Bold Ruler (April 6, 1954 – July 11, 1971) was an American

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...

who was the 1957 Horse of the Year. This following a three-year-old campaign that included wins in the

Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held on Armed Forces Day which is also the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs () on ...

and

Trenton Handicap The Trenton Handicap was an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Garden State Park Racetrack in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Open to horses age three and older, the race was contested on dirt at various distances during its tenure: * mil ...

, in which he defeated fellow

inductees

Round Table The Round Table ( cy, y Ford Gron; kw, an Moos Krenn; br, an Daol Grenn; la, Mensa Rotunda) is King Arthur's famed table in the Arthurian legend, around which he and his knights congregate. As its name suggests, it has no head, implying that e ...

and

Gallant Man Gallant Man (March 20, 1954 – September 7, 1988) was a thoroughbred racehorse, named for a horse in a Don Ameche movie. He was one of the most successful racehorses foaled outside the United States with his near miss in the 1957 Kentucky D ...

. Bold Ruler was named American Champion Sprinter at age four, and upon retirement became the

leading sire in North America The list below shows the leading sire of Thoroughbred racehorses in North America for each year since 1830. This is determined by the amount of prize money won by the sire's progeny during the year. It is restricted to stallions which are based in N ...

eight times between 1963 and 1973, the most of any sire in the twentieth century. Bold Ruler is now best known as the sire of the 1973 Triple Crown winner

Secretariat Secretariat may refer to: * Secretariat (administrative office) * Secretariat (horse) Secretariat (March 30, 1970 – October 4, 1989), also known as Big Red, was a champion American thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse who is the ninth winne ...

, and was also the great-grandsire of 1977 Triple Crown winner

Seattle Slew Seattle Slew (February 15, 1974 – May 7, 2002) was a champion American Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse who became the tenth winner of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States), American Triple Crown (1977). He is one of only ...

. He was an outstanding sire of sires, whose modern descendants include many classic winners such as

California Chrome California Chrome (foaled February 18, 2011) is a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2014 Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and 2016 Dubai World Cup. He was the 2014 and 2016 American Horse of the Year. In 2016, he surpassed ...

Background

Bred by the

Wheatley Stable Wheatley Stable was the '' nom de course '' for the thoroughbred horse racing partnership formed by Gladys Mills Phipps and her brother, Ogden Livingston Mills. The horses were raised at Claiborne Farm near Paris, Kentucky. History Over the ye ...

Gladys Mills Phipps Gladys Mills Phipps (June 19, 1883 - October 19, 1970) was a United States socialite, sportsperson, and a thoroughbred racehorse owner and breeder who began the Phipps family dynasty in American horse racing. She was known as the "first lady of ...

, Bold Ruler was foaled on April 6, 1954, at

Claiborne Farm Claiborne Farm is a thoroughbred horse breeding operation near Paris, Kentucky. It was established in 1910 by Arthur B. Hancock, owner of Ellerslie Stud in Albemarle County, Virginia, and has been operated by members of his family ever since. ...

Paris, Kentucky Paris is a home rule-class city in Bourbon County, Kentucky. It lies northeast of Lexington on the Stoner Fork of the Licking River. Paris is the seat of its county and forms part of the Lexington–Fayette Metropolitan Statistical Area. As ...

. His sire was Nasrullah, who has the distinction of being a champion sire in both Europe and

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

. Bold Ruler's dam was the stakes-winning sprinter Miss Disco, by

Discovery Discovery may refer to: * Discovery (observation), observing or finding something unknown * Discovery (fiction), a character's learning something unknown * Discovery (law), a process in courts of law relating to evidence Discovery, The Discovery ...

. By coincidence, he and rival

were foaled on the same night at Claiborne, and both returned to stand at stud there after their racing careers. He was trained by

Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons James Edward "Sunny Jim" Fitzsimmons (July 23, 1874 – March 11, 1966) was a Thoroughbred racehorse trainer. Early life Born in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn in 1874, Fitzsimmons began his career in 1885 working at a racetrack as a stable boy. After ...

, and was regularly ridden by

Eddie Arcaro George Edward Arcaro (February 19, 1916 – November 14, 1997), was an American Thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey who won more American classic races than any other jockey in history and is the only rider to have won the U.S. Tripl ...

