No One Was There—But This Filly Scored a Big Win

Those hanging around the heavily restricted stakes barn at Pimlico Race Course this week joked around that Authentic would stare down filly Swiss Skydiver whenever she walked past, the AP reports. "He got a good look at her today," jockey Robby Albarado said. Swiss Skydiver added one final memorable moment to cap off a topsy-turvy Triple Crown season, beating favored Authentic by a neck after a stretch duel in the Preakness Stakes run without fans Saturday. She became the sixth filly and first since Rachel Alexandra in 2009 to win the Preakness, which this year served as the third leg of the Triple Crown for the first time. "She's just such a special filly," said trainer Kenny McPeek, who won the Preakness for the first time for his second Triple Crown race victory.

Jesus' Team was a distant third at 40-1 and Art Collector fourth at 2-1. The 145th running of the Preakness at a mostly empty Pimlico came four weeks after the Kentucky Derby and 3 1/2 months since the Belmont as they were held out of order for the first time since the 1930s. At 11-1 odds, Swiss Skydiver pulled off an upset of 3-2 favorite and Kentucky Derby winner Authentic. Albarado made a powerful move around the final turn that would usually come right by revelers in the infield unable to catch a glimpse of the home stretch. "I had an opportunity," said Albarado, who won his second Preakness after 2007 aboard Curlin. Swiss Skydiver was the first filly to run in the Preakness since 2014. She paid $25.40 to win, $8.40 to place, and $5.80 to show.

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