Swiss Skydiver Wins the Preakness Stakes

[CountAllVotes]

Source: New York Times

Swiss Skydiver won the Preakness Stakes on Saturday to become just the sixth filly, and the first since Rachel Alexandra in 2009, to beat the boys in the 145-year history of the race.

The well-traveled daughter of Daredevil with the jockey Robby Albarado aboard held off Authentic down the stretch to cover the one-and-three-sixteenths-mile race in 1:53.28, rewarding her backers with $25.40 on a $2 bet. It was her sixth victory in 11 tries at seven different racetracks, and it pushed her career earnings past $870,000.

The Preakness Stakes, normally run on the third weekend in May as the second leg of thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown, became its final race on the first Saturday of October. There was no Triple Crown on the line — the Belmont Stakes winner, Tiz the Law, was upset by Authentic in the Kentucky Derby and skipped the Preakness.

Like at the Derby, won by Authentic last month, and the Belmont Stakes, which kicked off the series in June, there were no spectators allowed inside Pimlico Race Course on Saturday.




Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/03/sports/swiss-skydiver-wins-the-preakness-stakes.html

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Swiss Skydriver is the great granddaughter of Secretariat.

Long shot won at 11:1

Congratulations Swiss Skydiver!

YOU BEAT THE BOYS!

[SaveOurDemocracy]

1. I was very confused by that headline.

[cos dem]

2. Same here. A skydiver from Switzerland wins what? Huh? How?

[CountAllVotes]

3. That is her name

Swiss Skydiver !!

[SaveOurDemocracy]

5. I know that now. 😎

[Enoki33]

14. The owner named her after seeing a photo of his daughter skydiving in Switzerland.

[CountAllVotes]

15. Thank you

I didn't know that!

[melm00se]

7. you aren't alone

[Codeine]

4. Did any horses have to be killed in the aftermath

of this folly? I mean, it’s only 7-800 a year that have to be put down, right?

[MuseRider]

6. I always think about that these days.

I used to love the races until I learned about them. I spent the day walking one of my horses because she cast herself in her stall and put a foot through the iron bars above her down body and struggled so hard until we cut her out and then she colicked. Since my vet retired I found out today that none of the locals will do emergency home calls. We are up shits creek right now, when I saw this I wanted to say something too but you did it for me. Will be out walking my mare off and on all night if she makes it.

[yankeepants]

8. Large Animal vets are hard to find these days.

What are we doing to do? All best to you with your mare.

[MuseRider]

9. Thank you.

I am thinking that I should invest in the tubing so I can do that myself. I used to do it to people, I suppose I could do it to my horses. I have 4, all old so the time is coming I will not need this but damn. Once my vet retired this last January there is nobody for 65 miles either way from here who will answer a call or an emergency. My Banamine is outdated too, I missed that and this mare is crazy and a shot could get you thrown across the lot. Ahhh fun and games. Thankfully we are not dropping into the 30's tonight like the last few since I will be walking her a lot!

I am sorry to see that it is not just specific to this place. Good luck.

[Codeine]

10. I hope your horse recovers.

Poor thing.

[MuseRider]

11. Thanks

going back out there now.

I just cannot stand the fact that the racers die because of money and rich people. Here I have to take care of mine myself, no vets for emergencies and they pay millions of dollars and cannot even care enough to treat or breed these horses properly.

[Codeine]

12. Yours is a companion.

They view theirs as tools, a means to a financial end with no regard for the impact it will have on the living animal. Injury, stress, pain, an early death — this is the life of far too many race horses.

[MuseRider]

13. It makes me want to cry.

I used to watch and cried every time because I have ridden on quarter horses who like to run each other for fun, in a pasture. They love it but they have not been abused to train or trained at all to race each other. I would watch the races and cry for the majesty and need for the horse to run. Little did I know.

I hate that it has been spoiled and is now just a murder machine for the dough. It always seemed in the long ago past as something noble. Just the music played at the big races can make me burst into tears because of how it used to be, not for anything now (I stopped watching several years ago when I learned about it).

[catchnrelease]

16. Interesting background on the Jockey

The article tells how Jockey Robby Albarado's good days have been behind him, due to injuries etc. He was essentially a last minute fill in to ride this horse. Looks like he made a good move to the rail coming into the stretch and that took him to the winner's circle. Nice!!