Skip Away Stamps Out Cigar Three-Year-Old Wins Gold Cup After Holding Off Late Charge

Skip Away got a shot at the mighty Cigar, probably the only one the 3-year-old will ever get, and made the most of it by winning the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup.

The mom-and-pop colt, trained by Sonny Hine for his wife Carolyn, held off a big stretch charge and beat the 6-year-old Cigar by a head Saturday at Belmont Park.

The victory also clinched the 3-year-old championship for Skip Away.

“That horse is such a great horse,” Hine said of the 6-year-old Cigar. “They’ve done a great job with that horse.”

“We’ve had a lot of good days,” Cigar’s jockey Jerry Bailey said. “This wasn’t one of them. Fortunately this is not the last one.”

Cigar, losing for the second time in three starts after winning 16 straight races, is scheduled to conclude his career in the $4 million Breeders’ Cup Classic Oct. 26 at Woodbine.

“I don’t feel uncomfortable about anything that’s happened,” Cigar’s trainer, Bill Mott said. “I thought he ran a pretty darned good race. I don’t feel badly about losing the race. I didn’t feel like he didn’t run his race.”

The second straight win in a Grade I race for Skip Away could be his last race of the year. He is not nominated for the BC Classic and to supplement him would cost $480,000.

“We’re ready to stop,” Hine said. “What have we got to gain?”

Skip Away, ridden by Shane Sellers, carried 121 pounds, 5 pounds less than Cigar, over the 1-1/4 miles in 2:00.70. He paid $13.60, $2.90 and $2.10. Cigar returned $2.20 and $2.10, 3-year-old Louis Quatorze returned $2.10 after finishing 2 lengths behind Cigar.