Balanced Image--Leading Money-Winning Sire

Let's quickly examine all the criteria we can think of to evaluate a stallion prospect. Okay?

First, he must have been a good 2-year-old. Horses without ability as 2-year-olds can never make good sires. Additionally, he should have set or equaled some major world record, and done so in winning one of the classics for his age group. He should also demonstrate terrific half-mile track ability. And, for good measure, he must have impeccable racing manners. He must also stand at a major farm with access to the leading broodmares of his time, thereby insuring his acceptance in the world market.

Based on all of that criteria, which I have heard espoused by breeders evaluating the stallion potential of any number of young horses, we have just proved conclusively that Balanced Image, the current leading money-winning sire of trotters, could not possibly be a successful stallion.

Because, if we applied that criteria to Balanced Image, he would fail every category. He was not a good 2-year-old, never won a major stake at either two or three, never came close to equaling a world record, had a lifetime mark of 3,1:58.4, was wild and unmanageable as a race horse and began his stud duty in near obscurity.

Yet, Balanced Image has risen through the ranks to become our leading money-winning producer for the last three years running. In 1997, his get won more than $7.3 million, more than $2 million above his nearest trotting competitor, and more than most of North America's leading pacing stallions. In the three years that preceded that, from 1992 to 1994, he was second in that all-important North American statistic. At the age of 20, Balanced Image is one of our current siring stars, producing a cadre of top colts and fillies, and siring rugged and dependable race horses that are competitive anywhere in North America and who have found great success in Europe as well.

Balanced Image was bred by Castleton Farm, and is by the enigmatic Noble Gesture, one of the most gifted and troubled horses in the history of the breed. Noble Gesture, by Noble Victory, was the same age as Speedy Crown and was near the top of his class as a 2-year-old for breeder K.D. Owen and trainer Sonny Graham. He was a handsome, good-gaited colt who had tremendous high speed. But he was a nervous, high-strung horse whose temperament was his undoing as a race horse and later, as a stallion. He was a hyperactive horse, a poor shipper and as a stallion, he would savage himself in the stall or paddock. He also had the same fertility problems that seems to be the curse of most of the Victory Song male line.

Noble Gesture is an important horse because he provided not one, but two horses to continue his dwindling male line, that of a direct link to the blood of Volomite, without passing through Speedy Crown or Super Bowl. He did this by siring Mystic Park, who in turn sired Mack Lobell and by producing Balanced Image. We know from history that the Victory Song male line blood is worth having, since it produced not only Balanced Image and Mack Lobell, but in Italy, the vaunted sire Quick Song proved to be a quality sire as well.

Like his own sire, Balanced Image was a difficult horse to manage in training. Maybe difficult is not the right word. He was a horrible colt to be around. He had to be jogged early in the morning before dawn to avoid track machinery and other horses. When he was trained, there were no leisurely slow miles to build wind and conditioning. He was all but unmanageable at a jog or in a training mile. When he raced, he had to be held in the paddock on most occasions, or restrained by an outrider until it was time to swing in behind the gate. In most cases, his driver was just a passenger. Balanced Image's temperament was such that it compromised what were wonderful natural abilities. He was a big, long-barreled, great-looking colt. The late Glen Garnsey, who trained and drove him, always said that the horse was the most difficult he ever had to train. But, it was at Garnsey's insistence that the horse even got a chance in the stud, for he knew the horse had abilities that had gone untapped. He had speed. And speed is always a valuable commodity for any stallion.

Still, there was no rush to his doorstep. His first few crops, sired in Pennsylvania, saw the horse poorly patronized. The first five crops produced less than 250 foals. Yet, from those modest beginnings came the budding of hope now fully in bloom.

His offspring include three millionaire trotters, all of them geldings; twelve $500,000 winners and sixteen 1:55 trotters. When he is done, Balanced Image will retire as the third-leading 2:00 producing trotting stallion in history--behind only Speedy Crown and Super Bowl. This is pretty exalted company.

He now commands a $20,000 stud fee at Glengate Farms in Canada, where he is a living legend, and his book is full before it is even open. His yearlings averaged nearly two times his stud fee in 1997, and five of his get brought $100,000 or more. The averages are likely to rise through the next few seasons as his reputation and accomplishment grow.

