Cigar and Skip Away Closer to Rematch

Prepare for Skip Away-Cigar II at the Breeders’ Cup on Oct. 26 at Woodbine.

Trainer Sonny Hine said Saturday that he and wife Carolyn, who owns Skip Away, will make the first supplementary payment of $160,000 by Tuesday’s deadline, provided their colt, who held on to beat Cigar by a head in the Jockey Club Gold Cup eight days ago at Belmont Park, comes out of a workout today at Keeneland in good shape.

The $160,000, a third of the $480,000 supplementary payment, is non-refundable. The Classic is the last of the seven Breeders’ Cup races and is run at 1 1/4 miles.

Unlike Cigar, the 3-year-old son of Skip Trial is proven over the track in Toronto. He won the Woodbine Million by four lengths last month.

After the work today, Hine said he will check Skip Away from head to toe, even giving the Florida-bred, who went over $2.8 million in career earnings with his Jockey Club Gold Cup triumph, a blood test.

“We’re going to chase it,” Hine said. “This horse is doing so darn well and I’ve been getting wisdom from everyone. Other trainers have told me, ‘You’ll always regret it if you don’t go--you might never get this chance again.’ ”

Certain to earn the Eclipse award as the nation’s top 3-year-old, based upon his six wins in a dozen 1996 starts, Skip Away could wrest the horse of the year title away from Cigar if he beats him in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

This could be why it looks like Hine is going run in a race that he once said was out of the question. This past week, the New York Daily News polled 50 turf writers from around the country on who they would select as horse of the year if Skip Away was to beat Cigar again. The final tally: Skip Away 25, Cigar 25.

Actually, the choice would seem obvious if the sophomore beats his older rival once more. That would give him a 2-0 edge in head-to-head meetings and Cigar would have finished 1996 with three losses in his final four starts, although owner Allen Paulson suggested a few days ago that the 6-year-old may run once after the Breeders’ Cup before he is retired.

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Jockey Mike Hunter earned his first stakes victory at Santa Anita when he directed Beau Jingles to a gate-to-wire victory in the $78,240 Henry P. Russell Handicap Saturday.

The 7-2 second choice, the 4-year-old Riverman colt held on to beat 4-1 shot Earl Of Barking by a neck in 1:46 2/5 for the 1 1/8 miles on turf.

“It feels good,” said Hunter, who rode Beau Jingles for owners John and Betty Mabee and trainer Dave Hofmans. “Of course, it was Chris McCarron’s mount going in, but when [he got a three-day suspension], it turned out to be a nice opportunity for myself.”

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Frugal Doc, a 9-year-old gelding making his 109th career start, rallied near the wire to win the $200,000 Maryland Million Classic by a head over favored Oliver’s Twist at Laurel Park in Maryland.

Trained by Scott Posey, Frugal Doc covered the 1 3-16 miles in 1:54 4-5, just 1-5 off the track and stakes record set by Taking Risks two years ago.

Horse Racing Notes

Ocean Queen, the lone filly in the race, held off Mateo to win the $200,000 Bay Meadows Breeders’ Cup Derby. Ocean Queen, who has won four in a row, was ridden by Julio Garcia for trainer Neil Drysdale. . . . Alpride is the 1-1 favorite against four opponents in today’s feature, the $125,000 Las Palmas Handicap at 1 1/8 miles on the turf. The small field also includes 6-5 second choice Wandesta, Real Connection, Wende and Convertida. . . . Chelsey Flower, an 8-1 shot, took to the soft turf at Belmont Park and won the $350,000 Flower Bowl by three lengths under Robbie Davis. . . . Julie Krone and Dumaani beat Desert Waves by three-quarters of a length in the $200,000 Keeneland Breeders’ Cup Mile.