He raced at a time when the Southern California circuit was captivated by a native horse in Ancient Title. Though he never might have reached the popularity of his contemporary, Avatar managed to distinguish himself as a successful router while doing something unprecedented during his three-year-old season.

But it all began with a sprint in Del Mar in August 1974. Assigned to go six furlongs against maiden company, Avatar got into the win column first time out. It would be far from the last time the chestnut would pose for a photo, but that Del Mar visit was the only time Avatar tasted victory as a juvenile.

The rest of the 1974 season saw Avatar compile off the board finishes between stops at Santa Anita's Oak Tree meet and Bay Meadows. However, Arcadia beckoned again the following winter, and it was there where the Graustark colt began to shine.

From New Year's Day 1975 until the tail end of March, Avatar thrived over the main track at Santa Anita. This was also when his routing prowess would begin to be noticed. In three starts in January alone, Avatar finished third or better against allowance foes each time, and got win number two while traversing a mile and one-sixteenth. He was reunited with rider Jorge Tejeira for those trio of trips to the starting gate (Tejeira rode him once at Oak Tree back in the fall), and they would team up again later on in the meet.

February saw Avatar team up with Angel Cordero, Jr. to take second in an allowance (while again going a mile and one-sixteenth), and finish fourth in his stakes debut, the Santa Catalina. It was a more quiet month compared to what was achieved in January, but March would be a different story.

A total of three Santa Anita programs featured Avatar in late winter and early spring, all of them routes. Defeat did not find Avatar at all that month. First, he took down allowance foes in another mile and one-sixteenth excursion on March 1. The occasion was notable as Bill Shoemaker rode him for the first time, and time would later reveal that Shoe would be a major part of Avatar's career. Next came the Bradbury Stakes, which marked Avatar's initial attempt going a mile and one-eighth. With Tejeira back aboard, Avatar notched his first stakes score on March 12 (though the field was quite small, with only three runners taking part after scratches), and that set him up for something even bigger.

The 1975 Santa Anita Derby took place on March 29. Avatar, again asked to go nine furlongs, went off at odds of over 5-1, his largest price to date. But he was ready, and he and Tejeira pulled off a nose victory over Rock of Ages to cap off a productive meet on Huntington Drive.

As one might guess, the Kentucky Derby was on the radar. But first, Avatar made a trip to Keeneland for the Blue Grass Stakes. An off track was on tap in Lexington, and the day did not go as planned, as Avatar and Shoemaker took fourth following a slow start. Things were different in Louisville, though. Though an 11-1 longshot, Avatar had a good day under the Twin Spires as he and Shoemaker took second behind Foolish Pleasure.

They tried the Preakness two weeks later, which resulted in a fourth. But if anyone had seen Avatar race, they knew he liked to race longer distances. He was also a grandson of Ribot, one of the few horses to win the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in Paris twice. The distance of that classic is about a mile and one-half. Of course, that route of ground is very familiar to North American racing fans, and it would be good to Avatar.

Entered in the Belmont Stakes with Shoemaker, Avatar finally had his moment. At 13-1 odds, the highest he would ever have, Avatar captured the Test of the Champion while entering the history books as the first horse to win both the Santa Anita Derby and Belmont Stakes. With the third leg of the Triple Crown now his, Avatar had reached the pinnacle of his career.

The rest of 1975 ended up being a mixed bag for Avatar. In five more starts between Hollywood Park, Belmont Park, and Oak Tree, Avatar's best efforts were a seven-furlong allowance win at Belmont Park (which turned out to be his final start in a sprint) and a dead heat for third in a mile and one-sixteenth allowance at Oak Tree.

A three month layoff followed before Avatar arrived on track for his 1976 debut. Back at Santa Anita for another winter/spring meet, the year got off to a promising start with a second in the San Fernando Stakes with Laffit Pincay, Jr. in the irons. However, Avatar would not recapture the magic of a year ago. In four more starts at Santa Anita in 1976, he would finish off the board in the Charles H. Strub, San Antonio and Santa Anita Handicap before closing out the meet with a win in the mile and one-half San Luis Rey in his turf debut.

Next up was Hollywood Park, which went about the same as Santa Anita. Avatar tried turf again, but went unplaced in the Century and Hollywood Invitational Handicaps. A return to dirt yielded far better results, as Avatar collected one more allowance triumph with Darrel McHargue aboard for the first time before taking second in the Hollywood Gold Cup (also with McHargue). The turf experiment officially ended with a ninth in the Sunset Handicap, but Avatar would enjoy a better time at Del Mar as he wrapped up his career with runner-up efforts in an allowance race and the Del Mar Invitational Handicap.

In 33 starts, Avatar won 9 times, finished second 7 times, and third once. Along with being one of the most memorable horses noted California trainer Tommy Doyle ever trained, Avatar also teamed with several riders who are in the Hall of Fame. On many occasions, he was among the principal contenders on the tote board. Those facts convey the respect that Avatar had from both jockeys and fans during his era.

Avatar lived to be twenty years old, passing in 1992. But given he was a noted router in his era, and he was the first horse to achieve the Santa Anita Derby-Belmont Stakes double, Avatar will forever own a place in the sport.