. Bold Ruler was a big, leggy horse, standing with a great shoulder, powerful hindquarter, and a distinctive long, sloping hip going down to a straight hind leg. This conformation can still be found, especially in horses descended through the Seattle Slew line.

Racing career

The American foal crop of 1954 is considered to be one of the best of the twentieth century, containing three Hall of Fame horses: Bold Ruler,

and

, not to mention early standout Gen. Duke and Kentucky Derby winner

Iron Liege Iron Liege (March 11, 1954 – December 14, 1972) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 1957 Kentucky Derby. Background Iron Liege was a bay horse bred and owned by Calumet Farm. He was sired by Calumet's leading s ...

. Bold Ruler stood out because of his raw speed, combined with courage that allowed him to overcome infirmities ranging from a tender mouth to chronic arthritis and soreness. At age two, Bold Ruler won seven starts, including the Youthful and Juvenile and the Futurity Stakes. However, he injured his back in the Youthful Stakes when he slammed into the starting gate, then developed a

hock Hock may refer to: Common meanings: * Hock (wine), a type of wine * Hock (anatomy), part of an animal's leg * To leave an item with a pawnbroker People: * Hock (surname) * Richard "Hock" Walsh (1948-1999), Canadian blues singer Other uses: * A t ...

problem. He did not race in the

Garden State Stakes The Garden State Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in mid November at the now defunct Garden State Park Racetrack in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. A futurity event for two-year-olds, it is sometimes referred to as the Garden S ...

, then one of the most prestigious races for two-year-olds, and lost the title for champion 2-year-old to the winner of that race, Barbizon.

1957: three-year-old season

Bold Ruler began his three-year-old campaign in Florida by winning the

Bahamas Stakes The Bahamas Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in January at Hialeah Park Race Track in Hialeah, Florida. A seven furlong race on dirt, it was the first important test of the calendar year for newly turned three-year-olds. ...

on January 30, 1957 while equaling the track record. He then finished second in the Everglade Stakes before taking the

Flamingo Stakes The Flamingo Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses run over a distance of a mile and one-eighth. Run as the Florida Derby until 1937, the inaugural event took place at Tampa Downs on February 27, 1926. There was ...

while breaking the track record. On March 30, he finished second in the

Florida Derby The Florida Derby is an American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses held annually at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Since 2005, it has been run five weeks before the Kentucky Derby, which is held on the first Saturd ...

to Gen. Duke, who tied the then-world record of 1:46 for 9 furlongs. Bold Ruler was then shipped north to

Aqueduct Racetrack Aqueduct Racetrack is a Thoroughbred horse racing facility and casino in the South Ozone Park, Queens, South Ozone Park and Jamaica, Queens, Jamaica neighborhoods of Queens, New York City, United States. Aqueduct is the only racetrack locate ...

in New York for the

Wood Memorial Stakes The Wood Memorial Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held annually in April at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, Queens, New York. It is run over a distance of 1 1/8 miles (9 furlongs) on dirt. The Wood Memori ...

, where he went off as the 1-2 favorite in a field of seven. He opened up an early four-length lead, but Gallant Man gradually closed ground and surged to the front at the top of the stretch. Bold Ruler then fought back and nosed out Gallant Man in the final strides while setting a new track record of 1:48 for miles. The original favorite for the 1957 Kentucky Derby, held on May 4, was the

Calumet Farm Calumet Farm is a Thoroughbred breeding and training farm established in 1924 in Lexington, Kentucky, United States by William Monroe Wright, founding owner of the Calumet Baking Powder Company. Calumet is located in the heart of the Bluegras ...

entry of Gen. Duke, who had defeated Bold Ruler in the Florida Derby, and the more lightly regarded

. However, Gen. Duke was scratched after he went lame shortly before the race, so Bold Ruler went off as the 6-5 favorite. He fought against Arcaro's restraint and was carried wide around the first turn while battling for the lead with Federal Hill. He remained in contention until the far turn but faded down the homestretch to finish fourth behind Iron Liege. The race became notorious when

, who looked certain to win the race, had his stride briefly checked at the 16th pole by jockey

Bill Shoemaker William Lee Shoemaker (August 19, 1931 – October 12, 2003) was an American jockey. For 29 years he held the world record for total professional jockey victories. Early life Referred to as "Bill", "Willie," and "The Shoe", William Lee Sh ...

