A Look Back: The Greatest Classic Field?

In conjunction with Tom Hall's Throwback Thursday features in BloodHorse Daily, BloodHorse.com will present corresponding race stories from the pages of the magazine each Thursday. 

This week is a recap of the 1998 Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) at Churchill Downs, written by Ray Paulick with the headline "Awesome Classic" from the Nov. 14, 1998 issue.

This was racing's field of dreams. The 15th Breeders' Cup Championship at Churchill Downs was almost too good to be true. There were enormous purses, record betting, and 80,452 people on hand—the biggest Breeders' Cup crowd of all time. The Nov. 7 event also had what one could argue was the most accomplished group of horses for the afternoon's climactic event, the mile and a quarter Classic (gr. I), that the sport had seen in a quarter of a century or more.

"Best field I've ever seen," said Seth Hancock, the president of Claiborne Farm and a co-owner of Arch, one of the longshots in the race. "You put up the money and you're going to get the best. These horses are the best of the best."

The money—a total Classic purse of $5.12 million for the richest (Breeders' Cup) race ever run—was staggering. It may have been the magnet, but the money wasn't the main attraction for most of the people who came to watch this race of a lifetime. The horses were.

There was the popular gray warrior, Skip Away, the two-time Eclipse Award winner who was trying to carry the red and gold colors of Carolyn Hine into the history books in his final career start for the owner and her trainer husband, Sonny Hine. The 5-year-old Florida-bred, who thoroughly dominated a weaker field in the 1997 Classic at Hollywood Park, only needed to finish in the top three to pass Cigar and become North American racing's all-time leading money-winner with more than $10 million in prize money.

Then there was that other gray Florida-bred horse, Silver Charm, who had given his owners, Robert and Beverly Lewis, a lifetime of thrills with victories in the 1997 Kentucky Derby (gr. I) and in this year's Dubai World Cup (UAE-I). Silver Charm had a mid-year slump after returning from the Persian Gulf, but was back on his game as the Breeders' Cup approached.

Skip Away and Silver Charm drew most of the attention, from the media and at the betting windows. The eight others in the field, despite considerable accomplishments among them, were cast into supporting roles.

That all changed in a matter of minutes—2:02.16 to be exact, which is how long it took Frank Stronach's Awesome Again to spoil Skip Away's storybook ending and keep Silver Charm out of the running for 1998 Horse of the Year. In fact, the three-quarter-length victory under Pat Day—Awesome Again's sixth this year in as many starts in a carefully managed campaign—pushed the 4-year-old Deputy Minister colt into consideration for the title that many already had conceded to Skip Away.

Awesome Again's trainer, Patrick Byrne, said his horse deserves that consideration, despite his absence from most of the year's major races for older horses. Skip Away was the leader of the division, Byrne said, and conventional wisdom suggests an undefeated horse which beats the leader should move to the top of the heap. But Awesome Again's perfect string in 1998 was about as unconventional as the finish of this 15th Classic—which featured runner-up Silver Charm in the middle of the track and third-place finisher Swain close to a row of photographers perched along the outside fence.

The $30-million field

Awesome Again was one of eight millionaires in the Classic field, whose combined earnings were just shy of $30 million. The 10 starters had won a total of 69 stakes races, 31 of which were grade or group I. Skip Away led the pack, with 16 stakes wins, 10 in grade I competition, during four rigorous years of top-class competition. The Argentine-bred Gentlemen, supplemented to the Classic at a cost of $800,000 by R.D. Hubbard and his partners, boasted 11 stakes victories (six grade/group I) in his native country and in North America. European champion Swain had five group I wins among his eight stakes victories, plus a narrow loss to Silver Charm last March in the Dubai World Cup. That race was one of three grade or group I victories for Silver Charm, the 3-year-old champion of 1997 who had compiled nine stakes wins during his career. Silver Charm, not nominated to the Breeders' Cup as a foal, was supplemented into the race at a cost of $480,000, the same amount the Hines paid one year ago to make Skip Away eligible for the Classic.