The fact that most of his talented get are geldings is due to the fact that they are largely as unmanageable as he was during his racing career. As we have seen from our earlier examination of Noble Gesture, the aggressive genetic tendency is a strong one in this line. And therein, of course, lies a dilemma. What of the future of this sire line?

Of Balanced Image's 20 leading money-winning offspring, 14 are geldings, four are mares, and only two are stallions. Of his 20 fastest offspring, 14 of them as well are geldings, three are mares and three are stallions. Earl 4,1:55f; $984,318 is his top money-winning son in the stud, and his first crop of 2-year-olds are racing this year. And, to date, Earl is the only legitimate link to the continuation of the Balanced Image line. A Go Go Lauxmont 3,T1:54.3; $299,881 is the only son of Balanced Image from which we may draw some indication of siring ability. A Go Go Lauxmont stood briefly in Canada before moving to New York, but he has shown clear abilities as a sire with very limited opportunity. His chief credit is the exceptional filly trotter Razzle Dazzle Tom 3,1:57.4; $569,013.

Many trainers would like not to geld the sons of such an accomplished horse, as there is the realization that a top colt with credentials could be a very valuable breeding proposition. But nearly all of his sons soon meet the same fate. As stallions, they are uncontrollable. As geldings, they mature into durable, useful horses. It is frustrating, but nearly inevitable. They may train like good horses, but once they see the gate, and learn to go fast, they have to be castrated.

Balanced Image is the first foal from the Speedster mare Well Molded (whose 13 other foals of racing age have little accomplishment) and his greatest successes have come when he has been mated with mares from the Speedster male line. Mares by Speedy Crown (a grandson of Speedster) and Dream Of Glory (also a grandson from a different son of Speedster) have dominated his production for many years now. For example, his four richest offspring, led by the $1.2 million winner Glory's Comet, are all from mares by Dream Of Glory. His five fastest offspring are all from mares by Dream Of Glory as well.

For all of his success, Balanced Image has not yet produced an exceptional two or three-year-old colt trotter able to dominate his division outside of Canada. The nearest he has come to doing that with a filly came in 1996 and 1997 with his exceptional daughter Elegantimage 3,1:55.4, a winner of nearly $1 million at two and three, and a legitimate contender for North American divisional honors against the likes of No Nonsense Woman and Must Be Victory. Armbro Officer, one of his four Breeders Crown champions, is his only high-profile 2-year-old star outside of Canada. But as a sire of aged horses, Balanced Image has few equals.

His numerous aged champions include the Breeders Crown and Elitlopp winner Billyjojimbob 4,1:56f; $728,132; the Maple Leaf Trot winner Glory's Comet 1:53.4; $1.2 million; world champion Impecable Image 1:53.4; $1.1 million; and rugged stars Goodtimes 4,1:54.4; $1 million; Armbro Marshall 3,1:55.4; $951,924 and B Cor Pete 1:53.2; $667,585.

Balanced Image's daughters are already prized commodities among the major breeders, who recognize the value of his brand of aggressive speed in a pedigree. A young Balanced Image mare is the dam of the 1997 star Lord Stormont 3,1:53.2, one of the fastest trotters who ever lived. Another produced Shippmate Hanover 3,1:52.3, winner of the fastest heat of the 1997 Kentucky Futurity. Because of the problems with his aggressive sons, and the lack of opportunity to continue his male line, the future for Balanced Image may reside in his abilities as a broodmare sire. If Lord Stormont is an indication of what is to come, we are in for some very fast sons and daughters of Balanced Image mares.

All of this has sprung from an exceptional sire who no one, not even Glen Garnsey, could have imagined would have become the star he is today. The next time we look too critically at a stallion candidate, let us remember that Nature has her own surprises in store for us, and that subjective, summary judgments in the horse business can often be very costly and wholly inaccurate.

NEXT WEEK IN THIS COLUMN WE WILL LOOK AT THE BREEDING HISTORY OF THE HAMBLETONIAN STAKE.