Leading sire Walk Thru Fire passed away at age 27 on Thursday night

© Burns Ranch

MENIFEE, CA–APRIL 19, 2024–Walk Thru Fire, unquestionably one of the premier Quarter Horse stallions of all time, passed away at age 27 on Thursday night at Burns Ranch. Ben Hudson’s TRACK Magazine reported Walk Thru Fire’s death as part of a special report on Friday afternoon.

Walk Thru Fire leaves a legacy of greatness thanks to an extensive list of his outstanding progeny.

His sons and daughters include World Champions and Champion of Champions winners Heza Dasha Fire ($2.2 million), He Looks Hot ($1.6 million) and Last To Fire ($1.1 million), plus multiple champion and multiple Grade 1 winner Higher Fire ($1.3 million) and Grade 1 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity winner Worth Doing ($1.1 million). He is Quarter Horse racing’s 6th all-time leading stallion with over $41 million in earnings as of December of 2023.                                                                

A quick overview of his stallion career noted over 60 Quarter Horses with career earnings of more than $100,000. In addition to the five previously mentioned millionaires, Walk Thru Fire was represented on the racetrack by G1 Ed Burke Million Futurity winners Separate Fire and Walk Thru Crystal, G1 Golden State Million Futurity The Partys On Fire, G1 Charger Bar Handicap winner Kiss Thru Fire, G1 Mildred Vessels Memorial Handicap winner Flame N Flash, G1 Dash For Cash Futurity winner Jess Walkin Thru, G1 Zia Park Championship winner DM Streakn Thru Fire, Governor’s Cup Futurity winner Hot Hitter. Walk Thru Fire had over 90 stakes winners according to TRACK Magazine.                                            

Bred by the Allred Brothers and Vessels Stallion Farm, Walk Thru Fire was foaled on January 30, 1997. Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas spotted Walk Thru Fire as a yearling in a California sale in 1998 and purchased the son of First Down Dash out of the Beduino mare Sweet Beduino.

Lukas in partnership with Will Farish and E.K. Gaylord  raced Walk Thru Fire exclusive at Los Alamitos with success, as the Laura Lukas (Pinelli)i-trained runner qualified to the Grade 1 Golden State Million Futurity, Grade 1 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity and in the Grade 2 El Primero Del Ano Derby. At the end of his 3-year-old campaign, Lukas consigned Walk Thru Fire to the Heritage Place Sale in Oklahoma in January.                                            

Jaime Gomez, who had always admired Walk Thru Fire, purchased him out of the Heritage Place Sale. Gomez raced Walk Thru Fire a couple of more times at Los Alamitos before retiring the horse and sending him briefly to Rolling A Ranch to start his career as a stallion.

The following year. Walk Thru Fire traveled to Louisiana, albeit his stay in the Pelican State was brief.                                                      

Gomez had lightning in a bottle with Walk Thru Fire as a sire in 2005. When Gomez checked with Sergio Gonzalez, a well-known California horseman and an expert in introducing young horses to the saddle, on which of his yearlings was showing the most promise, Gonzalez immediately replied that it was the two Walk Thru Fire yearlings: Higher Fire and Gold Nugget Rd.

The two young runners exceeded all expectations, as Gold Nugget Rd won the Kindergarten Futurity and Higher Fire won the Grade 1 Ed Burke Million, Grade 1 Golden State Million and just missed winning the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity.                                                  

"Higher Fire nearly won the Los Alamitos Triple Crown," Gomez said. "Her mother was the Ed Allred-bred Higher Math and owned by Dutch Master III. Higher Fire was so amazing on the track. She went on to be that year’s champion filly. I was going to loan Walk Thru Fire to Gianni Samaja so he could go stand at Brazil for a while. Then, Dr. Allred bought him from me in a multi-million-dollar deal. Allred (and Fred Scane) then syndicated him in a few days. It was a golden deal for me, and it changed my life. I paid off my house. I paid off any debts that I had. I bought more acres. I am so thankful and blessed that he came to me. He was so good to us that were part of the syndicate. Dr. Burns did an excellent job at his ranch with him."     

The year 2010 was a tremendous one for Walk Thru Fire. He was represented by 84 winners from 155 starters for an outstanding win ratio of 54%. The figure was first in the nation among the top 10 leading stallion in America. Nationally, Walk Thru Fire also finished as the 4th leading sire of money earners with nearly $3.1 million and he is the 4th leading sire of 2-year-old money winners with over $1.7 million dollars.

Walk Thru Fire enjoyed a great campaign with his 2-year-old sons and daughters in 2010. His progeny won 34 different major derby and futurity trials last year, including four winners in the Golden State Million Futurity trials and three winners in the trials to the All American Futurity and Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity.                  

More importantly, his sons and daughters won stakes races. His outstanding daughter Pink Boots RM won the Governor’s Cup Derby.  His tremendous son Hot Hitter won the Governor’s Cup Futurity.  There were also stakes wins by Fire Is On, Chivalry SR, Secret Path, Whatta Knockout and Peace Fire.

His sons and daughters of Walk Thru Fire hit the board in 19 graded stakes races in 2010 with the likes of Forrest Fire, Crystal Sola, Personal Glory and DM Streakn Thru Fire.                                                           

Those lofty stats of success became customary for the progeny of the prolific Walk Thru Fire. The names of his stakes winners continue with the likes of Once Over, Chance To Fire, Fire Fast Honey, Thermonuclear Energy, Sweet Dasha Fire, LD Fire, PK Fire, Oatman, Secretly Hot, New Look, Fixin To Fly and more.                              

"In Dispute was one of the first runners by Walk Thru Fire that I had," Allred said. "He was out of a swayback mare named Palimony, who was well-bred, but was a swayback. In Dispute went on to run in the All American Derby in 2006. We had the horse at Rolling A Ranch for a year. When we had a second chance to be a part of him, we did not let him get away again.                                                  

"He was such a tremendous stallion," Allred added. "The great D. Wayne Lukas picked him out and acquired him as a yearling for around $100,000. D. Wayne is such a good judge of Quarter Horses. He always had a great eye for a Quarter Horse. He was right on Walk Thru Fire from the start."

Courtesy Orlando Gutierrez, Los Alamitos Race Course Director of Marketing