Preakness Stakes 2020 Winner Is Swiss Skydiver

Elizabeth Janney
Updated ·3 min read

BALTIMORE, MD — The Preakness Stakes marked its 145th year with an event unlike any other. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the race was held as the last leg of the Triple Crown, rather than the second jewel, with no fans in the stand.

Swiss Skydiver, the lone filly on the field, was the winner. She eked out the win, as Kentucky Derby winner Authentic was a hair behind her at the finish line.

Swiss Skydiver is the 55th female horse to run the Preakness and the sixth to win it. The last time a filly won the Preakness was Rachel Alexandra in 2009, according to organizers.

The horse who claimed the crown in Saturday's race was named by owner Peter Callahan, whose inspiration came from his granddaughter. Shortly after the horse was purchased, Callahan received a video from his granddaughter, a college student who was studying in Europe, as she parachuted over the Swiss Alps, according to horse-racing news source Past the Wire. Swiss Skydiver is the daughter of Daredevil and Expo Gold.

"She continues to get stronger," Swiss Skydiver's trainer Kenny McPeek said Saturday in the winner's circle. "She never gets tired. If anything, she makes me tired dragging me around the barn every day."

The energetic filly's win was an upset, as Kentucky Derby winner Authentic was favored to win, 9-5. Authentic's Trainer Bob Baffert was seeking his eighth Preakness win, which would have been a record. He was also the trainer of Preakness contender Thousand Words.

Here were the contenders for the Preakness Stakes and the odds:

  • Excession: 30-1

  • Mr. Big News: 12-1

  • Art Collector: 5-2

  • Swiss Skydiver: 6-1

  • Thousand Words: 6-1

  • Jesus' Team: 30-1

  • NY Traffic: 15-1

  • Max Player: 15-1

  • Authentic: 9-5

  • Pneumatic: 20-1

  • Liveyourbeastlife: 30-1

The Preakness is the third jewel in the Triple Crown this year. Usually it is the second race in the trifecta, after the Kentucky Derby.

Due to the coronavirus, the Kentucky Derby was held Sept. 5, and the Belmont Stakes was June 20. Both were held without fans.

Authentic won the Kentucky Derby, and Tiz the Law won the Belmont Stakes. The latter opted not to race Saturday, reportedly to prepare for the Breeders Cup Nov. 6 and 7.

Betting windows are empty during the 145th Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on Oct. 3, in Baltimore. Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images.<br>
Betting windows are empty during the 145th Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on Oct. 3, in Baltimore. Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images.

Because events of more than 250 people have been prohibited in Maryland, Infieldfest — the full-day musical event that draws thousands — was canceled.

However, Preakness organizer the Stronach Group hired the leader of Columbia-based Soulful Symphony to coordinate entertainment, which included a collaboration between the Black and Latinx orchestra and Grammy Award winner Wyclef Jean on "Riders Up," a song that corresponds to the jockeys mounting their horses.

This is breaking news and may be updated.

Related:

No Fans At Preakness Stakes For 2020Kentucky Derby 2020 Winner: It's An Authentic UpsetPreakness 2020: Post Time, Lineup, Coronavirus RulesWar Of Will Declared Winner At 2019 Preakness, Where 1 Horse Raced Riderless

This article originally appeared on the Baltimore Patch