The field also included the last two winners of the Belmont Stakes (gr. I), Touch Gold and Victory Gallop, 1998 Travers Stakes (gr. I) winner Coronado's Quest, who had a total of eight stakes wins, and the late-blooming Arch, who won the grade I Super Derby against 3-year-olds in September, then upset Touch Gold in the Fayette Stakes (gr. II). Awesome Again had won his only grade I start of the year, the Whitney Handicap. He had five other stakes victories to his credit, including the Queen's Plate in Canada, and the Jim Dandy Stakes (gr. II), both in 1997, when he was trained by David Hofmans.

The only starter not to win at the grade I level was European-based Running Stag. 

No previous Breeders' Cup field has had this depth of quality, and perhaps no race since the inaugural Marlboro Cup in 1973 can even compare. The lineup for that invitational event was similarly spectacular: seven starters with 63 stakes wins between them and pre-inflation earnings of $4.5 million. That field was headed by the entry of Triple Crown winner Secretariat and Kentucky Derby winner Riva Ridge, who were joined by fellow champions Cougar II and Key to the Mint, along with Kennedy Road, Onion, and Annihilate 'em.  Before a crowd of 48,000 at Belmont Park, Secretariat cruised to victory over his stablemate in the Marlboro Cup en route to his second consecutive Horse of the Year title.

Skip Away was denied the crown as Horse of the Year in 1997 when voters opted for Favorite Trick, the unbeaten 2-year-old who was trained by Byrne. The Hines felt that Skip Away was slighted, and they were determined to give their horse every opportunity to become the 1998 Horse of the Year. Sonny Hine put together a demanding schedule of races that took Skip Away from Florida to Maryland in the spring, to Massachusetts, California, and New Jersey in the summer, and New York, and, ultimately, Kentucky in the fall. Skip Away thrived on the competition and the travel, winning his first seven races of the year (five of them grade I) and extending his winning streak to nine, including his final two starts of 1997. Only when he got caught up in a speed duel with Gentlemen over a sloppy track in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (gr. I) did Skip Away lose.

While Skip Away's schedule was planned well in advance, Silver Charm's 4-year-old season was as unpredictable as his trainer, Bob Baffert. His year began in good order with victories in the San Fernando Breeders' Cup (gr. II) and Strub Stakes (gr. II), but a minor injury took him out of the Santa Anita Handicap (gr. I) and landed him instead in Dubai, where he upstaged Sheikh Mohammed's Swain with a thrilling nose victory.

Baffert backed off on Silver Charm when he returned home, but the lure of a $750,000 purse at Churchill Downs in the Stephen Foster Handicap (gr. II) just 10 weeks after the Dubai race was too much for Baffert to resist. Byrne and Awesome Again upset Silver Charm in the Foster while getting a 14-pound pull in the weights.

"I never should have run in that race," Baffert said. "I got caught up in all that Horse of the Year crap and made a mistake. I know better now."

That race was followed with the worst effort of Silver Charm's career—a 27-length loss in the San Diego Handicap (gr. III) in late July. In the immediate aftermath, Baffert said the colt was done for the year, but just as quickly changed his mind. Subsequent victories at Turfway Park and Santa Anita's Oak Tree meeting suggested that Baffert had Silver Charm on track again.

"These good horses will overcome bad training," Baffert said. "I've learned a lot from having Silver Charm."

Byrne, meanwhile, took a conservative route with Awesome Again so that he could have a fresh horse for the Breeders' Cup. After a long freshening at Stronach's Adena Springs South in Ocala, Fla., Awesome Again joined the Byrne stable in Kentucky in late March, then made his 1998 debut with an allowance victory at Churchill Downs in May. He followed that with his upset of Silver Charm in June, then was pointed for the Whitney at Saratoga.

He won that race with ease, returned to his Kentucky base, then came back to the Spa to score again in the Saratoga Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. II) at 10 furlongs. The fields for both Saratoga races were weak, and even jockey Day later said the quality of the horses Awesome Again had been beating was "suspect."

