Slip Away wins Colonial Cup by 25.75 lengths over field of 9

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Skip Away's going to sire a year-end champion ... it's odd that his offspring were always better going long on the turf .. they basically sucked on dirt.

Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s Slip Away swept to the lead approaching the Springdale Course’s final turn and powered away to a remarkable 25 3/4-length victory in the Colonial Cup Steeplechase at Camden, S.C., on Nov. 13.

Trained by Tom Voss and ridden by 2010 champion jockey Paddy Young, 7-year-old Slip Away was never far off the pace and ran the Colonial Cup’s 2 3/4 miles in 5:14.80 on firm ground.

Polaris Stables’ Preemptive Strike set the pace and held on for second; Irvin Naylor’s Tax Ruling held his position and finished third. Last year’s Colonial Cup winner, Bill Pape’s Mixed Up, finished fourth in a field of nine.

The runaway victory gave the Skip Away gelding the National Steeplechase Association 2010 championship based on earnings, moving him past Grand National (NSA-I) winner Percussionist, who finished sixth in Naylor’s silks.

With his Colonial Cup score, Slip Away became a leading candidate for the 2010 Eclipse Award as champion steeplechase horse.

Even before he called Ken Ramsey, who was unable to attend the race, Voss had no doubt about the Eclipse. “If they don’t give it to this horse, there’s something wrong,” he said after watching the replay of Slip Away’s overpowering victory.