Skip Away
Encyclopedia
Skip Away a gray Thoroughbred
race horse, was named America's Champion 3 Year Old Male in 1996 and twice (1997, 1998) named America's Champion Handicap Horse. He won 10 Grade 1
races for $9,616,360 in prize money.
, the son of Skip Trial, out of the Diplomat's Way mare Ingot Way. Skip Away was purchased for the modest sum of $30,000 at a two-year-olds in training sale in Ocala by Hall of Fame trainer Hubert "Sonny" Hine
for his wife Carolyn, who had particularly wanted a gray horse because vision problems made it difficult for her to see any other kind on the race track.
at Belmont Park
. His first Stakes win came as a three-year-old, when he defeated eventual Preakness Stakes
winner Louis Quatorze
by six lengths in the Blue Grass Stakes
while setting a new stakes record over a wet-fast track at Keeneland Race Course.
After an unaccountably poor performance in the Kentucky Derby
, he finished second in both the Preakness Stakes
and Belmont Stakes
, losing the latter by a length to Editor's Note after a prolonged duel over the long Belmont stretch. He won the 1996 Haskell Invitational Handicap
and in October of that same year, he defeated the mighty Cigar
, winner of 17 of his previous 18 races, in the Jockey Club Gold Cup
at Belmont Park
. Seizing the lead entering the stretch, Skip Away held clear to win a stretch drive by a head over the steadily closing champion.
Formal Gold defeated Skip Away in four of their six meetings in 1997. After Skip Away was soundly defeated as a four-year-old by Formal Gold in the Philip H. Iselin Breeders' Cup Handicap at Monmouth Park and the Woodward Stakes
at Belmont Park, he was given a new rider, Jerry Bailey, who replaced Shane Sellers
. With Bailey at the reins, Skip Away adopted a new front-running style; and he proceeded to win nine consecutive races, including a six length victory in the 1997 Breeders' Cup Classic
, contested that year at Hollywood Park Racetrack, setting a record time of 1:59:16 under another new rider, Mike Smith.
As a five-year-old he had seven consecutive wins including five Grade I races, with wins in the 1998 Pimlico Special
, Hollywood Gold Cup
, and Woodward Stakes; and although he failed to repeat his Breeders' Cup win at Churchill Downs
, he was nonetheless voted the Eclipse Award
as both Champion Handicap Horse and Horse of the Year
for 1998. He was retired to stud that fall with 18 wins and 34 in-the-money finishes from 38 career starts, his career earnings having amounted to $9,616,360.
), Skip Code (Grey Stakes
) and Sister Swank (Valley View Stakes
).
At age seventeen, Skip Away died of an apparent heart attack in his paddock on May 14, 2010 at Hopewell Farm in Midway, Kentucky
.
in 2004. In the Blood-Horse magazine ranking of the top 100 U.S. Thoroughbred champions of the 20th Century, Skip Away was ranked No.32.
In 2001, Gulfstream Park Racetrack
in Hallandale Beach, Florida
honored Skip Away by renaming its Broward Handicap the Skip Away Handicap
.
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
race horse, was named America's Champion 3 Year Old Male in 1996 and twice (1997, 1998) named America's Champion Handicap Horse. He won 10 Grade 1
Graded stakes race
A graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...
races for $9,616,360 in prize money.
Breeding
He was bred by Anna Marie Barnhart and foaled and reared at Hilmer Schmidt’s Indian Hill Farm in FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, the son of Skip Trial, out of the Diplomat's Way mare Ingot Way. Skip Away was purchased for the modest sum of $30,000 at a two-year-olds in training sale in Ocala by Hall of Fame trainer Hubert "Sonny" Hine
Sonny Hine
Hubert "Sonny" Hine was an American Hall of Fame Thoroughbred horse trainer best known as the trainer of 1998 U.S. Horse of the Year, Skip Away.- Early life :...
for his wife Carolyn, who had particularly wanted a gray horse because vision problems made it difficult for her to see any other kind on the race track.
Racing record
Skip Away won but once from six starts as a two-year-old, placing in both the Cowdin and Remsen StakesRemsen Stakes
The Remsen Stakes is an American Grade II race for Thoroughbred horse race run annually near the end of November at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York...
at Belmont Park
Belmont Park
Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse-racing facility located in Elmont in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island adjoining New York City. It first opened on May 4, 1905...
. His first Stakes win came as a three-year-old, when he defeated eventual Preakness Stakes
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ; fillies 121 lb...
winner Louis Quatorze
Louis Quatorze (horse)
Louis Quatorze is an American thoroughbred stallion racehorse. He was sired by Sovereign Dancer, who in turn was a son of the great 1964 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner, Northern Dancer out of the mare, On To Royalty....
by six lengths in the Blue Grass Stakes
Blue Grass Stakes
The Toyota Blue Grass Stakes, currently sponsored by the Toyota Motor Corporation, is an American Grade 1 horse race for 3-year-old Thoroughbreds held annually in mid April at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Kentucky....
while setting a new stakes record over a wet-fast track at Keeneland Race Course.
After an unaccountably poor performance in the Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
, he finished second in both the Preakness Stakes
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ; fillies 121 lb...
and Belmont Stakes
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds...
, losing the latter by a length to Editor's Note after a prolonged duel over the long Belmont stretch. He won the 1996 Haskell Invitational Handicap
Haskell Invitational Handicap
The Resorts Casino & Hotel Haskell Invitational is an American Grade I race for thoroughbred horses. In 1968, the Board of Directors of Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey honored its former President and Chairman Amory L. Haskell with the Amory L. Haskell Handicap, a race for older...
and in October of that same year, he defeated the mighty Cigar
Cigar (horse)
Cigar , is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse, who in 1995 and 1996 became the first American racehorse racing against top-class competition to win 16 consecutive races since the Triple Crown winner, Citation did so in 1948 and 1950...
