The Ontario racing community was saddened to hear that Woodbine Mile (G1) winner EL TORMENTA passed away suddenly at the end of February. The 11-year-old, who had been embarking on a successful jumping and eventing career since his retirement from racing, died without struggle overnight in his paddock.
The Sam-Son Farms’ homebred by Stormy Atlantic – Torreadora by El Prado (Ire) was trained throughout his career by Gail Cox, who had her hands full when the bright bay gelding was learning to race. A headstrong fellow, El Tormenta won his maiden in his third career start. His first stakes attempt came in the Charlie Barley Stakes early in his three-year-old campaign and while he essentially ran off early in the race, opening up almost 10 lengths on the field, he stayed on well to be second to Ride a Comet.
It took some work, but Cox managed to get the gelding to settle better in his races by the time he turned four years old. He was 7-to-1 when he upset the Connaught Cup (G2) at seven furlongs under jockey Luis Contreras in the spring of 2019. El Tormenta was plagued by some bad racing luck in his next few races, but Cox and the Sam-Son team had faith in their horse and entered him in the $1 million Woodbine Mile.
Meeting the brilliant American mare Get Stormy plus graded stakes stars Raging Bull (Fr) and Synchrony, El Tormenta, with Eurico Rosa da Silva riding, wove his way through traffic and posted a popular 44-to-1 upset for the home team. Mark Samuel and his niece and nephew Lisa Balaz and Michael Balaz accepted the Mile trophy. It was a special moment for the Sam-Son family as they were getting set to disperse all of their breeding stock within the next year. El Tormenta took his team to the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) at Santa Anita after his Woodbine Mile win and he came away with a respectable sixth-place finish against the world’s best.
El Tormenta finished second in the Aqueduct Turf Sprint in 2020 and that would be his final race. He retired with over $800,000 in earnings. Known as Eddie around the barn, the gelding found a new home with Lisa Balaz, who was adopting her first off-track Thoroughbred.
“Our racing manager and Florida farm manager Tom [Zwiesler] asked my brother Mike and I if we would be interested in keeping him, since he has such a great personality and seemed like he would make a great riding horse,” Lisa told Horse Sport in 2023. “He was always a farm favourite, so he was hoping that we would be able to keep him in the family. Mike and I decided to take over his ownership in 2021.”
El Tormenta made a smooth transition to the hunter/jumper ring and he was learning the ropes of eventing with top equestrian Jessica Phoenix in 2025.
Lisa Balaz wrote a testimonial to Eddie on Facebook:
Rest in peace, Eddie ♥️💛
You were born to be a champion, and you achieved so much in your life. You brought me and so many others years of joy and excitement. I’m so grateful I got to cheer you on your entire life, from your racing career with Sam Son, winning the Woodbine Mile and running in the Breeders Cup, to competing together in the jumper ring, to cheering you on in eventing. You had the biggest heart. You were incredibly special and deeply loved, and you’ll be missed by so many.
Thank you to Jessica Phoenix for loving him like your own this past year. I’m heartbroken we won’t get to see Ed reach his full potential in eventing, but it was so clear he found where he was meant to be and was so happy in your care.
Thank you to everyone who loved and cared for Eddie along the way. Our goofy boy touched so many people and had so many rooting for him.
El Tormenta in 2023 with Lisa Balaz. (Laurel Jarvis Photography)
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