Skip Away
Skip Away a gray, was twice (1997, 1998) named America's Champion Handicap Horse. Skip Away won but once from six starts as a two-year-old, placing in both the Cowdin and Remsen Stakes at Belmont Park. His first Stakes win came as a three-year-old, when he defeated eventual Preakness Stakes winner Louis Quatorze by six lengths in the Blue Grass Stakes over a wet-fast track at Keenland Racecourse.
After an unaccountably poor performance in the Kentucky Derby, he finished second in both the Preakness and Belmont Stakes, losing the latter by a length to Editor's Note after a prolonged duel over the long Belmont stretch. In October of that same year, he defeated the mighty Cigar, winner of 17 of his previous 18 races, in the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park. Seizing the lead entering the stretch, Skip Away held clear to win a stretch drive by a head over the steadily closing champion.
After Skip Away was soundly defeated as a four-year-old by Formal Gold in the Iselin Handicap at Monmouth Park and the Woodward Stakes at Belmont Park, he was given a new rider, Jerry Bailey, who replaced Shane Sellers. With Bailey at the reigns, Skip Away adopted a new front-running style; and he proceeded to win nine consecutive races, including a smashing six length victory in the 1997 Breeders' Cup Classic, contested that year at Hollywood Park.
As a five-year-old he won five Grade I races, including the 1998 Pimlico Special, Holywood Gold Cup and Woodward Stakes; and although he failed to repeat his Breeders' Cup win at Churchill Downs, he was nonetheless voted the Eclipse Award as both Champion Handicap Horse and Horse of the Year for 1998. He was retired to stud that fall with 18 wins and 34 in-the-money finishes from 38 career starts, his career earnings having amounted to $9,616,360.
Storm Cat
Storm Cat is one of the most influential stallions in the history of the breed and North America�s top stallion. He is the sire of over 125 stakes winners worldwide and his sons and daughters are proving to be excellent producers as well. At least 39 different sons of Storm Cat have sired stakes winners and his daughters have thrown the likes of Speightstown, Sky Mesa, Buddha, Sahara Gold and Jump Start. In 2004, Storm Cat has sired two G1-winners, Consolidator and Sweet Catomine. Not surprisingly offspring of Storm Cat are in high demand at public auction. At the 2004 Keeneland September sale a yearling Storm Cat colt brought a final bid of $8 million. That figure is the highest ever for a September yearling and Storm Cat has now sired the more $1 million yearlings than any other stallion in history.
Mr. Prospector
Northern Dancer was a Canadian-bred thoroughbred racehorse and the most successful sire in racing history.
Northern Dancer was ridden by Ron Turcotte in his first victory as a two-year-old. Before the running of the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky, trainer Horatio Luro asked jockey Bill Shoemaker to make a commitment to ride either Northern Dancer or the more promising colt, Hill Rise. Shoemaker went with the unbeaten Hill Rise, believing the colt represented his best chance for a win at the prestigious Kentucky Derby. As a result of Shoemaker's decision, Bill Hartack became Northern Dancer's permanent jockey, guiding him to his best season in 1964 at age 3 when he won the Flamingo Stakes, Florida Derby, Blue Grass Stakes, Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Queen's Plate. He was also named the Eclipse Award champion 3-year-old of 1964.In his two years of racing, Northern Dancer won 14 of his 18 races and never finished worse than third.
Northern Dancer stood at Taylor's stud farm in Maryland until his retirement and was the most successful sire in thoroughbred horse-racing history. His offspring have earned more money and won more major stakes races than those of any other sire. He sired 146 stakes winners He was also an exceptionally prepotent sire (a sire of sires of stakes winners such as Miesque). In the 1983 Keeneland auction, one of Northern Dancer's colts named Snaafi Dancer became the first $10 million yearling.
Although he has been dead for more than fifteen years, there are more Northern Dancer line Breeder's Cup winners than any other horse.
Secretariat
Secretariat was an American thoroughbred racehorse considered by many to be the greatest of all time. Secretariat won the 1973 Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes (June 9), making him the first Triple Crown winner in a quarter of a century he Recorded 31-length win margin in Belmont Stakes. He was 1972 Horse of the Year and Champion 2 Year Old Colt, 1973 Triple Crown Winner, Horse of the Year, Champion 3 Year Old Colt and Champion Turf Horse and also 1978 Leading Sire of Two Year Olds and 1992 Leading Broodmare Sire. He got 21 Starts and won 16 and only once was out of the placings.
Secretariat was retired to Claiborne Farm where he sired Horse Of The Year LADY'S SECRET and champions MEDAILLE D'OR and RISEN STAR. Other outstanding offspring included GENERAL ASSEMBLY , IMAGE OF GREATNESS, FIESTA LADY, PANCHO VILLA, TERLINGUA, ATHYKA, CLEVER SECRET, TINNERS WAY and many others.
Even more impressive is the role-call of his daughters' produce. They include champions CHIEF'S CROWN, A.P. INDY, DEHERE, BORN WILD (in Austria), MIZORAM , CORREGIO (steeplechaser), and ISTABRAAQ (hurdler), and remarkable stakes winners LACOVIA, STORM CAT, CLASSIC CROWN, SECRETO, AL MAMOON, GONE WEST, SUMMER SQUALL, HONOR GRADES, LA GUERIERE, HEART OF JOY, CAPTIVE MISS, CHEROKEE ROSE, TA RIB, SPINNING ROUND, IRGUN, DARE AND GO, ATTICUS, HEART OF OAK, LISTENING, WELL CHOSEN, and so many others.
