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Hall of Fame: Balthazar
Original article written by Douglas Marley posted 4 years 0 weeks agoHorses raise to prominence for many reasons. Some horses like Justify, Eclipse, Personal Ensign, are know as invincible, unbeaten horses. Some, like John Henry, Kelso, Forego, Equipoise, and California Chrome, gain fame by running season after season gaining the fame and following that comes from longevity. Some, like Upset, Arts and Letters, and Coastal who gain fame not for their career winnings but, because they defeat a seemingly unbeatable like Man O’ War, Majestic Prince, or Spectacular Bid. Balthazar like one of the magi he was named after spent a lifetime chasing a star in the east. In the case of the real Balthazar the star led to Christ child. For our equine Balthazar, his quest was to win the Grade 1 Steward’s Cup Arabian Dash.
Balthazar was the result of the crossing of stakes winner Sandfire with Moniet El Panters. Rebecca Cass, Balthazar’s owner/breeder of Balthazar has had a modest racing career with 559 winners out of a little over seven thousand starts with runners of all breeds. Her Arabian record is, as of this writing 1,297: 171-207-211 with 14 stakes wins. Balthazar, her best Arabian runner was born at her Chiricahua ranch located outside Phoenix Arizona.
Balthazar’s first race was in a five-furlong Maiden Special Weight event at five furlongs. Balthazar, as was to become his style, broke well settled mid-pack and waited until the top of the stretch to make his move. In his first race this proved successful with Balthazar crossing under the wire a length and a quarter in front of this modest field of runners.
After his maiden victory Cass moved Balthazar into stakes company in the $50,000 One Wonder Stakes at five furlongs. Balthazar proved up to the task winning by a nose. This victory signaled the beginning of a four-race winning streak in stakes company. After his victory in the One Wonder Stakes, Balthazar added three more sprint stakes victories in the Sandhill, On the Stretch Out and Royal Gift Stakes. Balthazar’s performance bode well for his next start in the $150.000 Grade 1 Stewards’ Cup Arabian Dash.
In Y33 Arabian’s could compete in a mere 6 Grade 1 Stakes compared to 310 Grade 1 events for thoroughbreds. For Arabian Sprinters there are only two Grade 1 Stakes, the Steward’s Cup Arabian Dash for the males and the Steward’s Cup Arabian Ladies Dash for fillies and mares. Any Steward’s Cup draws the best of the division. The Y33 Steward’s Cup Arabian Dash was no different. Balthazar faced no less that three past Hall of Fame and/or Simmy winners including Guardian of Truth, Qairan, and Kharizmah. Balthazar broke inward and, as usual was tucked in fifth behind a speed duel on the front end between Qairan, Prowl, and Guardian of Truth. When Balthazar was urged at the head of the stretch, he was unable to provide enough of a run to chase down the eventual winner Guardian of Truth or second place finisher Qairan. While Balthazar’s third place finish was made on heart and grit it was somewhat of a disappointment to an otherwise perfect three-year-old campaign. Not surprisingly. Balthazar was overlooked for a three-year-old Simmy. Instead voters voted Kalri, winner at the more popular route distances, the Simmy.
After a preseason rest at Mazuma Plantation in California, Balthazar returned to the track for the Y34 season. His first start was in the $50,000 Northern Warrior stakes at five furlongs. He finished third behind second place finisher Qairan and eventual winner Unicornsandglitter. Balthazar’s next start at four furlongs in the Longer Is Stronger stakes led to another disappointment. Balthazar finished fourth behind Qairan, Unicornsandglitter, and eventual winner Ak El Aswad. Balthazar then finished third against allowance company but seemed to return to form with a victory in the Unfunny Stakes at four furlongs. In his next start Balthazar finished second by a neck in the Royal Gifts Stakes at four furlongs. It was now time again for the Steward’s Cup Arabian Dash.
Balthazar’s second try at the Steward’s Cup Dash was no easier a task than the first. He had to face several horses that had beaten him earlier in the year like Qairan, Unicornsandglitter, and Ak El Aswad. When the gates opened Balthazar broke outward and was taken back behind the leaders. On the turn Balthazar made his move but had no gas in the tank and finished a well beaten sixth.
Balthazar opened his Y35 campaign with a fifth-place finish in the Northern Warrior Stakes at five furlongs. In the Hot and Fast Stakes at five furlongs Balthazar gave a glance of his past form with a first-place finish by a neck. Balthazar was able to come in second in the June Weather Stakes at five furlongs. Cass tried Balthazar for the first time on a muddy track in the Inauguration Stakes and proved he was not a mudder with his fourth-place finish.
A field of twelve entered the gate for the Y35 Steward’s Cup Arabian Dash. Among the entrants was the up and coming three-year-old Muthadi, who had five wins and a second in his first five starts, all in stakes company. When the gate opened, Balthazar’s regular rider, Miguel Rios heart dropped when his mount broke inward. Fortunately, Rios was able to take back and save ground sixth behind Muthadi, while rabbits, Sayf and Zaid dueled on the lead. As the field moved into the stretch, Sayf and Zaid faded while Balthazar responded to Rios’ urging and closed with the fading leaders with Muthadi surging from sixth place. At the wire the field could be covered by a blanket. At the wire Balthazar finished a neck in front of three-year-old phenom Muthadi.
The quality of the field for the Y35 Steward’s Cup Arabian Dash was honored by Muthadi being named Y35 Arabian Champion Three-Year-Old. Moreover, Balthazar had reached the end of his lifelong quest for a Steward’s Cup trophy that he put next to his Y35 Arabian Champion Male Simmy.
Balthazar was retired to stud in California at Mazuma Plantation in California with a stud fee initially set at $7,500. Balthazar’s stud fee would steadily rise to a height of $25,000 in Y41 and then began to decline as Balthazar’s age increased. He sired 221 foals, of which 171 made it to a race. Of the 171, 125 of his runners became winners with 8 winning stakes races. Balthazar’s top earning offspring Zimburo retired with a career record of 27: 12-6-3 with $195,940 in earnings. All together Balthazar’s offspring won $4,154,750 in earnings.
Balthazar’s fertility declined until he was pensioned in Y44, oddly he was gelded the next year.
Balthazar’s career was framed by his quest to win a Steward’s Cup. Without this win Balthazar would not have been voted his Y35 Simmy or been inducted into the SimHorseRacing Hall of Fame in Y46.