His Best Bet, Far and Away, Was to Simply Skip Big ‘Cap

Those eager to see Gentlemen, Silver Charm and Skip Away hook up in the same race are probably going to have to wait for at least a few months.

Skip Away is not coming to California for the $1-million Santa Anita Handicap on March 7. Sonny Hine, who trains Skip Away for wife Carolyn, was never serious about the Big ‘Cap, and who can blame him?

There is no point in taking on Gentlemen and Silver Charm on their home turf at this time of year, not when Saturday’s $500,000 Gulfstream Park Handicap appears to be a handsomely rewarded, 1 1/4-mile workout.

Skip Away has only six horses to beat in a field that is much the same as the one he trounced in the Donn Handicap three weeks ago.

Running against California’s two big boys on a track Skip Away has never set foot on doesn’t make much sense.

It is also a safe bet that the threesome will not run in the Oaklawn Park Handicap on April 4 in Arkansas, despite that track’s guarantee of a $1-million bonus to the winner should they all participate.

Provided everything goes well, the most likely races for a showdown would be the Pimlico Special on May 9 in Maryland or the $1-million Hollywood Gold Cup on June 28 at Hollywood Park.

Pimlico has received approval to raise the purse of the Special to $1 million if three Grade I winners start. The Hines, meanwhile, had a good experience at Hollywood Park last Nov. 8 when Skip Away won the $4-million Breeders’ Cup Classic. They know Skip Away likes the track and would probably be receptive to coming back.

Even without Skip Away, the 61st running of the Big ‘Cap is the most anticipated race in California since Cigar ran at Del Mar in the 1996 Pacific Classic.

The 5-year-old Skip Away might be third best among the three horses. Skip Away had more losses last year than Gentlemen and Silver Charm combined, and the only time he met one of the two, he was defeated.

In one of his seven losses in 11 starts in 1997, Skip Away was beaten by half a length by Gentlemen in last year’s Pimlico Special.

The first meeting between the 6-year-old Gentlemen and the 4-year-old Silver Charm has had local fans talking about which of the two they preferred since they both won impressively Feb. 7.

Two races after Gentlemen won the San Antonio Handicap by six lengths, Silver Charm performed in the Strub almost as if he was determined not to be outdone by his elder and won by four.

Nearly 27,000 showed up that day in dreary weather, so a crowd of more than 40,000--if the weather cooperates--seems a certainty to watch them go head-to-head in Santa Anita’s most famous race.

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Random notes:

* Trainer Richard Mandella, who had the top three finishers in last year’s Santa Anita Handicap with Siphon, Sandpit and Gentlemen, probably will have three entrants in the race again. Expected to join Gentlemen are Malek and Refinado Tom, which means Mandella could saddle half the Big ‘Cap field. Along with Silver Charm, Bagshot and Da Bull are also expected to run.

* Owners John and Betty Mabee have a lot of talented 3-year-olds, including Event Of The Year. Unbeaten in two, well-spaced starts in Northern California, the son of Seattle Slew looks legitimate and it will be interesting to see how he fares against better competition. He is trained by Jerry Hollendorfer.

And a prediction:

* Gentlemen and Pat Day over Silver Charm and Gary Stevens in a tight finish in the Big ‘Cap.

Horse Racing Notes

The purse for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff has been doubled to $2 million, and that makes the total purse for the seven Breeders’ Cup races $12 million. The Distaff is for fillies and mares and is run at 1 1/8 miles. Breeders’ Cup XV will be held Nov. 7 at Churchill Downs. . . . Jockey J.G. Matos, who loses his apprentice allowance March 9, has returned to his native Puerto Rico to ride.