Big Macher Wins Thor's Echo Off Layoff

Unraced since November 2015, grade 1 winner Big Macher returned a winner in Santa Anita Park's $100,000 Thor's Echo Handicap June 11 for trainer Richard Baltas. 

Clearly the best in the field of four other older horses, Tom Mansor and Tachycardia Stables' Big Macher chased down K Thirty Eight in the stretch and took the Thor's Echo by a length.

"He's a very good horse," Baltas said. "I only had one three-quarter (mile) work in him but he had a lot of long gallops. He's had good works, but horses like him, they aren't hard to train. I didn't really have him cranked..."

Off at odds of 4-5, jockey Rafeal Bejarano kept the 7-year-old Beau Genius gelding close to the pace through the first half-mile, while K Thirty Eight set fractions of :21.87 and :44.87. 

Big Macher put his head in front in the stretch, and although K Thirty Eight put up a fight, the bay gelding kicked away once the whip came out and completed the six furlongs in 1:08.98.

"He was looking over at K Thirty Eight a little bit," Bejarano said. "Finally he took off and showed me a big kick."

K Thirty Eight held for second and Got Even was third, 6 1/4 lengths back.

Big Macher gave Baltas his first grade 1 win in the 2014 Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar. An allowance winner at 3, he placed in the San Carlos Stakes (G2) and took the Potrero Grande Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita just prior to his top-level score as a 4-year-old.

Unplaced in graded stakes after his Bing Crosby effort, including the 2014-15 Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) and the Dubai Golden Shaheen Sponsored By Gulf News (G1), Big Macher was given time off at the end of his 5-year-old season. 

In training for 2016, California-bred Big Macher suffered a ligament injury, which forced Baltas to give him more time off. The Thor's Echo marks a triumphant return for the trainer.

"He means everything to me," Baltas said. "I mean, a horse that can take you to Dubai, take you to Breeders' Cups ... Sometimes things don't work out. He broke badly a few times and then he had a setback, but we did the right thing. We gave him plenty of time. He's a special, special horse. I have a lot of feelings for this horse. This feels good.

"The Thor's Echo came up and it's a lot easier than running against open company and that's what's nice about being a Cal-bred. I also thought it was a good springboard for his next start. If he comes back well, and I think he will, we'll point him towards the Bing Crosby (July 29 at Del Mar.)"

Bred by Ballena Vista Farm out of an unraced Kris S. mare, Big Macher bumped his record to 8-2-2 from 20 starts for earnings of $744,288.