1998 Breeders' Cup Classic - Awesome Again + Pre & Post Race

Horse Racing
Horse Racing
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Published 2012-10-03
On a day when Skip Away ran out of the money and lost his chance to become the world's richest race horse, Awesome Again won the world's richest race when he rushed through the pack in a blanket finish and snatched the $5.2 million Breeders' Cup Classic by three-quarters of a length over Silver Charm.

Awesome Again not only won the laurels and the loot, but also his sixth straight start in a perfect year at the races. To do it, he needed to make a furious dash through the homestretch and knife his way through the 10-horse field to hit the finish line in front.

But he did it, prevailing over one of the most impressive casts in racing history before a record Breeders' Cup crowd of 80,452 at Churchill Downs. And he redeemed an agonizing choice made a year ago by his trainer, Patrick Byrne, who dominated the 1997 Breeders' Cup with two juvenile winners, Favorite Trick and Countess Diana, and then gave them up to take a new job with Frank Stronach of Canada.

''Favorite Trick was a part of history,'' Byrne said with feeling, explaining again why he would surrender the Horse of the Year. ''I loved him. But I was faced with a decision that I had to make. That's what horse racing is all about.''

Racing is also about Skip Away, the 5-year-old superstar who will now retire with career earnings of $9.6 million, about $400,000 short of Cigar's record. But in his final performance at the races, just when he might have scored his greatest triumph, he stalked the leaders through most of the mile and a quarter but could not keep up and faded to sixth place.

As he did, the Classic was ending in high drama. Awesome Again crossed the line less than one length in front of Silver Charm, the winner of last year's Kentucky Derby, who won second place by the length of his neck over the 6-year-old Irish horse Swain. And Swain finished third by a nose over Victory Gallop, who won this year's Belmont Stakes. At the far end of the scale, the 6-year-old Argentine champion Gentlemen suffered pulmonary bleeding, was eased up by his rider, Corey Nakatani, and finished last in the final race of his career.

''I'm ready to cry, but I won't,'' said Sonny Hine, the trainer of Skip Away, who won nine straight races before losing the last two. ''I feel really bad about the horse. I thought he broke a step too slowly and, by the time they reached the first turn, I knew they were in trouble. I am disappointed for the horse. He gave me plenty.''

www.nytimes.com/1998/11/08/sports/horse-racing-awe…
All Comments (21)
  • @JerseyDevil26
    Tom Durkin's call down the stretch was just legendary. A legendary call for a legendary field. One of the best.
  • @35blackmagic1
    Its painful watching Dettori in the stretch with the left hand whip on Swain drifting out
  • @robertsmale3714
    Awesome again was simply AWEEEEESOME! One of Canada’s greatest horses ever. He beat a stellar field here. RIP Champ!
  • @jpmato920
    Frankie never got over this. Neither did Silver Charm. this race was an ending to a great era of horse racing. Before the breeding trend started
  • @stivosimz
    By far, the best Classic field ever assembled. Only the 03 Classic comes even close
  • @kareemwhyte7200
    I thought it was cool how Skip Away just stops like "oops...lost my rider. Better wait here" lol. 99% of horses would have been loose and sprinting down the back stretch.
  • @capiche7396
    Awesome Again and the great Ghostzapper, the only father and son to win the Breeders Cup Classic
  • @Caroni100
    "Skip Away was like a child to the Hines. Carolyn fell in love with Skip Away, and the feeling seemed mutual. Carolyn could be standing off to the side of the barn, but if Skip Away heard her voice, he would poke his gray head outside the tall, turn in that direction and tilt his ears forward. 'Mommy loves you' she would say" Jay Privman "Breeder´s Cup" Page 95. Moonlight Press.
  • @FreshCutFrenchFries
    All the announcers didnt even mention Awesome Again.. Only in the walk up to post.. As a Canadian very proud, love it when a Canadian horse wins!
  • @mikepatricks2705
    Proud to say I was at the 16th pole for this and had the winner after getting shut out all day long. Hubbard tossing out 800k for Gentlemen to go around like that was super painful! Can't say he didn't ante up...
  • @ooee7855
    Aa great Call.. Best Breeders Cup To Date Hope this Years can match
  • @hypersphere
    This race was so stacked, I get excited just rewatching the post parade!