, winner of 17 of his previous 18 races, in the Jockey Club Gold Cup
Jockey Club Gold Cup
The Jockey Club Gold Cup, established in 1919, is a prestigious thoroughbred flat race open to horses of either gender three-years-old and up. It is typically the main event of the fall meeting at Belmont Park, just as the Belmont Stakes is of the spring meeting and the Travers Stakes is of the...
at Belmont Park
Belmont Park
Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse-racing facility located in Elmont in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island adjoining New York City. It first opened on May 4, 1905...
. Seizing the lead entering the stretch, Skip Away held clear to win a stretch drive by a head over the steadily closing champion.
Formal Gold defeated Skip Away in four of their six meetings in 1997. After Skip Away was soundly defeated as a four-year-old by Formal Gold in the Philip H. Iselin Breeders' Cup Handicap at Monmouth Park and the Woodward Stakes
Woodward Stakes
The Woodward Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race and is one of the premier races for older thoroughbred horses in the United States. Named for prominent racehorse owner, George Nicholas Woodward, it is run at 1⅛ miles on the dirt for a purse of $750,000.The Woodward was run as a handicap in...
at Belmont Park, he was given a new rider, Jerry Bailey, who replaced Shane Sellers
Shane Sellers
Shane Jude Sellers is an American Thoroughbred horse racing jockey. At age eleven, he began working around horses and in 1983 rode his first winner at Evangeline Downs....
. With Bailey at the reins, Skip Away adopted a new front-running style; and he proceeded to win nine consecutive races, including a six length victory in the 1997 Breeders' Cup Classic
Breeders' Cup Classic
The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade I Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3 year olds and older run at a distance of 1¼ miles on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships...
, contested that year at Hollywood Park Racetrack, setting a record time of 1:59:16 under another new rider, Mike Smith.
As a five-year-old he had seven consecutive wins including five Grade I races, with wins in the 1998 Pimlico Special
Pimlico Special
The Pimlico Special is an American thoroughbred horse race held at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland in mid May. It is raced on dirt over a distance of 1³/16 miles . The race is currently open to horses age three and older and offers a purse of $250,000.The Pimlico Special was first run in...
, Hollywood Gold Cup
Hollywood Gold Cup
The Hollywood Gold Cup is an American Grade I stakes race for thoroughbred horses inaugurated in 1938 at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California. It was run as a handicap race until 1997 when it was switched to weight-for-age conditions...
, and Woodward Stakes; and although he failed to repeat his Breeders' Cup win at Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs, located in Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, is a Thoroughbred racetrack most famous for hosting the Kentucky Derby annually. It officially opened in 1875, and held the first Kentucky Derby and the first Kentucky Oaks in the same year. Churchill Downs...
, he was nonetheless voted the Eclipse Award
Eclipse Award
The Eclipse Award is an American thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse. The Eclipse Awards, honoring the champions of the sport, are sponsored by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association , Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers...
as both Champion Handicap Horse and Horse of the Year
Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year
The American Award for Horse of the Year is the highest honor given in American thoroughbred horse racing. It has been awarded since 1887 to the horse, irrespective of age, whose performance during the racing year is deemed the most outstanding....
for 1998. He was retired to stud that fall with 18 wins and 34 in-the-money finishes from 38 career starts, his career earnings having amounted to $9,616,360.
Stud record
During his 12 years at stud, Skip Away sired 489 foals and from the nine crops of racing age, he had 21 stakes winners, who earned $19,424,552 His more notable offspring include Skipshot (Swaps StakesSwaps Stakes
The Swaps Stakes is a race for Thoroughbred horses run annually at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California. The race is open to three-year-old horses willing to race one and one-eighth miles on the dirt. A Grade II event, it carries a purse of $350,000.Run in mid July, this race is...
), Skip Code (Grey Stakes
Grey Stakes
The Grey Stakes is a Canadian Thoroughbred horse race held annuallyduring the first week of October at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto. A Grade III, it is open to two-year-old horses and is raced on dirt at a distance of 11/16 miles...
) and Sister Swank (Valley View Stakes
Valley View Stakes
The Pin Oak Valley View Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in October at the Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky. Contested on turf over a distance of 8.5 furlongs, it is open to three year old fillies. Currently a Grade IIIT event, it offers a purse of...
).
At age seventeen, Skip Away died of an apparent heart attack in his paddock on May 14, 2010 at Hopewell Farm in Midway, Kentucky
Midway, Kentucky
Midway is a city in Woodford County, Kentucky, United States. Its population was 1,620 at the 2000 census. It is located midway between Frankfort and Lexington along the single-track railroad between them. It is part of the Lexington-Fayette Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town is home to a...
.
Honors
Skip Away was inducted into National Museum of Racing and Hall of FameNational Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers...
in 2004. In the Blood-Horse magazine ranking of the top 100 U.S. Thoroughbred champions of the 20th Century, Skip Away was ranked No.32.
In 2001, Gulfstream Park Racetrack
Gulfstream Park
Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino is a racetrack and county-approved racino in Hallandale Beach, Florida, in the United States. During its annual meet, which spans December through April, it is one of the most important venues for horse racing in America....
in Hallandale Beach, Florida
Hallandale Beach, Florida
Hallandale Beach is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. The city is named after Luther Halland, a worker for Henry Flagler's Florida East Coast Railroad. As of the 2010 census, the population was 37,113...
honored Skip Away by renaming its Broward Handicap the Skip Away Handicap
Skip Away Handicap
The Skip Away Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. A Grade III event open to horses age four and older, it is contested on dirt over a distance of 1³/16 miles ....
.