Fatal Bullet (foaled February 12, 2005 in Florida) is a Canadian Thoroughbred

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 ...

. A five-time stakes winner, he was crowned 2008 Canadian Horse of the Year and Champion Sprinter.

Background and family

Bred in Florida by premier breeding farm

Adena Springs Adena Springs is a Thoroughbred horse breeding operation owned by Frank Stronach and his family. The main farm is located in Paris, Kentucky, with satellite locations in Florida and Ontario, Canada. Adena Springs has won the Eclipse Award for Ou ...

, Fatal Bullet was sired by Red Bullet, the winner of the

2000 Preakness Stakes The 2000 Preakness Stakes was the 125th running of the Preakness Stakes thoroughbred horse race. The race took place on May 20, 2000, and was televised in the United States on the ABC television network. Red Bullet, who was jockeyed by Jerry Baile ...

. The sire of other stakes horses such as Royal Currier, Cool Bullet, and Red Lead, his progeny have collectively earned more than $9.1 million. Fatal Bullet is out of the Regal Classic mare Sararegal, who has also produced stakes winning filly Millennia. Fatal Bullet was purchased by Danny Dion's Bear Racing Stables for $27,000 at Adena Springs's 2007 Two-Year-Olds in Training sale.

Racing career

2007–2008: early career

During his racing career, Fatal Bullet was trained by Reade Baker who has also trained stakes winners Breaking Lucky, Bear Now, and Solid Appeal, among others. Fatal Bullet ran his first six starts at Woodbine, winning his debut maiden and three allowances. He made his graded stakes debut in his third start, the 2007

Summer Stakes The Summer Stakes is a Group races, Group 3 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Great Britain open to Filly, fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at York Racecourse, York over a ...

, finishing ninth. Fatal Bullet's first start outside of Canada came in the

Woody Stephens Stakes The Woody Stephens Stakes is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run over a distance of seven furlongs on dirt held annually in early June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. History Inaugurated in 1985 as the Riva Rid ...

Belmont Park Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse racing facility in the northeastern United States, located in Elmont, New York, just east of the New York City limits. It was opened on May 4, 1905. It is operated by the non-profit New York Racin ...

in July 2008. He finished eighth in the race.

2008: Horse of the Year

The gelding's first stakes win came next in the listed

Bold Venture Stakes The Bold Venture Stakes is a Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Open to horses age three and older, it is contested during the second half of July on Tapeta synthetic dirt over a distance of six ...

, where he set a new track record for 6.5 furlongs. Following his first big win were two more- the

Tom Ridge Stakes The Tom Ridge Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run at Presque Isle Downs in Erie, Pennsylvania. First run in 2007, it was originally known as the Tom Ridge Labor Day Stakes when it was run the first two years on Labor Day. The race is ...

Presque Isle Downs Presque Isle Downs & Casino is a casino and horse racing track near Erie, Pennsylvania, owned and operated by Churchill Downs Inc. History The developer, MTR Gaming Group, broke ground in October 2005 for the new facility, which opened on February ...

and the Gr.III Kentucky Cup Sprint Stakes, a race in which he set another track record of 6.5 furlongs. In his final start of 2008, Fatal Bullet contested the 2008 Gr.I Breeders' Cup Sprint at Oak Tree. Fatal Bullet finished a valiant second to champion Midnight Lute, who came back from injury to win the race for the second time, in record time. For his performances in 2008, Fatal Bullet was crowned the

Sovereign Award {{refimprove, date=October 2021 The Sovereign Award is given annually since 1975 by the Jockey Club of Canada to the outstanding horses and people in Canadian Thoroughbred racing. The most prestigious award for horses is Sovereign Horse of the Y ...

for Canadian Champion Sprinter and

Canadian Horse of the Year The Canadian Horse of the Year is a thoroughbred horse racing honour given annually since 1951 by the Jockey Club of Canada. It is the most prestigious honour in Canadian thoroughbred horse racing. Part of the Sovereign Awards program since 1975, ...

. Fatal Bullet also received three votes for

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 ...

at the 2008 Eclipse Awards, with the winner being Benny the Bull.

2009–2013: later career

Fatal Bullet's first start after the Breeders' Cup came next year in the 2009 Bold Venture Stakes, in a title defence. Fatal Bullet is one of six horses to win the Bold Venture Stakes twice. The final time, 1:14.90, was only 0.36 off Fatal Bullet's own stakes record, which Fatal Bullet had set the year before. In his next start, Fatal Bullet finished sixth in the

Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap The Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap is a Grade I American thoroughbred horse race for horses age three and older over a distance of six furlongs on the dirt held annually in late July at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. History T ...

. The gelding's final stakes win came afterwards in the Gr.III Phoenix Stakes. Fatal Bullet again contested the Breeders' Cup Sprint, this time finishing a poor sixth to winner

Big Drama Big Drama (February 14, 2006 – January 25, 2021) was a Thoroughbred racehorse. He was euthanized in January 2021 following complications with a stomach issue. Background Big Drama was a dark bay bred in Florida by his owner Harold Queen. He was ...

. Fatal Bullet's later career consisted of several board-hitting performances in graded races, such as the

Play the King Stakes The Play the King Stakes is a Canadian Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. A Grade II sprint race, it is open to horses age three and older and is run over a distance of seven furlongs on turf. It curre ...

Nearctic Stakes The Nearctic Stakes is a Canadian Thoroughbred horse race run annually in mid October at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. The Grade II sprint is raced on turf over a distance of six furlongs and currently offers a purse of $232,290. Prev ...

Kennedy Road Stakes The Kennedy Road Stakes is a thoroughbred horse race run annually at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Run during the latter part of November, the Grade II sprint race is open to horses aged three and older. Raced over a distance of ...

, and

Eclipse Stakes The Eclipse Stakes is a Group races, Group 1 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Sandown P ...

. His final win came in July 2016 in an allowance at Woodbine Racetrack. Fatal Bullet has not raced since November 2013, when he finished 8th in the Kennedy Road Stakes. He has presumably been retired.

References

{{Reflist
Fatal Bullet's pedigree and partial racing stats
* '' Louisville Courier-Journal'
September 28, 2008 article titled ''Fatal Bullet sizzles in KC Sprint''
2005 racehorse births Racehorses bred in Florida Racehorses trained in Canada Horse racing track record setters Canadian Thoroughbred Horse of the Year Thoroughbred family 5-h