Look Back: Skip Away Found his Footing in Ohio Derby

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

This week is a race story headlined, “Skipper Shipper,” written by Steve Hettinger recapping Skip Away's victory in the 1996 Ohio Derby (G2). The story ran in the June 29, 1996 issue of The Blood-Horse.

It is an accepted adage in politics, especially in an election year, that one needs to get their face in front of the voters as often as possible. President Clinton, adhering to that philosophy, travelled to Cleveland on Saturday, June 22, to address the U.S. Conference of Mayors and do a little fund raising. 

Then on Sunday, as most of the top sophomores were home in their stalls, resting from the rigors of the Triple Crown, Skip Away came to Cleveland to contest the 62nd running of the $300,000 Ohio Derby (gr. II) and try to keep his gray face in the muddled 3-year old championship picture. 

In this day and age it has become fashionable to rest horses who have campaigned through the Triple Crown grind and have them refreshed and ready for the important late summer and fall contests. Skip Away's trainer, Sonny Hine, thought about taking that course with the Preakness (gr. I) and Belmont Stakes (gr. I) runner-up--for about two days. "He came out of the Belmont fine, and I like them when they are going good," Hine said. "It was eight weeks to the Haskell (gr. I) and I could not hold him on the ground, so the Ohio Derby looked like a good spot."

The thought that Skip Away might be coming back to the races too soon crossed the mind of rider Jose Santos. "I was concerned about running back too quickly," said Santos. "But I went down to Monmouth on Tuesday (June 18) and he worked a bullet in :46 2/5 so I knew he was ready."

Hine said that D. Wayne Lukas, trainer of Victory Speech, told him that if Lukas were to have done this (run back so soon) the media would have killed him. "If I had not run him," said Hine, "my wife, (Carolyn, the owner of Skip Away) would have killed me."

While Skip Away and Hine were eager to get to the race, two events almost conspired to keep the Blue Grass Stakes (gr. II) winner out of the gate. The first was what is fast becoming an unwanted regularity when Skip Away Races--a poor draw. After starting the three Triple Crown races from closer to Central and Rogers Avenues and the Hempstead Turnpike than the rail, the Ohio Derby draw saw Skip Away again get the outside post in a field of 11. 

The fourth straight bad post had Hine thinking about not shipping his charge to Thistledown. "I had them the Thistledown staff) fax me a copy of the P.P.'s for the other horses in the race and I decided to send him anyway," Hine said. 

The second setback occurred the day before the race, when Skip Away developed a minor fever and a cough. It turned out the horse had a reaction to his stall bedding, which was soon changed. "We were up 14 straight hours with him, but he didn't miss a bite and his temperature went away," Hine said.

The 14,248 fans who showed up in perfect early summer weather at Thistledown were undeterred by the short layoff, bad post, and minor illness, sending the son of 1985 Ohio Derby hero Skip Trial off at 7-10 in a contentious field reduced to 10 after the scratch of Connecting Terms. Others in the field included such accomplished horses such as Sheridan Stakes (gr. III) winner Storm Creek, Fountain of Youth Stakes (gr. II) third Victory Speech, and Wild Dream, who had reeled off three straight impressive wins in Kentucky. 

Skip Away's job was made easier as the three horses immediately to his inside--longshots Knight Hunt, He'sfullafire, and Bunker Hill Road--all sprinted for the lead in the 1 1/8 mile race. That trio blazed the opening quarter in 22:58. This allowed Santos to guide Skip Away to fifth just to the outside of Victory Speech, who had broken from post two. 

The field remained in that order down the backstretch as the half went in :46.32. Nearing the far turn, Skip Away accelerated and swept by all four horses to grab the lead by the time he reached the turn. "He just drove me to the lead," said Santos. "I wanted to wait a little longer, but he just wanted to go on with it."

While Skip Away was getting a clear run from the outside, Victory Speech was forced to check slightly rounding the turn to avoid a tiring Bunker Hill Road. By the time Rene Douglas got the second-choice running again, the favorite had skipped away to a three-length lead straightening from the wire. 

Through the lane, Santos kept Skip Away busy with a vigorous hand ride as he drew off to a 3 1/2-length win in 1:47:86, just two ticks off Smarten's 1979 stakes and track record. "I tried to keep busy on the horse," said Santos. "He likes to quit, but I had more horse today in the stretch than I did in the Belmont."

Victory Speech finished 9 1/2 lengths clear of third-place finisher Clash by Night, who rallied from last to edge Storm Creek for the show. Immediately after the finish, Douglas lodged a claim of foul against the winner. "I had to check to avoid the 10 (Bunker Hill Road) right as Skip Away went by, so I thought Skip Away might have forced him over," said Douglas. The stewards quickly dismissed the claim after replays showed that Skip Away in no way bothered Bunker Hill Road. 

"I was surprised by the foul claim," said Santos. "It was a stupid call. I really don't know what it was all about."

The win, which returned Skip Away's pari-mutuel backers $3.40, earned the colt $180,000 and made him racing's newest millionaire, with lifetime earnings of $1,054,860. The win also kept him squarely in the running for the 3-year-old championship, a race which his trainer and jockey think he should be leading at this point in the season. 

"He's been the most consistent of the 3-year olds, although he hasn't always won," argued Hine. "Look at the horses that beat him in the Triple Crown races. All three of them - Grindstone, Louis Quatorze, and Editor's Note--have come out of nowhere to win their races. He's the best horse I've ever trained."

Santos is another believer. "I've been riding against all the 3-year-olds, and he is definitely the best," said the jockey. "I don't want to take anything away from Shane Sellers, who is an excellent rider (and who before an injury was the regular rider of Skip Away), but I've had a lot of luck riding for Sonny and perhaps I could have made the difference in a couple of these races. This horse has had a great past and he should have a better future."

What does the future hold for Skip Away? Hine said the colt will try and emulate his sire with a Ohio Derby/Haskell double on Aug. 4 at Monmouth Park. Skip Trial followed up on his 1985 Ohio Derby win by upsetting eventual Horse of the Year Spend a Buck in that year's renewal of the Haskell. Hine knows that at this campaign stop, Skip Away will be the favorite son, since Monmouth is Hine's home base.

"I hope Unbridled's Song is back. Nick (Zito, trainer of Preakness winner Louis Quatorze) has already said he's not going to cross the river and will take the northern route to the Travers (gr.I). We'll just have to wait and see what happens."

Hine knows that once the primaries are over, the election of a divisional champ will probably hinge on the outcome of the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr.I), when all the youngsters will face a very strong incumbent in Horse of the Year Cigar. "I'd just like to have the opportunity to run in the same race with him (Cigar)," said Hine.