Avatar (horse)
Encyclopedia
Avatar was an American
Thoroughbred
racehorse best known for winning the 1975 Belmont Stakes
. He was bred and raced by San Antonio, Texas
businessman Arthur A. Seeligson, Jr.
and trained by Tommy Doyle
.
. His grandsire Ribot
was an undefeated European Champion who won back-to-back editions of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
. Avatar's damsire, Mount Marcy, was a son of Epsom Derby
winner, Mahmoud
.
under jockey Jorge Tejeira
, a strong field in the 1975 Kentucky Derby
saw bettors
make Avatar only their fifth choice at odds of more than 11 to 1. However, under new jockey Bill Shoemaker, Avatar finished second to the heavy favorite, Foolish Pleasure
while beating, Frank McMahon's
highly regarded colt, Diabolo (3rd), Golden Chance Farm's Master Derby
(4th), as well as the second choice among bettors, Darby Dan Farm's
Florida Derby
winner, Prince Thou Art (6th).
In the ensuing Preakness Stakes
, Avatar moved with the leaders as the turned for home but faded to finish fifth behind upset winner, Master Derby
.
. In what Sports Illustrated
magazine described as "a pure and exquisite exhibition of the professional jockey at his very best," Bill Shoemaker rode Avatar to victory over runner-up Foolish Pleasure and third-place finisher, Master Derby.
San Luis Rey Handicap
on turf
, and three second-place finishes in the Hollywood Gold Cup
, the Del Mar Invitational Handicap
and the San Fernando Stakes.
for the 1977 season, Avatar was the sire of 19 stakes winners including the 1983 Canadian Champion Two-Year-Old Colt, Prince Avatar.
From his daughter Avasand's mating to English
Group One
winner, Northern Baby, came Possibly Perfect, a multiple Grade I winner and 1995 American Champion Female Turf Horse
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 best known for winning the 1975 Belmont Stakes
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds...
. He was bred and raced by San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
businessman Arthur A. Seeligson, Jr.
Arthur A. Seeligson, Jr.
Arthur Addison Seeligson, Jr. was an American oilman, rancher, and a Thoroughbred racehorse owner/breeder....
and trained by Tommy Doyle
A. Thomas Doyle
A. Thomas "Tommy" Doyle was an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer known for his success with young horses. He was reported as both "Tommy Doyle" and "A. T. Doyle."...
.
Pedigree
Avatar's sire was the highly regarded GraustarkGraustark (horse)
Graustark was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was a favorite to win the 1966 Kentucky Derby until an injury prematurely ended his career.-Background:Bred by renowned sportsman John W...
. His grandsire Ribot
Ribot (horse)
Ribot was an Italian bay Thoroughbred racehorse, considered the strongest horse of all time.Undefeated in 16 races, he won over distances ranging from 5 furlongs to 1m 7f , in three different countries and in all types of track conditions...
was an undefeated European Champion who won back-to-back editions of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year, usually on the first Sunday in October.Popularly referred to as the...
. Avatar's damsire, Mount Marcy, was a son of Epsom Derby
Epsom Derby
The Derby Stakes, popularly known as The Derby, internationally as the Epsom Derby, and under its present sponsor as the Investec Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies...
winner, Mahmoud
Mahmoud (horse)
Mahmoud was an French-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who in 1936 won England's most prestigious race, the Epsom Derby and who became a Champion sire in the United States....
.
1975 U.S. Triple Crown
Although he won the Grade I Santa Anita DerbySanta Anita Derby
The Santa Anita Derby is an American Grade 1 thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run each April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California and carries a purse of $1 million. Inaugurated in 1935, it is considered the most important West Coast stepping-stone to the Kentucky Derby...
under jockey Jorge Tejeira
Jorge Tejeira
Jorge Enrique Tejeira is a retired Panamanian jockey in United States Thoroughbred horse racing. He rode at venues across the United States and won a number of riding titles, including seasonal/annual championships at Philadelphia Park Racetrack in Pennsylvania and in California at Del Mar...
