Big Macher runs big to win Pirate's Bounty

DEL MAR, Calif. – Big Macher is the reason Richard Baltas has one of the larger stables in Southern California. The success Baltas has had with Big Macher brought him new clients and deserved recognition for the outstanding training job he’s done overall, and the gift has kept on giving, for Big Macher showed on Monday at Del Mar that he’s back and ready for more.

Returning to the races for the first time since a trip to Dubai in March, Big Macher was a dominant winner of the $102,250 Pirate’s Bounty Stakes for older sprinters, reporting home 4 3/4 lengths best despite his typical slow start, followed by a wide trip. It didn’t matter, as Big Macher ($4.20) was much the best, completing six furlongs on the fast main track in 1:09.18 under Rafael Bejarano.

Cherubim, who encountered some traffic trouble, rallied for second, three-quarters of length in front of third-place Athens in the field of 10.

The victory was the seventh in 17 starts for Big Macher, a 5-year-old California-bred gelding by Beau Genius who was claimed by Baltas for just $20,000 out of a maiden-claiming race. He’s now earned more than $680,000 for owners Tom Mansor and Tachycardia Stables.

“It feels great to get the horse back and do the right thing,” Baltas said. “He was very impressive today. Very satisfying.”

Baltas said he had worked Big Macher out of the gate Aug. 30 and that he broke well. “I thought he’d break better today,” he said.

Big Macher was making just his third start of the year and his first since finishing fifth – after a typically slow start – in the Golden Shaheen in Dubai.

“He was tired, and he had lost weight when he got back from Dubai,” Baltas said. “He had a splint that we fired and gave him some time off. I thought he came into this race better than he came into Dubai.”