Bold Forbes (March 31, 1973 – August 9, 2000) was a champion

thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, 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 bas ...

, winner of the 1976 Kentucky Derby and 1976 Belmont Stakes.

Background

Bold Forbes was a bay horse bred in

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

by Lee Eaton. Bold Forbes' dam Comely Nell was a daughter of the

Kentucky Oaks The Kentucky Oaks is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies staged annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. The race currently covers at Churchill Downs; the horses carry . The Kentucky Oaks is held on the Frida ...

winner Nellie L.

Racing career

1975: two-year-old season

Bold Forbes was campaigned in

Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

as a two-year-old, where he won seven of eight starts in 1975. He was then transferred to the United States where he won the

Saratoga Special Stakes The Saratoga Special Stakes is an American grade II thoroughbred horse race run annually in mid-August at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The race is for two-year-olds willing to race six furlongs on the dirt. With its first ru ...

and the

Tremont Stakes The Tremont Stakes is a Listed American Thoroughbred horse race run annually for two-year-olds over the distance of furlongs on the dirt in early June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The event carries a purse of US$150,000. (A furlong is .) ...

1976: three-year-old season

As a three-year-old Bold Forbes was trained by Laz Barrera. He won the San Jacinto Stakes,

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 Memor ...

and Bay Shore Stakes. On the first Saturday in May 1976, Bold Forbes contested the

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby () is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes Thoroughbred racing, race run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The race is run by three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a distance of . Colt (horse), Colts and geldin ...

. Ridden by Angel Cordero, he led from the start, setting a "blistering pace", and won by half a length from the 2/5 favourite

Honest Pleasure {{Infobox racehorse , horsename = Honest Pleasure , image = , caption = , sire = What a Pleasure , grandsire = Bold Ruler , dam = Tularia , damsire = Tulyar , sex = Stallion , foaled = 1973 , country = United States , colour = Da ...

. In the

Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held annually on Armed Forces Day, the third Saturday in May at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland (except in 2026 when it will move to Laurel Park (race track), Laurel Park dur ...

Bold Forbes again took an early lead and set an exceptionally fast pace, but after a prolonged battle with Honest Pleasure, both horses tired in the final stages and were beaten by Elocutionist, with Bold Forbes finishing third. In the

Belmont Stakes The Belmont Stakes is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes Thoroughbred racing, race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is run over the worldwide classic distance of . Colt (horseracing), Colt ...

, Bold Forbes again led from the start and won by a neck from McKenzie Bridge with Great Contractor a further neck away in third. At the end of the year, Bold Forbes was voted

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 ''Turf & Sports Di ...

. He lost Horse of the Year honors to six-year-old champion

Forego Forego (April 30, 1970 – August 27, 1997) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse that won eight Eclipse Awards including Horse of the Year, Champion Handicap Horse and Champion Sprinter. Background Foaled at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky ...

Retirement

Bold Forbes was retired to stud after his three-year-old season with earnings of $546,536. He stood at Stone Farm in Paris, Kentucky. He sired 13 crops through 1990 with 460 named foals and 304 winners, 30 of which were stakes winners, and his offspring have won over $18 million. Some of Bold Forbes' offspring include champions Tiffany Lass (winner of the Kentucky Oaks) and Bold Apparel, as well as Grade I stakes winner Air Forbes Won. The dark bay/brown champion was moved to the Kentucky Horse Park in April 1991. He was a resident of the Hall of Champions for nine years. Until his death, he was the oldest living Kentucky Derby winner. He died on August 9, 2000, at the age of 27 after being humanely euthanized due to renal failure and complications from gastroenteritis. Bold Forbes is buried at the Hall of Champions, where a memorial is dedicated to him in the "Memorial of Champions."

Career earnings

In 1975, at age two, Bold Forbes started 8 times, winning seven times and finishing third once, for earnings of $86,250. In 1976, as a three-year-old, he made 10 starts, winning six, placing second once, and placing third three times. He won a total of $460,286.

Pedigree

References

{{Belmont Stakes Winners 1973 racehorse births 2000 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in Puerto Rico Racehorses trained in the United States Kentucky Derby winners Belmont Stakes winners Eclipse Award winners Thoroughbred family 9-f