Skinner's frustrations end with Native Diver

DEL MAR, Calif. - He almost won the Santa Anita Derby more than 18 months ago, losing by a half-length to Practical Move. Last November, he was a clear second in the Grade 3 Native Diver Stakes in what turned out to be his last start for nearly 11 months.

This month, Skinner has returned at the end of his 4-year-old season as a different colt. After finishing second in an allowance race at 6 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar on Nov. 1 in his first start of 2024, Skinner scored a breakthrough win in Saturday’s $100,500 Native Diver Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at Del Mar.

Ridden by Hector Berrios, Skinner moved from fifth to third on the turn, took the lead in the final furlong and won by a length over a stubborn pacesetter in Tarantino.

“He’s always run the turns well,” trainer John Shirreffs said. “Sometimes, he runs the turns too well and didn’t finish as well as I’d like.”

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The result of the Native Diver reversed some of those frustrations from 2023.

“It’s so important for the horse to achieve at the graded stakes level,” Shirreffs said.

Skinner ($9) was timed in 1:48.95 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 95.

Berrios rode Skinner for the second time in a race in the Native Diver, having been aboard the colt for a fifth-place finish in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar in September 2023.

Berrios recently worked Skinner and said the experience left him optimistic about his chances in the Native Diver.

“The last time I worked the horse, I felt very good,” Berrios said. “He moved in the straight, and he responded."

Berrios said he had to coax Skinner to the finish on Saturday.

“When I got to the front, he started looking around,” Berrios said. “He was watching the other horses.”

Tarantino (13-1) set a fair pace of 23.15 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 46.15 for a half-mile, leading by as much as a half-length over 3-1 Mixto. Racing on the inside in the stretch, Tarantino was unable to hold off Skinner, but fought through the final strides to finish second by a head over Mixto.

Jockey Edwin Maldonado said the presence of Mixto between Tarantino and Skinner may have cost Tarantino.

“I wish I’d had that horse next to me,” Maldonado said of the winner. “He sees horses and he comes back. He ran awesome.”

Ultra Power, the 6-5 favorite, finished fourth, beaten 7 1/4 lengths. Ultra Power was last of six on the backstretch and closed some ground late.

Salesman and Mirahmadi completed the order of finish in the small field.

Mixto won the Grade 1 Pacific Classic in August and was 11th of 14 in the Breeders’ Cup Classic here on Nov. 2.

Skinner, by Curlin, has won 2 of 12 starts and earned $377,300. Purchased for $510,000 at a 2-year-olds in-training sale in April 2022, Skinner races for Lee and Susan Searing’s CRK Stable.

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