Bold Ruler, Sire of Secretariat

Bold Ruler (April 6, 1954 – July 12, 1971)

Hailed as the “king of racing,” Triple Crown legend Secretariat truly sprang from racing royalty.  Both the top of his pedigree (sire) and the bottom (dam) boast extraordinary forebears.  This series will focus on Bold Ruler, Nasrullah, Nearco, Somethingroyal and Princequillo. 

Bold Ruler, son of Nasrullah and grandson of Nearco, is renowned as one of the greatest stallions in Thoroughbred racing.  While he is best known as the sire of Secretariat, he was the leading sire in the nation from 1963 to 1969, well before Secretariat was born in 1970. He reclaimed that title posthumously in 1973 after his famous son became the first horse to win the Triple Crown since 1948. He was also voted into the National Racing Hall of Fame in 1973.

But before Bold Ruler stamped his indelible mark in the breeding shed, he distinguished himself on the racetrack. He won 23 races out of 33 starts from 1956-1958, earning over $764,000. In 1957, as a three-year-old, he won the Wood Memorial and the Preakness, defeating top-ranked rivals such as Gallant Man and Round Table. Bold Ruler was named Horse of the Year and Champion Three-Year-Old Male in 1957 and Champion Sprint Horse in 1958.

Owned by Mrs. Gladys Mills Phipps of Wheatley Stable, the big leggy bay benefited from having one of the most successful teams in racing:  the revered “Sunny Jim” Fitzsimmons as his trainer and the jockey known as “the Master” for his Triple Crown wins, Eddie Arcaro.  

Mrs. Phipps was closely involved with Bold Ruler as well.  Reportedly, she had a St. Christopher’s medal, a symbol of protection, braided into the stallion’s mane before each race. She also liked to lead her powerful 16.1 hand champion to the winner’s circle.    Charles Hatton, the eminent sportswriter with the Daily Racing Form, described such a scene  (excerpted):

“ Mrs. Phipps was out at the gap to get him [Bold Ruler] and lead him down that silly victory lane they had there. And she must have weighed all of ninety pounds, and here is this big young stud horse - and she walked right up to him and held out her hand, and he just settled right down and dropped his head so she could get ahold of the chin strap, and Bold Ruler just walked like an old cow along that lane… It was incredible to me because anyone else reaching for that horse - and he was hot! - You'd have had to snatch him or he'd throw you off your feet or step all over you. But not with her. For her he was just a real chivalrous prince of a colt…”

After notching a successful season in 1958, Bold Ruler was retired to stud at the age of four. He returned to his birthplace, Claiborne Farm in Kentucky, and began to create a legion of champions. The impressive roster includes:

• Bold Bidder – sire of Kentucky Derby winners Cannonade(1974)  and Spectacular Bid (1979) who also won the Preakness that year

• Bold Lad – 1964 Champion Two-Year-Old and runner-up to Bold Bidder for 1966 Champion Older Male

• Bold Commander – sire of Dust Commander, 1970 Kentucky Derby winner

• Bold Reasoning – sire of 1977 Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew

• Boldnesian –  grandsire of 1977 Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew

• Lamb Chop, an impressive mare who won nine stakes races in 1963

Bold Ruler also was the grandsire of Bold Forbes, winner of the 1976 Kentucky Derby and Belmont; Foolish Pleasure, winner of the 1975 Wood Memorial and Kentucky Derby; Ruffian, who won several stakes races for fillies in 1975 but broke down in the match race with Foolish Pleasure. Bold Ruler also was the grandsire of Secretariat’s son Risen Star, who won the Preakness and Belmont in 1988.

Arthur “Bull” Hancock, owner of Claiborne Farm said of Bold Ruler’s progeny: "

You can pick the Bold Rulers out on their conformation. I see the same musculature as Nasrullah. They all had an extra layer of muscle beside their tail running down to their hocks. It is a good sign when you see it in a Bold Ruler. It means strength and speed."

The New York Times reported in 1963 that Bold Ruler’s offspring won 798 races and $13 million from 1963 to May 31, 1971. 

Sadly, on July 12, 1971, Bold Ruler lost a race no one had expected. A malignant tumor had invaded his sinus cavity months earlier.  In a valiant effort to save her horse, Mrs. Phipps had sent him to Auburn University in Alabama for eight weeks of costly cobalt treatments, the first ever performed on an equine.  His groom Lawrence Robinson stayed with Bold Ruler the whole time. 

The tumor shrank, but later returned with a vengeance, leaving no hope for recovery.  The great stallion was humanely euthanized and buried at Claiborne Farm. He was only seventeen.  One obituary in the racing press began, “The king is dead.”  

However, Bold Ruler’s potent bloodline continues today, thanks in part to three outstanding daughters of Secretariat:  Weekend Surprise, Terlingua and Secrettame.  Weekend Surprise was bred to Seattle Slew and produced the prolific A. P. Indy, a true sire of sires. His grandson Tapit is the all-time leading North American sire by progeny earnings of over $211 million.

Terlingua, bred to Storm Bird, produced the mighty Storm Cat, who would command a $500,000 stud fee.  His name figures in the pedigrees of the 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah and the 2018 winner Justify (who also sports A. P. Indy bloodlines.)  

Secrettame and the famous Mr. Prospector produced Gone West in 1984.  He sired many notable sons such as Speightstown and Elusive Quality. However, Gone West’s grandson Smarty Jones captured the spotlight with his wins in the 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness.

This is just a small sampling of the enduring impact of this bloodline. Bold Ruler’s prowess was illustrated primarily through his colts, while Secretariat’s daughters enshrined him as an exceptional (and now more appreciated) broodmare sire.  

Racing experts say “blood will tell.”  In the case of Bold Ruler and his legendary son, the answer is loud and clear.

by Leeanne Meadows Ladin, Secretariat author/historian