AWESOME AGAIN SKIPS AWAY WITH UPSET; SILVER CHARM SECOND, BUT CLASSIC SHOWDOWN FIZZLES.Byline: Daily News Wire Services Awesome Again Awesome Again (born 1994) is an Canadian Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse. Owned and bred by Frank Stronach of Newmarket, Ontario, Awesome Again was sired by Deputy Minister out of the 2000 Broodmare of the Year, Primal Force. stole the spotlight from Silver Charm Silver Charm (born February 22 1994) is an American Champion Thoroughbred race horse. Trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by Gary Stevens, Silver Charm won the 1997 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes before falling short of the Triple Crown by placing second in the Belmont and Skip Away Skip Away (born April 4, 1993), 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. and won the $5.12 million Breeders' Cup Classic The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade 1 Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3 years old and older run at a distance of 1ΒΌ miles (2012 m) on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup. on Saturday at Churchill Downs Churchill Downs, Ky.: see Louisville. . His trainer and jockey thought he might have stolen a championship as well. Awesome Again charged into the lead nearing the wire for a three-quarter-length victory over Silver Charm as Skip Away fell back to sixth and missed becoming the first race horse to earn $10 million. ``It was a Horse of the Year performance,'' jockey Pat Day said after his winning ride at Churchill Downs, where a Breeders' Cup-record 80,452 fans watched the seven races, which included victories by Southern California-based Silverbulletday in the $1 million Juvenile Fillies and Reraise in the $1 million Sprint, and a second victory in the $1 million Mile for 1996 winner Da Hoss Da Hoss (born January 18, 1992) by Gone West (by Mr. Prospector) out of Jolly Saint (by Welsh Saint) is a bay Thoroughbred gelding bred in Kentucky by Fares Farms and originally owned by Prestonwood Farm as well as Wallstreet Racing Stables. . ``I probably made a major mistake in estimating this guy (Awesome Again),'' said Awesome Again trainer Patrick Byrne Patrick Byrne is the name of several people:
``That was a brilliant race,'' he said. ``We beat some great horses.'' Skip Away has been the leading contender for Horse of the Year. Silver Charm's handlers thought he could lay claim to the award by winning the Classic. But 4-year-old Awesome Again beat them by charging through a gap between Skip Away and Coronado's Quest. The Britain-based Swain galloped down the stretch on the far outside to finish a neck behind Silver Charm and a nose ahead of Victory Gallop Victory Gallop (foaled May 30, 1995 in Ontario, Canada) was an American-based Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred by Ivan Dalos' Tall Oaks Farm, Victory Gallop was born later in the 1995 year than is common for most Thoroughbreds. , who came from far back with his patented closing rush. Skip Away's performance in his last race before he's retired to breeding had to be a heartbreaking moment for Sonny Hine Hubert "Sonny" Hine (born January 9, 1931 in The Bronx, New York) 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 Hine was the son of clothing merchant and trainer Arthur Hine. and his wife Carolyn, who owns the horse. ``I'm ready I'm Ready is the double platinum second release from R&B singer Tevin Campbell. I'm Ready yielded the biggest R&B hit of his career the #1 R&B smash "Can We Talk", and produce 3 more successful hits in "I'm Ready", "Always In My Heart" and "Don't Say Goodbye Girl". to cry, but I won't,'' Hine said. ``I feel really bad about the horse. Maybe Jerry could have sat a little longer and gotten second or third, but I told him to go out to win. ``I thought he broke a step too slowly and by the time they reached the first turn, I knew he was in trouble,'' he said. ``It's just a shame it turned out like it did. I'm disappointed for the horse. He gave me plenty. He'll be a great sire. He is one of the best I've ever seen. It's too bad it had to end on a sour note.'' As it was, Skip Away failed to pick up any piece of the purse and finished his illustrious career with earnings of $9,616,360. The retired Cigar remains the all-time money earner with $9,999,815. It was the second straight loss for Skip Away and the first time he has finished worse than third in 27 races dating back to his 12th-place finish in the 1996 Kentucky Derby Kentucky Derby One of the classic U.S. Thoroughbred horse races. It was established in 1875 and run annually on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs track in Louisville, Ky. With the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes, it makes up U.S. racing's coveted Triple Crown. . ``He simply cannot handle this surface,'' said Skip Away's jockey, Jerry Bailey. For a moment, it looked as though Silver Charm would win his second straight race worth more than $4 million and give Bob Baffert Bob Baffert (born January 13, 1953 in Nogales, Arizona) is an American horse owner and trainer. He graduated from the University of Arizona's Racetrack Management Program with a Bachelor of Science degree. his second Breeders' Cup The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Grade I thoroughbred horse races operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982 by a consortium of North American racing organizations, led by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association. win of the day. Baffert trains Silverbulletday. Awesome Again, coupled in the betting with Coronado's Quest and Touch Gold because of common ownership, returned $11.40 to his backers and earned $2,662,400 of the record-setting purse for owner Frank Stronach of Canada. After Silver Charm and Swain came Victory Gallop, Coronado's Quest, Skip Away, Running Stag, Touch Gold, Arch and Gentlemen. Gentlemen, who bled after the race, was supplemented for $800,000 because neither he nor his sire had been nominated. Silver Charm, who had not been nominated, was supplemented for $480,000. Coronado's Quest, ridden by Kent Desormeaux, broke on top and led through the first mile. At that point, Silver Charm was second, Arch third and Skip Away fourth. Awesome Again was seventh. The final quarter-mile became a cavalry charge and in midstretch Silver Charm was ahead, in front of Coronado's Quest, who was a half-length in front of Swain. Awesome Again was another length back and flying. By this time, Skip Away had faded to sixth. Frankie Dettori, riding Swain, had a slim lead 100 yards from the end and thought he was going to win. ``He saw the lights and veered right,'' Dettori said. ``He wasn't used to that.'' Gary Stevens said he moved Silver Charm wide when Swain went past him so his horse could see Swain. ``He dug in and got back in front of him, but then here comes Awesome Again,'' Stevens said. For the 45-year-old Day, it was the third win in the Breeders' Cup Classic. He won the first one in 1984 with Wild Again and won again in 1990 with Unbridled. - Daily News Staff contributed to this report. CAPTION(S): 3 Photos PHOTO CLASSIC UPSET (1) Coronado's Quest, above right, led much of the race but fell back and finished fifth. Rey Au/Associated Press (2--3) Frank Stronach, owner of Awesome Again, left, raises the Breeders' Cup Classic trophy after Awesome Again, right, plows across the finish line with jockey Pat Day aboard. Cliff Schiappa and Al Behrman/Associated Press |
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