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McPeek’s Preakness winner ‘stronger and stronger’ with each race.

Kenny McPeek has hailed the toughness of Swiss Skydiver  as his filly bids to cap a magnificent season with victory at the Breeders' Cup.

The daughter of Daredevil served notice of her talent in winning the Gulfstream Park Oaks in March, and has gone from strength to strength since – finishing a close second in the Kentucky Oaks before flooring Kentucky Derby hero Authentic in a pulsating renewal of the Preakness.

McPeek and owner Peter Callahan did consider taking a shot at the Classic – as they did coming to Newmarket for the 1000 Guineas at one stage earlier in the season – but have opted for the Longines-sponsored Distaff, although it is far from an easy option with the brilliant Monomoy Girl standing in her way.

The $2million contest will be Swiss Skydiver's 10th start of 2020 – but she continues to give her trainer cause for optimism.

McPeek said: "She's just a real tough filly. It seems as if every race she keeps coming out of them stronger and stronger. She's a really easy filly to keep. Here we are going on race 10, and she just seems to love what she does. So she's a really special filly to be around.

"If she were to ever back out of the feed tub, or if I thought she was showing some fatigue, then we would certainly skip a race and choose to wait if we needed to.

"But she dragged us to these races, to be honest. So many times I've said 'well, I'll skip one and then I'll wait', then you can't hold her down in the barn and my staff say 'you better run her again, boss, because she wants to go'.

"So here we are."