The competition didn't get any better when Byrne dodged Skip Away in the Jockey Club Gold Cup and instead vanned Awesome Again from his Churchill base to Chicago, where he cruised to victory in the Hawthorne Gold Cup (gr. III) against an overmatched field.

Byrne himself was beginning to worry that maybe the competition was too easy. "Do you think he got enough out of that?" he asked Day following the Chicago race. Day thought he did, but Byrne cranked up both Awesome Again and Touch Gold with strong, six-furlong drills leading up to the Classic.

With all of the attention on the two gray horses—Skip Away and Silver Charm—Byrne felt his two horses were getting left out. "Don't forget about the bays!" he told reporters, in reference to his talented duo. Byrne, who had won two Breeders' Cup races in 1997 with Favorite Trick and Countess Diana before dissolving his public stable and taking a private job with Stronach, was brimming with confidence. "We've done all we can do to this point," he said on the eve of the Classic. "I'm very happy with the way my horses are coming into the race, and they will run their races."

Everything had not gone perfectly for the Skip Away camp. Because Skip Away had run so poorly in the 1996 Kentucky Derby in his only previous start at Churchill Downs, Sonny Hine decided to ship him in late and not have any serious training over the track. When Skip Away did arrive, all hell broke loose.

During his first night in Louisville, a United Parcel Service aircraft flying overhead left debris from a broken engine scattered on the roof of Barn 36, where Skip Away was bedded down. One day later, when Skip Away went out for a routine gallop, he ran off under his regular exercise rider, Jose Clemente Sanchez, and then ducked away from an outrider who tried to grab him. Sanchez tumbled to the ground, but Skip Away pulled himself up after taking a few strides, and emerged from the incident with no apparent physical problems. Taking no chances, Hine sent Skip Away out the next day with a pony to accompany him.

A war of words between Hine and Baffert that had escalated throughout the year subsided, for the most part, when Hine arrived at Churchill Downs. As the week wore on, the banter seemed to be more of a running gag than a real feud. Asked during a press conference with Baffert if the two men have a problem with each other, Hine deadpanned, "I don't like him and he doesn't like me. Otherwise, we're fine."

When Hine wasn't having fun with his silver-haired rival, he was facing the stark realization that the Classic would be the last dance for the champion who had meant so much to him and Carolyn. Skip Away had been sold for stud duty and was sent to Rick and Liz Trontz' Hopewell Farm two days after the race. "He's changed our lives," the trainer said of Skip Away. "Every morning I can't wait to get out to the barn to see him. You don't know how much we're going to miss him."

A Classic battle

As Sonny Hine walked with Skip Away from the stable area to saddle him for the last time in the Classic, he was greeted by countless well-wishers along the way. "Good luck, Sonny," or "Thanks, Sonny," most of them called out. "Sonny for President" shouted another. "That's a little strong," he cracked. "I could never do that, because I don't have any vices."

When Hine caught sight of the tote board, he noticed that the fans were behind his horse. Skip Away was made the 9-5 favorite ahead of Silver Charm, who was 5-2. "That Battaglia can't make odds, can he?" Hine joked, referring to Mike Battaglia, who had made Silver Charm the morning line favorite ahead of Skip Away.

Next in the wagering at 9-2 was the three-horse entry of Awesome Again, Touch Gold, and Coronado's Quest, who were coupled because of overlapping ownership involving the Stonerside Stable of Robert and Janice McNair. Last year, the McNairs purchased an interest in Touch Gold from Stronach, who also owned Awesome Again. Earlier this year Stonerside bought a quarter interest in Coronado's Quest from Stuart Janney, which lumped him in with Stronach horses. Breeders' Cup officials asked the Kentucky Racing Commission to bend the rules to allow Coronado's Quest to race uncoupled, but the request was denied.

Swain was solidly backed at 6-1, as was 7-1 chance Victory Gallop, who had recovered from throat surgery in October and was training well for Elliott Walden. Gentlemen was next at 8-1, followed by 26-1 Arch and Running Stag, the rank outsider at odds of 104-1.

