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Hall of Fame: Ashara

Original article written by Douglas Marley posted 4 years 3 weeks ago

The Arabian horse has a history stretching back seven thousand years to 5,000 BC. They were developed in the vast expanses of desert in the Arabian lands. They were known for their fine elegant appearance and their strength. The Arabian horse has one less vertebra than other breeds which may account for the breed’s ability to carry more weight over longer distances than its thoroughbred and quarter horse cousins. Arabian horses have been called “the great improver” for its ability to improve the conformation, temperament and rideability of the foals of mares crossed with Arabian stallions.
In the SimHorseRacing world, the Arabian breed’s history is much shorter than its thoroughbred cousins. The Sim Arabian was “created”, along with Appaloosa, Paint, Quarter Horse and Standardbred trotters and pacers, in Y23. Horses from these early days of the “mixers” came with no genealogical baggage that they came into the Sim without sire or dam.

Ashara, one of the founding mixers was purchased for $5,000 by her owner Jo Ferris. Ferris. Ashara’s first start was in a maiden special weight race at a distance of four furlongs, which Ashara won easily by a length and a quarter. After a second victory in a non-winner of two contest, Ashara tested the stakes water in the $60,000 Simple Gifts Stakes at four furlongs. Ashara finished third behind Gametime Decision who would win three Simmys as Y26-Arabian Champion Older Female, Y25-Arabian Champion Older Female, Y24-Arabian Champion Three-Year-Old Female and eventually enter the SimHorseRacing Hall of Fame. Ashara was given another start, and another victory in allowance company to gain more experience. Ashara ended her freshman campaign with a record of 4: 3-0-1 with earnings of $22,000.

n Y26, Ashara only raced once in an allowance race at four furlongs. She easily won by two lengths. After this victory Ashara did not race again for twenty weeks when she ran in the $60,000 Royal Gifts stakes at 4 furlongs. Ashara’s usual racing style was to be taken to the back of the field where she would make her move on the leaders at the head of the stretch. This running strategy would be again followed in Ashara’s next start in the $150,000 Grade 1 Ladies’ Cup at five furlongs. Ashara’s Y27 career ended with a perfect 2: 2-0-0 record with $105,000 in earnings.

Ashara opened her Y28 campaign in the $40,000 Yellow Fire Stakes at six furlongs. Ashara finished third after falling to her knees at the start. Ashara vindicated her loss with four straight stakes victories in the $60,000 California Sun Stakes, the $75,000 Sands of Creation Stakes, the $75,000 Inaugurated Stakes, and finally her second victory in the $150,00 Grade 1 Ladies’ Cup. Ashara’s half-length victory capped her Y28 campaign that produced a record of 5: 4-0-1 with earnings of $146,500. Ashara’s record was overshadowed in the voting for end of the year Simmys by the Bobby Girl’s five victories and one second in route stakes, including four graded stakes.

Y29 opened for Ashara with three stakes victories in the $50,000 Khali Stakes, the $100,000 Shorter the Better Stakes, and a second victory in the $75,000 Sands of Creation Stakes. In her next race, the $75,000 Inaugurated Stakes, Ashara finally started showing her age when she was unable to catch the leaders in the stretch and finished fourth.

In what would prove to be her last start, Ashara was entered in the $150,000 Grade 1 Steward’s Cup Arabian Ladies Dash at five furlongs over a muddy track. Ashara broke well and was taken to the back of the eight-horse field by her regular jockey, Payton Fitzpatrick. Around the turn Ashara had only passed a tiring and overmatched Wizard in London. It looked like Ashara would not be able to catch the rest of the field over the tiring muddy track. Fitzpatrick went to hand, boot and whip in an effort to pass the tightly bunched field. In the end the heart and soul of a champion carried Ashara under the wire three quarters of a length in front of Y28 Champion Arabian three-year-old female, Midnihte Monarch. The victory capped a career that produced a record of 17: 14-0-2 with earnings of $509,750. Unfortunately, Ashara was again overlooked and Bobbie Girl was named Champion Arabian Older Female.

Once Ashara was retired she began her second career as a broodmare. Despite her success on the track she proved a failure as a broodmare. She produced foals, only four made it to the track. Of Ashara’s four runners only one Soraya broke her maiden and finished her career with a record of 8: 1-2-0 with earnings of $20,600.

While Ashara did not have a long-term effect on the breed she did create exciting memories on the racetrack where she was able to prove the value of the Arabian as a racehorse.


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