, who had misjudged the position of the finish line. Fitzsimmons later revealed that Bold Ruler was suffering from a sore mouth, dating back to an incident as a yearling when he nearly tore his tongue in two after catching it on something in his stall. After the Derby, Fitzsimmons decided to use a strip of cloth to tie down the colt's tongue, relieving the pressure caused by the bit. In the

on May 18, Bold Ruler responded with a front-running victory, with Iron Liege two lengths back in second. Arcaro had let Bold Ruler run at his own pace and later attributed the loss in the Derby to his attempt to restrain the colt. Gallant Man had bypassed the Preakness, instead winning the

Peter Pan Stakes The Peter Pan Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds over a distance of miles (nine furlongs) run annually during the second week of May at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. History The race is run in honor o ...

on June 1. The two colts met again in the

Belmont Stakes The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is run over 1.5 miles (2,400 m). Colts and geldings carry a weight of ; fillies carry . The race, nicknamed Th ...

on June 15, with Bold Ruler going off as the 17-20 favorite, while Gallant Man and his stablemate Bold Nero went off at odds of 19-20. Bold Ruler went to the early lead but was closely challenged by Bold Nero. The two set fast early fractions before first Bold Nero then Bold Ruler faltered. Bold Ruler hung on for third but was so tired after the race that he didn't want to return to the unsaddling enclosure.

won convincingly and set an American record for miles of 2:26. This remained the stakes record until 1973 when Bold Ruler's son

broke it. Bold Ruler was given a long layoff to recover from the race and a variety of physical issues. He finally returned to the racetrack in the Times Square Handicap on September 9, in which he carried top weight of 128 pounds. Going off as the 17-20 favorite, he won in front-running fashion by lengths. He followed this up with a six length victory in the

Jerome Handicap The Jerome Stakes is a stakes race for thoroughbred horses run each January at Aqueduct Racetrack. Open to three year olds, the race is run at one mile and carries a purse of $150,000. It is a Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifying race, with the wi ...

on September 14 while carrying 130 pounds. In the Jerome, Arcaro was able to get the colt to settle behind a fast early pace, then took command turning into the stretch. "He's a different colt," said Arcaro. "He's lost all those goofy habits and takes off just when you want him." On September 28, Bold Ruler entered the

Woodward Stakes The Woodward Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race and is one of the premier races for older thoroughbred horses in the United States. It is named for prominent racehorse owner William Woodward. The race was first run in 1954 at Aqueduct Rac ...

over a distance of miles. His three rivals included Gallant Man, who was on a six-race winning streak, and Dedicate, a top-class older horse. Bold Ruler broke well but soon settled into second behind Reneged, who set a brisk early pace. With three furlongs remaining, Bold Ruler moved up to battle for the lead while Gallant Man and Dedicate started to close ground. The four horses were tightly bunched at the eight pole before Dedicate took command to win by lengths over Gallant Man, with Bold Ruler finishing third. In the Vosburgh Handicap on October 9, Bold Ruler was assigned the top weight in a field of eight, six of which were older horses. He battled for the early lead with

Nearctic The Nearctic realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting the Earth's land surface. The Nearctic realm covers most of North America, including Greenland, Central Florida, and the highlands of Mexico. The parts of North America t ...

, then started to draw away to win by nine lengths. Over a muddy track and despite being eased by Arcaro down the stretch, he set a track record of 1:21 for seven furlongs. On October 19, Bold Ruler carried 133 pounds in the

Queens County Handicap The Queens County Handicap is an American Ungraded Thoroughbred horse race run annually during the second week of December at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York. Open to horses age three years and older, it is contested on dirt at a distance o ...

, giving away from 19 to 23 pounds to his competitors. He went to the early lead and opened up a six length lead before being eased in the stretch. The final margin of victory was lengths. He followed up with a dominating win in the Benjamin Franklin Handicap on November 2, winning by 12 lengths despite carrying 136 pounds. Jockey

Bill Hartack William John Hartack Jr. (December 9, 1932 – November 26, 2007), born in Colver, Pennsylvania, was a Hall of Fame jockey. Colver is in the northwestern part of Cambria Township, 7 miles (11 km) northwest of Ebensburg, the county seat. ...

