudy Colors, a half sister to New York restricted stakes winners Artie Baby (by Hatchet Man) and Sonia’s Scamp (by Warm Front; dam of stakes winner Starlight Cove, by Dixieland Band). The next dam in Swiss Skydiver’s tail-female line, Getoffofmycloud (by the winning Swaps horse Quid Pro Quo), is a winning half sister to multiple stakes winner Sky Highness (by Sky High II) and to Cloud Ho (by Cohoes), dam of stakes winners M. A.’s Date (by Quid Pro Quo) and Salem Ho (by Salem) and fourth dam of 2008 Belmont Stakes (USA-G1) winner Da’ Tara. Produced from the winning Castle Hill II mare Cloud High, Getoffofmycloud is also a half sister to High Heeled Honey (by Gold Stage), dam of listed stakes winners Koennecker (by Arts and Letters) and High Heeled Hope (by Salt Lake).
Fun facts
Last updated: April 17, 2023
Race record
16 starts, 7 wins, 3 seconds, 2 thirds, US$2,216,480
2020:
- Won Preakness Stakes (USA-G1, 9.5FD, Pimlico)
- Won Alabama Stakes (USA-G1, 10FD, Saratoga)
- Won Santa Anita Oaks (USA-G2, 8.5FD, Santa Anita)
- Won Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Park Oaks (USA-G2, 9FD, Gulfstream Park)
- Won Fantasy Stakes (USA-G3, 8.5FD, Oaklawn Park)
- 2nd Longines Kentucky Oaks (USA-G1, 9FD, Churchill Downs)
- 2nd Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (USA-G2, 9FD, Keeneland)
- 3rd Rachel Alexandra Stakes Presented by Fasig-Tipton (USA-G2, 8.5FD, Fair Grounds)
2021:
- Won Beholder Mile Stakes (USA-G1, 8FD, Santa Anita)
- 3rd Apple Blossom Handicap (USA-G1, 8.5FD, Oaklawn Park)
Honors
Eclipse Award, American champion 3-year-old filly (2020)
Assessments
Earned a rating of 122 pounds in the Intermediate category on the 2020 Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings, 8 poinds below 5-year-old Ghaiyyath (the 2020 European Horse of the Year), whose 130-pound rating also topped the Intermediate category and tied with 2020 American champion female sprinter Gamine for best among 3-year-old fillies on dirt.
Earned a rating of 117 pounds in the Mile category on the 2021 Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings, 12 pounds below overall highweight Knicks Go (the 2021 American Horse of the Year) and 3 pounds below Monomoy Girl among older females on dirt.
As an individual
A good-sized, lengthy chestnut mare with a long pelvis, strong hindquarters, and a straight hind leg, Swiss Skydiver was utterly determined in a drive. She had a professional demeanor as a racehorse.
As a producer
Swiss Skydiver's first foal, a filly by 2014 European Horse of the Year Kingman, was born on February 15 at Northern Farm, Japan.
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Swiss Skydiver was bred by WinStar Farm. A US$35,000 purchase from the 2018 Keeneland September yearling sale, she was owned by Peter J. Callahan. She was trained by Kenny McPeek and was ridden to her Preakness win by Robby Albarado. She was sold to Northern Farm for $4.7 million at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton November mixed sale and arrived in Japan in December 2022 after being sent to Europe for a breeding to multiple Group 1 winner Kingman.
Pedigree notes
Sired by 2014 Champagne Stakes (USA-G1) winner Daredevil (by More Than Ready), Swiss Skydiver is inbred 5x4x5 to two-time American champion sire Mr. Prospector and 5x5 to Mr. Prospector’s sire, 1963 American co-champion 2-year-old male Raise a Native. She is out of the winner Expo Gold, whose dam Clouds of Gold (by Strike the Gold) is a Grade 3-placed half sister to stakes winner Mister Business (by Runaway Groom).
Clouds of Gold, in turn, is out of the unraced Personal Flag mare Cloudy Colors, a half sister to New York restricted stakes winners Artie Baby (by Hatchet Man) and Sonia’s Scamp (by Warm Front; dam of stakes winner Starlight Cove, by Dixieland Band). The next dam in Swiss Skydiver’s tail-female line, Getoffofmycloud (by the winning Swaps horse Quid Pro Quo), is a winning half sister to multiple stakes winner Sky Highness (by Sky High II) and to Cloud Ho (by Cohoes), dam of stakes winners M. A.’s Date (by Quid Pro Quo) and Salem Ho (by Salem) and fourth dam of 2008 Belmont Stakes (USA-G1) winner Da’ Tara. Produced from the winning Castle Hill II mare Cloud High, Getoffofmycloud is also a half sister to High Heeled Honey (by Gold Stage), dam of listed stakes winners Koennecker (by Arts and Letters) and High Heeled Hope (by Salt Lake).
Fun facts
- Swiss Skydiver was named in honor of her owner’s granddaughter, Callie Rasnake, who went on a skydiving adventure in Switzerland in November 2018.
- Swiss Skydiver’s Preakness time of 1:53.28 was the second-fastest in Preakness history behind Secretariat’s official mark of 1:53.
- Swiss Skydiver was the sixth filly to win the Preakness, following Flocarline (1903), Whimsical (1906), Rhine Maiden (1915), Nellie Morse (1924), and Rachel Alexandra (2009).
Last updated: April 17, 2023