Swiss Skydiver bids for Blue Grass history en route to Kentucky Derby

10.30 Keeneland
Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (Grade 2) | 1m1f | 3yo | Dirt | SSR

Saturday marks the pinnacle of Keeneland's five-day summer meet with the Lexington track set to host a competitive and high-quality ten-race card headlined by the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes, in which Swiss Skydiver will attempt to beat the boys as she prepares for an audacious tilt at the Kentucky Derby.

Ken McPeek's three-year-old will run in open company for the first time in her short career and bids to become the first filly to win the coveted prize since its inaugural running in 1937.

The daughter of Daredevil, who cost just $35,000 as a yearling, has progressed rapidly this season and was entered in the Derby, which has been delayed until September this year, at the second stage after comfortable wins in the Grade 3 Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn Park in May and the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks early last month.

McPeek and owner Peter Callahan originally planned to aim Swiss Skydiver at the Kentucky Oaks but the fact that she will line up in the Blue Grass, where the winner earns enough points to guarantee entry in what is usually the first leg of the Triple Crown, confirms she is on the road to the Derby.

Callahan described Swiss Skydiver as "special" in an interview with Bloodhorse this week. He added: "I think she's been at six tracks and has had five jockeys in her seven races. We're asking a lot out of her, and she keeps getting it done.

"She's very resilient. She seems to continue to improve in the face of increasing competition. We have our fingers crossed that she stays in form."

Swiss Skydiver, who goes forward in her races, is the mount of Mike Smith and will break from gate seven. There appears to be plenty of speed in the contest, though, and whether Smith goes into an outright lead or sits on the shoulder of the inside-drawn Shivaree could make the difference between winning or losing.

Although she is the morning-line 3-1 favourite, this will be no cakewalk for Swiss Skydiver as she faces off against the hat-trick-seeking Art Collector and Steve Asmussen's Basin, who is a general 33-1 shot for the Kentucky Derby.

Brown looks to strike with Guarana

Despite the feature contest holding Grade 2 status, there are three supporting Grade 1 events on the card, the first of which will see Chad Brown's Guarana attempt to justify short odds in the $250,000 Madison Stakes (8.18).

Arguably the best three-year-old filly in training last season, Guarana followed successes in the Grade 1 Acorn Stakes and American Oaks with her first defeat in the Cotillion Stakes at Parx, which was her first attempt going two turns.

Chad Brown: runs Guarana in the Madison Stakes

She returned from a layoff at Churchill Downs last month to win in blistering fashion and punters will hope she can make it five wins from six career starts under Jose Ortiz.

Asmussen's pacey Mia Mischief, winner of ten races including the Grade 1 Distaff Stakes last year, will ensure Guarana will have to be at her best.

Asmussen said: "She's doing really well. She's a very accomplished mare, being a Grade 1 winner. It's a very competitive field and post seven for her is an excellent spot. Hopefully she does well.

"She needs to break cleanly and be in control of where she's at in the race. She's a big, older mare who knows what she wants to do and we want her to be comfortable and happy."

Rushing Fall bids to retain her crown

Brown will also be represented in the Grade 1 $350,000 Coolmore Jenny Wiley Stakes (9.57) with Rushing Fall, a nine-time winner from 12 starts who bids to repeat last year's success, and the formerly French-trained Altea, who is the mount of Joel Rosario.

Rushing Fall, the 6-5 morning-line favourite, suffered just one defeat in her first nine outings before enduring tough trips in the Diana Stakes at Saratoga last July and the First Lady Stakes here three months later.

Rushing Fall: winner of nine races from 12 startsCredit: Wendy Wooley

Much like Guarana, Brown revitalised her and she returned with an impressive strike in the Grade 3 Beaugay Stakes at Belmont Park last month.

Her main threat in what appears to be a match race will be the front-running Jolie Olimpica, a champion filly in Brazil who has won twice from three starts in the US for trainer Richard Mandella.

Harbor well berthed in Ashland

The other top-level stakes contest on the card is the Grade 1 $250,000 Central Bank Ashland Stakes (9.24), which has drawn just six runners headed by the Richard Baltas-trained Venetian Harbor.

Drawn well in gate two and the mount of Rosario, Venetian Harbor will attempt to record a first top-level victory after her Grade 2 success in the Las Virgenes Stakes at Santa Anita in February.

Victory for Venetian Harbor would boost the form of Swiss Skydiver, who beat her by two and a half lengths in the Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn Park in May.

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