, riding the third place finisher, commented after the race, "I don't know how good Bold Ruler is. I never got close enough to see." With a record of ten wins from 15 starts in 1957, Bold Ruler was still considered only the third best three-year-old in the country. Gallant Man had won eight races, including wins over Bold Ruler in the Belmont and Woodward, while Round Table had accumulated 14 wins over dirt and turf surfaces, mainly in California. The battle for Horse of the Year honors would be decided in the

at miles on November 9, in what North American racing historians rank among the greatest meetings ever of three horses in one race. Round Table and Gallant Man were both assigned 124 pounds while Bold Ruler carried 122 pounds. Bold Ruler went to the early lead, opening an advantage of seven or eight lengths going into the far turn. Gallant Man closed the lead to four lengths at the top of the stretch and looked like he might mount a challenge. Arcaro then looked back and waved his whip at Bold Ruler, who responded to hold off Gallant Man by lengths. Round Table was far back in third. "I didn't think they would let me get so far in front," said Arcaro of his racing tactics. "I thought they'd be on me from the half-mile pole on, but they weren't. I stayed out from the rail, out towards the middle of the track, because the going was better there." His performances that year earned Bold Ruler the title of

American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse The American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually in Thoroughbred flat racing. It became part of the Eclipse Awards program in 1971. The award originated in 1936 when both ''Turf & Sport ...

. In the Horse of the Year poll organised by the publishers of ''

Daily Racing Form The ''Daily Racing Form'' (DRF) (referred to as the ''Racing Form'' or "Form" and sometimes "telegraph" or "telly") is a tabloid newspaper founded in 1894 in Chicago, Illinois, by Frank Brunell. The paper publishes the past performances of race ...

'', he received 16 votes to beat

(9 votes) and older horse

Dedicate Dedication is the act of consecrating an altar, temple, church, or other sacred building. Feast of Dedication The Feast of Dedication, today Hanukkah, once also called "Feast of the Maccabees," is a Jewish festival observed for eight days fr ...

(4 votes). Dedicate was controversially selected over Bold Ruler in the rival Thoroughbred Racing Association award, but Bold Ruler's win in a third poll conducted by ''Turf and Sport Digest'' magazine made him the "consensus" choice as Horse of the Year.

1958: four-year-old season

At age four, Bold Ruler carried from 133 to 136 pounds in his seven starts, was the odds-on favorite in all seven, and won five. He won at distances from six furlongs in the

Toboggan Handicap The Toboggan Stakes, formerly the Toboggan Handicap, is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually during the first week of March at Aqueduct Race Track in Queens, New York. Open to horses aged three and older, the Grade III event is contest ...

to miles in the Suburban and Monmouth Handicaps. Bold Ruler started the year in Florida, first targeting a seven-furlong sprint in January for his debut, then the

Widener Handicap The Widener Handicap at Hialeah Park Race Track in Hialeah, Florida was a Grade III stakes race for Thoroughbred racehorses 3-years-old and up. It was run over a distance of miles (10 furlongs) until 1993 when it was modified to miles. Initially ...

in February. However, in both cases he became injured shortly before the race and was given time off to recover. He was then scheduled to debut at Jamaica Racetrack in late March but suffered another setback. As it turned out, he did not make his first start of the year until May 17 in the

, a six-furlong sprint at Belmont Park. Carrying top weight of 133 pounds, he settled into third place in the early running then sprinted clear down the stretch to win by half a length over Clem, who was carrying only 117 pounds. In the 7-furlong

Carter Handicap The Carter Handicap is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for three-years-old and older run over a distance of seven furlongs run annually in early April at Aqueduct Racetrack. Race history First run in 1895, the race was named for Br ...

on May 30, Bold Ruler faced his old rival Gallant Man, who was making his seasonal debut. Bold Ruler was assigned 135 pounds compared to 128 pounds for Gallant Man. Bold Ruler once again rated close behind the early pace, while Gallant Man was far back. Gallant Man made a strong late run to finish third, but never threatened Bold Ruler, who drew off for a length win. Gallant Man gained his revenge in the

Metropolitan Handicap The Metropolitan Handicap, frequently called the "Met Mile", is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Open to horses age three and older, it is contested on dirt over a distance of one mile (8 furl ...