, a strong field in the 1975 Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
saw bettors
Parimutuel betting
Parimutuel betting is a betting system in which all bets of a particular type are placed together in a pool; taxes and the "house-take" or "vig" is removed, and payoff odds are calculated by sharing the pool among all winning bets...
make Avatar only their fifth choice at odds of more than 11 to 1. However, under new jockey Bill Shoemaker, Avatar finished second to the heavy favorite, Foolish Pleasure
Foolish Pleasure
Foolish Pleasure is an American bay thoroughbred race horse who was born in Williston, Florida. He was one of the top three three-year-old colts of his time....
while beating, Frank McMahon's
Frank M. McMahon
Frank Murray Patrick McMahon was a Canadian businessman best known as the founder and first chairman of Westcoast Transmission Co. Ltd...
highly regarded colt, Diabolo (3rd), Golden Chance Farm's Master Derby
Master Derby
Master Derby was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 1975 Preakness Stakes.-Background:He was bred by Robert E. Lehmann at his Golden Chance Farm in Paris, Kentucky...
(4th), as well as the second choice among bettors, Darby Dan Farm's
Darby Dan Farm
Darby Dan Farm is a produce, livestock, and thoroughbred horse breeding and training farm founded in 1935 near the Darby Creek in Galloway, Ohio by businessman John W. Galbreath. Named for the creek and for Galbreath's son, Daniel M. Galbreath , it was expanded from an original farm into a 4,000...
Florida Derby
Florida Derby
The Florida Derby is an American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses held annually at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida on the Saturday closest to the end of March or the first of April. Added to the racing schedule in 1952, the Grade 1 race is run at 1⅛ miles on the dirt...
winner, Prince Thou Art (6th).
In the ensuing Preakness Stakes
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ; fillies 121 lb...
, Avatar moved with the leaders as the turned for home but faded to finish fifth behind upset winner, Master Derby
Master Derby
Master Derby was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 1975 Preakness Stakes.-Background:He was bred by Robert E. Lehmann at his Golden Chance Farm in Paris, Kentucky...
.
The Belmont Stakes
After his performance in the 1³/16 mile Preakness, Avatar was sent off at 13 to 1 odds in the much longer 1½ mile Belmont StakesBelmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds...
. In what Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
magazine described as "a pure and exquisite exhibition of the professional jockey at his very best," Bill Shoemaker rode Avatar to victory over runner-up Foolish Pleasure and third-place finisher, Master Derby.
Racing at age 4
Avatar returned to racing in 1976 at age four. His best results in important stakes races was a win in the 12 furlongFurlong
A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and U.S. customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to 220 yards, 660 feet, 40 rods, or 10 chains. The exact value of the furlong varies slightly among English-speaking countries....
San Luis Rey Handicap
San Luis Rey Handicap
The San Luis Rey Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Held during the third week of March, the Grade II event is open to horses of either gender, age four and up, willing to race one and one-half miles on the turf.Prior to 1955,...
on turf
Grass
Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...
, and three second-place finishes in the 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...
, the Del Mar Invitational Handicap
Del Mar Handicap
The Del Mar Handicap is an American thoroughbred horse race run each year during the third week of August at the Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California...
and the San Fernando Stakes.
At Stud
Retired to studStud (animal)
A stud animal is a registered animal retained for breeding. The terms for the male of a given animal species usually imply that the animal is entire—that is, not castrated—and therefore capable of siring offspring...
for the 1977 season, Avatar was the sire of 19 stakes winners including the 1983 Canadian Champion Two-Year-Old Colt, Prince Avatar.
From his daughter Avasand's mating to English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Group One
Group One
Group One or Group 1 is the term used for the highest level of Thoroughbred and Standardbred stakes races in many countries. Group One races may be run under handicap conditions in Australia but in Europe weight-for-age conditions always apply. Races may be also restricted to age groups or a...
winner, Northern Baby, came Possibly Perfect, a multiple Grade I winner and 1995 American Champion Female Turf Horse