Skip Away, breaking from post six under Jerry Bailey, was off a step slowly, then was herded toward the rail by Running Stag. Coronado's Quest and Kent Desormeaux jumped out to a quick early lead, with Arch and Shane Sellers in close pursuit. Going into the first turn, Skip Away had moved into a good spot along the rail in third, with Silver Charm and Gary Stevens just to his outside. Swain was tucked in behind them, while Awesome Again dawdled near the back of the pack alongside Touch Gold. Victory Gallop lost contact early and was more than a dozen lengths off the front end. Early fractions of :23.56 and :47.69 were moderate over a track that was rated fast but had not yielded particularly quick times throughout the day.

Despite Skip Away's contending position, Bailey could tell this wasn't going to be the big finale that the Hines had wanted. "I knew 50 yards into the race I was in trouble," Bailey said. "He just could not handle this track."

Moving around the final turn and into the stretch, after a six-furlong clocking in 1:12.09 and a mile in 1:37.34, Coronado's Quest sill led the way, but the field was bearing down on him. Skip Away tried to make a run through an opening along the rail, "but the hole was moving faster than I was," said Bailey. Silver Charm ranged up to battle for the lead, and Stevens looked to his outside for some competition. He saw Swain launching a bid under jockey Lanfranco Dettori, who allowed the son of Nashwan to drift out as he went to work with a furious left-handed whip. With each crack of the whip, Swain drifted farther out, with Dettori seemingly oblivious to the direction he had his mount heading.

Stevens wanted Silver Charm to eyeball his competition, and he allowed him to drift in Swain's direction. The move created a giant hole for Awesome Again, who was closing fastest of all. "He was so far down inside, I don't think Silver charm ever saw him," Stevens lamented. "I never even saw him until it was too late."

Awesome Again hit the finish three parts of a length ahead of Silver Charm, who had a neck advantage on Swain. Victory Gallop finished with a rush and was only a nose back in fourth, with Coronado's Quest a length behind him. Skip Away wound up sixth, beaten four lengths.

Many observers thought Dettori was aboard the best horse, but that his use of the whip had cost Swain the race. The rider, who was tossed twice from Swain during the post parade (once after swatting him with the whip), said the horse veered out in the direction of the lights near the winner's circle that were used for the television team from NBC Sports. "He was going to win," Dettori said, "and all of a sudden he saw the lights. He's not used to this sort of thing. He saw the lights and veered right."

End of the road

Aside from Skip Away, several Classic runners were making their final career starts including Swain, who will enter stud at Sheikh Hamdan's Shadwell Farm near Lexington. Gentlemen, who bled in the race and was eased in the stretch, is heading to Walmac International near Lexington, and Touch Gold is going to Adena Springs near Versailles, Ky. Coronado's Quest was sent back to trainer Shug McGaughey's barn in New York, where he may make one more start, in the Nov. 28 Cigar Mile (gr. I), before going to stud at Claiborne Farm near Paris, Ky. Silver Charm and Victory Gallop will remain in training, with their connections pointing to the Dubai World Cup as a major early-season goal. Arch also will remain in training as a 4-year-old.

In the aftermath of a victory worth $2,662,400 to Stronach, who bred the colt in Canada, Awesome Again's owner said he intended to keep the Classic winner in training in 1999. Because of what Awesome Again accomplished in beating this star-studded field there remained the distinct possibility, however, that Stronach could change his mind.

If Awesome Again remains in training, Byrne won't make the same mistake he made this year, underestimating the colt's ability. He hopes Eclipse Award voters won't, either, when they review Awesome Again's 1998 record.

"I know everybody said Skip Away has Horse of the Year already, but this horse should not be thrown out of the voting," Byrne said.

Awesome Again has beat the odds before, defeating Silver Charm and then Skip Away. His next race, for Horse of the Year honors, figures to be an even tougher battle.