COURTESY BREEDERS’ CUP (Edited)
NOVEMBER 8, 1997—Carolyn Hine’s Skip Away lived up to his favoritism by scoring a six-length victory in the 14th running of the $4 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (Grade 1) at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, Calif.
Skip Away, who would earn an Eclipse Award as the champion older male for 1997, also earned is second of three titles as the Florida-bred Horse of the Year.
With the convincing victory, Skip Away earned $2,288,000, validating the confidence of his trainer Sonny Hine who supplemented Skip Away to the Classic for $480,000.
“I thought he was going to win easily,” Hine said, adding of the supplement. “I put my money where my mouth is.”
Deputy Commander and Honor Glide led the field of nine through opening fractions of :22.57 and :46.21 with Skip Away tracking in third.
Before the leaders reached the five-eighths pole, jockey Mike Smith sent Skip Away between Deputy Commander and Honor Glide and quickly drew off to a daylight advantage that had reached five lengths with a quarter-of-a-mile left to run.
“I just gave him two little taps and he just accelerated,” Smith said of Skip Away as they neared the turn for home.
Skip Away completed the mile-and-a-quarter over a fast track in 1:59.16, the fastest clocking of any Classic and the largest margin of victory at that time.
For Smith, it was his eighth Breeders’ Cup victory, second of the afternoon and first in the Classic.
Deputy Commander finished second, three-quarters of a length in front of Whiskey Wisdom who was disqualified and placed fourth for bearing in on Dowty in the upper stretch.
Skip Away would win his next seven races starting with the Donn Handicap (G1) on Feb. 7, 1988 and continuing with victories in the Gulfstream Park Handicap (G1) on Feb. 18, the Pimlico Special (G1) on May 9, Massachusetts Handicap (G3) on May 30, Hollywood Gold Cup (G1) on June 28, Philip H. Iselin Handicap (G2) on Aug. 30 and the Woodward (G1) on Sept. 30. He then finished third behind fellow Florida-bred Wagon Limit and Gentlemen (Arg) in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) on Oct. 10.
In the last race of his career, he was unable to defend his title in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs Nov. 7, finishing sixth behind winner Awesome Again after pressing the pace with Coronado’s Quest.
Bred in Florida by Anna Marie Barnhart, Skip Away won 18 races with 10 seconds and eight thirds in a career that spanned 38 starts. He is the all-time richest Florida-bred with earnings of $9,616,360.
— Brock Sheridan contributed to this story.
Return to the November 8 issue of Wire to Wire