on June 14, closing from well back to overtake the front-running Bold Ruler in deep stretch. Arcaro attributed the loss to the high weight of 135 pounds combined with a strong headwind, which took its toll in the final furlong of the one-mile race. For Bold Ruler's next start, Fitzsimmons was faced with the choice of being assigned 138 pounds in the Roseben Handicap, run at Bold Ruler's favorite distance of seven furlongs, or 133 pounds in the Stymie Handicap, over nine furlongs. Fitzsimmon chose the longer race with a lower weight, explaining, "I don't mind horses getting beaten. The only way you can avoid that is to keep them in the barn. But I've got to keep this horse sound and I don't think weight helps me do that." Bold Ruler responded with a front running five-length victory while setting a new track record. On July 4, Bold Ruler stretched out to a distance of 10 furlongs in the

Suburban Handicap The Suburban Stakes is an American Grade II Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Open to horses age three and older, it is now run at the mile distance on dirt for a $700,000 purse. Named after the City and Su ...

while carrying 134 pounds – at least 18 pounds more than any of his rivals. He vied for the lead with Clem and Beau Diable for the first half mile, then cut over to the rail and opened a three length lead as they rounded the final turn. Down the stretch, Clem started to close ground and actually got a head in front before Bold Ruler rallied in the final strides to win by a nose. Bold Ruler made his next start on July 18 in the

Monmouth Handicap The Philip H. Iselin Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey. Open to horses three years of age and older, the race was first run in 1884. In 1891, New Jersey state legislator ...

, also at a distance of 10 furlongs while carrying 134 pounds. He went straight to the lead and set an even tempo, then "coasted home" to win by three-quarters of a length over Sharpsburg. Despite the apparent ease of the win, Fitzsimmons called it a "real hard race" and said that he might bypass the upcoming

Brooklyn Handicap The Brooklyn Invitational Stakes (formerly known as the Brooklyn Handicap) is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in early June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, on Long Island. It currently is a Grade II event open to four-year-ol ...

. But he ultimately decided to enter the colt in the race despite being assigned 136 pounds. Bold Ruler settled in third place but was heavily bumped by Sharpsburg on the final turn and faded to seventh. Sharpsburg went on to finish second but was disqualified to last for the interference. Arcaro felt that the bump did not cost Bold Ruler a chance to win, saying "he just wasn't operating right at any point in the race." Just three weeks later, Fitzsimmons announced that Bold Ruler was being retired because of an ankle injury. "He may have injured the ankle in the Brooklyn, or in training," he said. "I know that something happened to him, but I don't know when it happened or exactly what he's got." Although a return to racing later in the year might have been possible, Fitzsimmons felt Bold Ruler was too valuable to risk. He ended his career with 23 wins, including 17 stakes wins, from 33 starts, with earnings of $764,204. Despite having made only two starts during the year at distances under a mile, Bold Ruler was still named the

American Champion Sprint Horse The American Champion Sprint Horse award is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor. Created in 1947, in 1971 it became part of the Eclipse Awards program and is awarded annually to the top horse in sprint races (usually those run at a distance ...

of 1958.

Stud record

Bold Ruler retired to stud at

in 1959, where he became the

from 1963 to 1969 and again in 1973. His eight titles were the highest for a North American sire in the twentieth century. Although several of his runners won at 10 furlongs or more, Bold Ruler was best known as a sire of precocious 2-year-olds, leading the juvenile sire list a then-record six times. From 366 named foals, he sired 240 winners (65.6%) and 82 stakes winners (22.4%), including Hall of Famers

Gamely Gamely (February 10, 1964 – 1975) was an American Thoroughbred race horse who was voted the champion filly of her age group on three occasions. Background Gamely was bred and born at Claiborne Farm outside Paris, Kentucky. Her dam was the st ...

and

. He sired 11 champions: # Lamb Chop (b. 1960) -

American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly The American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually to a female horse in Thoroughbred flat racing. It became part of the Eclipse Awards program in 1971. The award originated in 1936 when both ...

Bold Bidder Bold Bidder (1962–1982) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Background Bred by the Wheatley Stable partnership of Gladys Mills Phipps and her brother, Ogden L. Mills, Bold Bidder was sired by their great stallion Bold Ruler, an eight-time ...

(b. 1962) - American Co-champion Older Male Horse (1966) #

Bold Lad Bold Lad (1962–1986) was an American Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. Background Bold Lad bred and raced by Gladys Phipps and her brother Ogden L. Mills under their Wheatley Stable banner. His sire was eight-time leading sire in North Ame ...

