Skip Away - (93) Skip Trial-Ingot Way, by Diplomat Way
In 1998, Skip Away stepped to the forefront of racing. Coming off two powerful victories in the '97 Jockey Club Gold Cup (gr. I) and Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I), Skip Away's trainer, Sonny Hine, announced that he had one goal in 1998 for Skip Away--to beat Cigar's earnings record of $9,999,815 and become the richest horse in North America. That meant that Skip Away would have to win $3 million in just eight months. Since Skip Away only won four of eleven races last year, many thought this goal was completely unattainable, but Skip Away thought differently.
His year began in Florida, where he won the Donn (gr. I) and Gulfstream Park (gr. I) Handicaps with relative ease over horses like Unruled and Sir Bear. He then shipped to Maryland, where he won the Pimlico Special (gr. I) against a nicer group of horses. The race that made most sit up and take notice was a repeat win in the 1-1/8 mile Massachusetts Handicap (gr. III). He carried 130 lbs. while winning gate to wire in time 1:47 2/5 over Puerto Madero.
Skip Away had now won six races in a row (including his two final starts of '97), five of them grade one races. It was time to take on the west coast. A few days before Skip Away shipped to Hollywood Park for the Hollywood Gold Cup (gr. I), he lost his rider while exercising and ran around the track for 20 minutes before he was caught. Hine felt that his big gray was tough enough to win the race anyway. But as Gentlemen and Skip Away raced in tandem in the Hollywood Gold Cup, Sonny Hine thought he had made a horrible mistake. It looked like Skip Away would be beaten as Gentlemen was keeping pace with Skippy through blistering fractions. The pace took its toll on Gentlemen first, however, and Skip Away surged to the lead in the stretch but was running out of steam as Puerto Madero came charging on the inside. Skip Away held on to win his sixth grade one race in a row. This time he beat Gentlemen, Puerto Madero and Touch Gold while never having a breather in the race. The crowd cheered him in the winner's circle, as they finally were believers of his ability.
The race took a lot out of Skip Away and his trainer took him off the list of possibles for the Pacific Classic (gr. I) in August, in what would have been a rematch with Gentlemen and Puerto Madero as well as a new horse to try, Free House. Instead, he was rested up for a race that would be lengthened to 1-1/8th miles to entice Hine to enter his horse in it, the Philip H. Iselin Handicap (gr. II). The race seemed like a nice easy spot for Skip Away, but it turned out to be nothing of the sort. Carrying top weight of his career, 131 lbs., Skip Away was giving his opponents up to 18 lbs in the race. Skip Away hit the stretch in front, but Stormin' Fever was full of run and in mid-stretch stole the lead from Skip Away. The two horses battled to the wire, with Skip Away coming back and prevailing by a nose.
Many thought Skip Away was showing signs of vulnerability, so the Woodward Stakes (gr. I) was packed with talent in hopes of catching Skip Away on a bad day. Gentlemen, Free House and Coronado's Quest (all grade I winners) and a horse from England, Running Stag, all took Skip Away on in what at the time was billed as the race of the year. Unfortunately, neither Coronado's Quest nor Free House ran their race, but in the end, Skip Away prevailed over Gentlemen by 1-3/4 lengths.
Skip Away had two races left and roughly $400,000 separating him from the all time money title. The day of the 1-1/4 mile Jockey Club Gold Cup (gr. I) was rainy, the track was sloppy and the spectators were drenched. Skip Away had an old rival in the race, Wagon Limit. Wagon Limit had seen the backside of Skip Away all the way around the track on many occasions, but his trainer, Allen Jerkins, decided that Skip Away had not been looking as tough as his reputation, and thought he would take another shot. Once again, the determined Gentlemen was taking on the big gray, but this time, his trainer made a change to blinkers to give his one time superstar more focus. Boy did he get focused!
As the horses broke from the gate, Gentlemen took the lead right away, forcing Skip Away to take up the chase. It was clear that this race was between two horses. They were both going to run fast, as long as they could, until somebody gave way. And so they did. Gentlemen on the inside, Skip Away on the outside--with Gentlemen holding a slight lead through the first three quarters of the race. Then the unexpected happened. Skip Away began to drift toward the middle of the track, and slowly Gentlemen's lead began to grow. Into the stretch, Gentlemen looked to have the race wrapped up, leading by five lengths. Then suddenly, a streaking bullet came flying down the stretch. The Allen Jerkens-trained Wagon Limit powered by the tiring Gentlemen and captured the Jockey Club Gold Cup in a dramatic come-from-behind victory. Skip Away and Gentlemen had dueled themselves into defeat. Gentlemen finished second, with Skip Away a distant third.
And so, Skip Away entered the final race of his career with much drama. He only needed $300,000 to capture the money title now. All he needed to do was finish third in the richest race in history, the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I). For the first time, Skip Away would be facing two other horses that were being considered for Horse of the Year, Silver Charm and Awesome Again. He was attempting to become the first horse to win the Classic back-to-back. He would face a field that was being called the greatest Classic field ever assembled. Most of the focus was being paid to Silver Charm and Skip Away, as their trainers had been bickering all year long and now their horses were finally meeting. The race was filled from top to bottom with talent with his old rival Gentlemen, Coronado's Quest, Swain, Victory Gallop, Arch, Touch Gold and Running Stag.
Although the race turned out to be an exciting one, it was not meant to be for Skip Away. He was within a length of the lead for the first three-quarters, but when he made his move on the turn, he was passed by several horses. He finished an uncharacteristic sixth place in the race, only four lengths from the winner, Awesome Again. He came within $300,000 of attaining the goal set out by his trainer just eight months ago, and so Cigar's record stands with Skip Away a very close second.
The one thing that could always be said about Skip Away was that he was durable. He raced from age two through five and was never out of training in that time. From coast to coast and even racing in Canada, Skip Away was always there to run and picked up a check in nearly every one of his career starts of 38: 18 10 6. He was retired to Hopewell Farm and will stand in 1999 for $50,000.