Sired by Relaunch and out of the mare Bold Captive, he was named by Tatham's son for Luke Skywalker, a lead character in the Star Wars motion pictures.
Skywalker was trained by Michael Whittingham and raced under the Oak Cliff Stable partnership led by Thomas Tatham.
He was then sent to Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby, where jockey Eddie Delahoussaye rode him to a sixth-place finish behind winner Spend A Buck.
Another notable son is Sky Terrace (2002 winnings: 16 starts: 4 - 1 - 2, $218,709 - 1st Derby Trial Stakes-G3 2nd Le-Comte S. 3rd Lafayette Stakes-G3, Northern Dancer Stakes).
* Skywalker is inbred 4D × 4D to the stallion Polynesian, meaning that he appears twice fourth generation on the dam side of his pedigree.