(b. 1962) -

American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt The American Champion Two-Year-Old Male Horse is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually in Thoroughbred flat racing. It became part of the Eclipse Awards program in 1971. The award originated in 1936 when the ''Daily Racing F ...

# Queen Empress (b. 1962) - American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly #

(b. 1964) - American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly,

American Champion Older Female Horse The Eclipse Award for Champion Older Dirt Female Horse is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually to a filly or mare, four years old and up, for performances on dirt and main track racing surfaces. In 1971, it became part of the ...

(1968–69),

(1980) #

Bold Lad (IRE) Bold Lad (1964–1986) was an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career which lasted from May 1966 until June 1967 he ran nine times and won five races. Bold Lad was unbeaten in 1966 and was the highest-rated two-year-old of the seaso ...

(b. 1964) - Top rated British Two-Year-Old, bred and raced by Gladys Phipps' sister, Beatrice Mills Forbes, Countess Granard. #

Successor Successor may refer to: * An entity that comes after another (see Succession (disambiguation)) Film and TV * ''The Successor'' (film), a 1996 film including Laura Girling * ''The Successor'' (TV program), a 2007 Israeli television program Mus ...

(b. 1964) - American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt # Queen of the Stage (b. 1965) - American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly #

Vitriolic Sulfuric acid (American spelling and the preferred IUPAC name) or sulphuric acid ( Commonwealth spelling), known in antiquity as oil of vitriol, is a mineral acid composed of the elements sulfur, oxygen and hydrogen, with the molecular formu ...

(b. 1965) - American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt #

(b. 1970) - 9th U.S. Triple Crown Champion,

American Horse of the Year The American Award for Horse of the Year, one of the Eclipse Awards, is the highest honor given in American thoroughbred horse racing. Because Thoroughbred horse racing in the United States has no governing body to sanction the various awards, "Hor ...

(1972–73), 1972 Champion Two-Year-Old Colt, 1973 Champion Three-Year-Old colt, 1973 American Champion Turf Horse, Hall of Fame (1974) # Wajima (b. 1972) -

Bold Ruler was also the dominant American sire of sires in the 1970s. His sire line includes: * Bold and Brave, sire of

Bold 'n Determined {{Infobox racehorse , horsename = Bold 'n Determined , image = , caption = , sire = Bold And Brave , grandsire = Bold Ruler , dam = Pidi , damsire = Determine , sex = Filly , foaled = 1977 , country = United States , colour = ...

, elected to the Hall of Fame in 1997 *

, sire of 1974 Kentucky Derby winner

Cannonade Cannonade (May 12, 1971 – August 3, 1993) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known as the winner of the 1974 Kentucky Derby. Background Owned and bred by prominent businessman John M. Olin, Cannonade was foaled at Gainesway Farm in ...

and

Spectacular Bid Spectacular Bid (February 17, 1976 – June 9, 2003) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1979 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes and holds the world record for the fastest 1 1/4 miles on the dirt. He won 26 of his 30 r ...

, who won the 1979 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1982. Grandsire of Hall of Fame inductee

Bayakoa Bayakoa (October 10, 1984 – June 14, 1997) was a Thoroughbred Champion racehorse bred in Argentina. After racing successfully in that country, Bayakoa was sold to Janis and Frank Whitham and subsequently raced in the United States, mainly in C ...

. * Bold Commander, sire of 1970 Kentucky Derby winner

Dust Commander Dust Commander (February 8, 1967 – October 7, 1991) was an American Thoroughbred race horse. Background The name "Dust Commander" is derived from his dam, Dust Storm, and his sire, Bold Commander. A descendant of Nearco, Dust Commander was br ...

, who would in turn sire 1975 Preakness Stakes winner

Master Derby Master Derby (April 24, 1972 – January 22, 1999) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 1975 Preakness Stakes. Background He was bred by Robert E. Lehmann at his Golden Chance Farm in Paris, Kentucky. Master Derby wa ...

* Boldnesian, sire of

Bold Reasoning Bold Reasoning (April 29, 1968 – April 24, 1975) was an American thoroughbred racehorse. He is best known as being the sire of the 1977 Triple Crown Triple Crown may refer to: Sports Horse racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Tri ...

, sire of 1977 Triple Crown Winner and Hall of Fame inductee

* Irish Castle, sire of 1976 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner

Bold Forbes Bold Forbes (March 31, 1973 – August 9, 2000) was a champion thoroughbred racehorse, winner of the 1976 Kentucky Derby and 1976 Belmont Stakes. Background Bold Forbes was a bay horse bred in Kentucky by Lee Eaton. Bold Forbes' dam Comely Ne ...

