LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Trainer Kenny McPeek said shortly after SWISS SKYDIVER breezed Saturday morning at Churchill Downs that he is “leaning toward” running her against male rivals in the Preakness Stakes, although all indications are that the star filly will indeed be in the starting gate when the final jewel of the 2020 Triple Crown is run next Saturday (Oct. 3) at Pimlico in Baltimore.

“Two horses in there look pretty formidable,” said McPeek, referring to AUTHETIC and ART COLLECTOR, the likely favorites for the $1 million Preakness. “Beyond that, we ought to be tough. The filly sure is doing good.”

Preakness entries will be drawn Monday at noon Eastern at Pimlico. McPeek said a firm decision on the status of Swiss Skydiver could come as early as Saturday. At least nine other 3-year-olds are confirmed for the 1 3/16-mile race.

With Tyler Gaffalione up, Swiss Skydiver worked five furlongs shortly after two other Preakness hopefuls, Art Collector and THOUSAND WORDS, also went through their final pre-race drills. All three went without company at about 7:30 a.m. Eastern following a regularly scheduled harrow break and over a fast track.

Swiss Skydiver went in 1:00.80 on splits of 12, 23.60, and 35.80, according to Churchill clocker John Nichols, with a six-furlong out time of 1:13.80. Owned by Peter Callahan, the chestnut Daredevil filly comes off a runner-up finish in the Sept. 4 Kentucky Oaks after having already won four graded stakes this year.

The last of five fillies to win the Preakness was Rachel Alexandra in 2009.

Art Collector, with Brian Hernandez Jr. up, looked as sharp as ever when going a half-mile in 48 seconds. Splits were 12.40, 24.40, and 35.80, with five- and six-furlong out times in 1:00.40 and 1:13.60.

A winner of all four 2020 starts by open lengths, Art Collector missed the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby because of an untimely hoof injury that actually forced him to miss only several days of training. He’ll be the second choice on the Pimlico morning line behind the Derby winner, Authentic.

“Brian said he was great,” trainer Tommy Drury said afterward. “He’s kind of a ‘12s’ kind of horse, and it looks like that’s exactly what we got. Seems like he came back nice, took one big breath, and that was that. Hopefully we can stay out of his way and get him to Maryland in perfect shape.”

Thousand Words, with Florent Geroux up, went five furlongs in 1:00.60 following splits of 11.80, 36, 48.20, then out in 1:13.60. The Bob Baffert-trained colt was scratched from the Derby after flipping in the paddock.

Authentic, who gave Baffert his record-tying sixth Derby victory with a 1 1/4-length triumph over Tiz the Law, will have his final pre-race breeze Monday at Churchill with Baffert back in town from California. Baffert goes into this Preakness tied for most wins (seven) with Robert Wyndham Walden, whose last Preakness win came in 1888.

Two other Preakness starters, MAX PLAYER and EXCESSION also will work Monday at Churchill for trainer Steve Asmussen. MR. BIG NEWS had his final pre-race breeze Friday at Churchill.

With jockeys, here is the prospective lineup for the 145th Preakness:

Authentic, John Velazquez; Art Collector, Brian Hernandez Jr.; Excession, Sheldon Russell; JESUS' TEAM, no rider; LIVEYOURBEASTLIFE, Trevor McCarthy; Max Player, Paco Lopez; Mr. Big News, Gabriel Saez; PNEUMATIC, Joe Bravo; Swiss Skydiver, Tyler Gaffalione; and Thousand Words, Florent Geroux.

All seven Churchill horses are scheduled to be flown Tuesday to Baltimore via equine charter. Pneumatic will van from Saratoga, Jesus’ Team from New Jersey, and Liveyourbeastlife from New York.

Two other colts, MYSTIC GUIDE and COUNTRY GRAMMER, also are regarded as possible Preakness starters. Mystic Guide, more likely to wait instead for the Oct. 10 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park, is based at Fair Hill in northern Maryland with Mike Stidham, while Country Grammer is based at Belmont with Chad Brown.

The Preakness, normally run on the third Saturday in May, follows the June 20 Belmont Stakes, won by TIZ THE LAW, and the Derby because of a scrambled schedule owing to the ongoing global pandemic. As with those earlier races, no spectators are being allowed at Pimlico.

Meanwhile, in non-Preakness news from Saturday morning at Churchill, Kentucky Oaks winner SHEDARESTHEDEVIL breezed five furlongs in 1:00.80 toward her next start in the Oct. 4 Juddmonte Spinster at Keeneland. Her Brad Cox-trained stablemate, MONOMOY GIRL, will skip the Spinster when training straight into the Nov. 7 Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Keeneland. Monomoy Girl breezed a half-mile in 49.20 seconds later Saturday morning.

Also, Brodie Wilkes is the freshest face in the ranks of jockey agents on the Kentucky circuit, having taken the book of his brother-in-law, Chris Landeros. Wilkes, 27, had worked in recent years for his father, trainer Ian Wilkes.