Sky Jack is a retired American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 Thoroughbred

Thoroughbred

The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...

 racehorse

Horse racing

Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...

. Bred and raced by Rene and Margie Lambert, he was sired by Jaklin Klugman

Jaklin Klugman

Jaklin Klugman was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He was owned and bred in California by John Dominguez and actor Jack Klugman. He showed promise as a two-year-old, winning the California Breeders' Champion Stakes...

 and out of the mare

Mare (horse)

A mare is an adult female horse or other equine.In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse age three and younger. However, in Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four years old; in harness racing a mare is a...

 Sky Captive, a daughter of the 1986 Breeders' Cup Classic

Breeders' Cup Classic

The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade I Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3 year olds and older run at a distance of 1¼ miles on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships...

 winner Skywalker

Skywalker (horse)

Skywalker was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred in Kentucky by Thomas T. Tatham's Oak Cliff Thoroughbreds Ltd., who also bred Sunday Silence, he was foaled and raised at Arthur B. Hancock III's Stone Farm...

.

After a successful season in 2000, Sky Jack incurred a knee injury that required multiple surgeries. In addition, he suffered from bouts of colic

Colic

Colic is a form of pain which starts and stops abruptly. Types include:*Baby colic, a condition, usually in infants, characterized by incessant crying*Renal colic, a pain in the flank, characteristic of kidney stones...

, all of which kept him out of racing until September 2002. Having recovered from death-threatening illnesses, the gelding

Gelding

A gelding is a castrated horse or other equine such as a donkey or a mule. Castration, and the elimination of hormonally driven behavior associated with a stallion, allows a male horse to be calmer and better-behaved, making the animal quieter, gentler and potentially more suitable as an everyday...

 enjoyed his most successful season, winning the Grade II Mervyn Leroy Handicap

Mervyn Leroy Handicap

The Mervyn LeRoy Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually during the second week of May at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California...

 and the prestigious Grade I Hollywood Gold Cup

Hollywood Gold Cup

The Hollywood Gold Cup is an American Grade I stakes race for thoroughbred horses inaugurated in 1938 at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California. It was run as a handicap race until 1997 when it was switched to weight-for-age conditions...

. In winning the 2003 Longacres Mile Handicap

Longacres Mile Handicap

The Longacres Mile Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in August at Emerald Downs in Auburn, Washington. The race is open to horses three years of age and older and is run on dirt over a distance of one mile...

, Sky Jack set the record for the both the fastest time and widest margin of victory.

Due to a recurring knee problem, Sky Jack was retired in November 2003 to his owners' farm near Temecula, California

Temecula, California

Temecula is a city in southwestern Riverside County, California, United States with a population of 100,097 according to the 2010 United States Census, making it the lowest populated American city over 100,000 population. It was incorporated on December 1, 1989...

.