Raja Baba Raja Baba (April 5, 1968 – October 9, 2002) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who became the 1980 Champion sire in North America. Background Raja Baba was sired by Bold Ruler, the leading sire in North America eight times and a Nationa ...

, leading sire of 1980 *

Reviewer A review is an evaluation of a publication, product, service, or company or a critical take on current affairs in literature, politics or culture. In addition to a critical evaluation, the review's author may assign the work a rating to indic ...

, sire of 1975 champion 3-year-old filly Ruffian, elected to the Hall of Fame in 1976 * Top Command, sire of Hall of Fame inductee

Mom's Command Mom's Command (March 14, 1982 – February 3, 2007) was a multiple Grade I-winning American Thoroughbred race horse. In a two-year career, she won eleven of her sixteen races. In 1985, she was voted American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly at the ...

* Secretariat, sire of

Risen Star Risen Star (March 25, 1985 – March 13, 1998) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes in 1988. Background The dark bay colt was the son of the great Triple Crown winner Secretariat and out of the m ...

, winner of the 1988 Preakness and Belmont, and

Lady's Secret Lady's Secret (April 8, 1982 – March 4, 2003) was an American Eclipse Award winning Thoroughbred racemare that was listed in the Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century. Lady's Secret was bred by Robert H. Spreen at Lucas Farm in Oklah ...

, 1986 Horse of the Year and Hall of Fame inductee *

What a Pleasure What a Pleasure (1965-1983) was a Thoroughbred stallion bred at Claiborne Farm in Kentucky for the Wheatley Stables of Gladys Mills Phipps, Glady Phipps. Sired by the leading stallion Bold Ruler, and out of a Mahmoud mare Grey Flight, he excelle ...

, sire of 1975 Kentucky Derby winner and Hall of Fame inductee

Foolish Pleasure Foolish Pleasure (March 23, 1972 – November 17, 1994) was an American bay Thoroughbred race horse who won the 1975 Kentucky Derby. Background Foolish Pleasure was a bay horse bred at Williston, Florida by Waldemar Farms, Inc. He was owned by J ...

His sire line almost died out in the 1980s but was revived by Seattle Slew's son

A.P. Indy A.P. Indy (March 31, 1989 – February 21, 2020) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Belmont Stakes and Breeders' Cup Classic on his way to American Horse of the Year honors in 1992. His time in the Belmont Stakes tied Easy Goer for ...

(who was also a grandson of Secretariat on his dam's side). Much like Bold Ruler, A.P. Indy was a Horse of the Year, a leading sire and would go on to become an important sire of sires. In 2014, A.P. Indy's great-grandson

became the 16th male-line descendant of Bold Ruler to capture an American classic. A.P. Indy is also the grandsire of leading sire

Tapit Tapit (foaled February 27, 2001, in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won three of his six races, including the Wood Memorial Stakes, then a Graded stakes race, Grade I event. He was an immediate success after retiring to stud, ...

, who sired three winners of the Belmont Stakes in the four years between 2014 and 2017.

Death and legacy

Bold Ruler was the first horse to undergo radiation therapy when he was diagnosed with sinus cancer in 1971. At age 17, he died at

on July 12, 1971, and is interred there. In 1973, he was posthumously inducted into the

National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American Thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers. In 1955, the museum moved to its current location on Union Av ...

. Bold Ruler was listed at No. 19 in the

Blood-Horse magazine ''BloodHorse'' is a multimedia news organization covering Thoroughbred racing and breeding that started with a newsletter first published in 1916 as a monthly bulletin put out by the Thoroughbred Horse Association.

ranking of the top 100 United States thoroughbred horse racing champions of the 20th century. The

Bold Ruler Handicap The Bold Ruler Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-years-old and older run over a distance of seven furlongs run annually in late October Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The event currently offers a purse of $200,0 ...

at Aqueduct is named in his honor.

Pedigree

References

*. * {{Authority control 1954 racehorse births 1971 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States Horse racing track record setters American Thoroughbred Horse of the Year United States Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame inductees Preakness Stakes winners United States Champion Thoroughbred Sires Thoroughbred family 8-d Chefs-de-Race