The Bold Ruler Stakes is a Grade III American

Thoroughbred horse race Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter known as National Hunt racing in ...

for three-years-old and older run over a distance of seven

furlong A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to any of 660 foot (unit), feet, 220 yards, 40 rod (unit), rods, 10 chain (unit), chains, or a ...

s run annually in late October

Belmont Park Belmont Park is a thoroughbred racing, thoroughbred horse racetrack in Elmont, New York, just east of New York City limits best known for hosting the Belmont Stakes, the final leg of the American Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United Stat ...

Elmont, New York Elmont is an unincorporated Hamlet (New York), hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) located in northwestern Hempstead, New York, Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, Nassau County, New York, United States, along its border with the borough ...

. The event currently offers a purse of US$175,000.

History

The race is named for U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee and 1957 US Horse of the Year,

Bold Ruler Bold Ruler (April 6, 1954 – July 12, 1971) was an American Thoroughbred National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, Hall of Fame racehorse who was the 1957 American Horse of the Year, Horse of the Year. This following a three-year-old campaign t ...

. The event was inaugurated on 22 December 1976 at

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 within ...

at a distance of six furlongs and was won by Chief Tamanaco who was ridden by US Hall of Fame jockey Angel Cordero Jr. and trained by the young trainer James Iselin, son of Philip H. Iselin who at the time was Chairman of

Monmouth Park Racetrack Monmouth Park Racetrack is an American race track for thoroughbred horse racing in Oceanport, New Jersey, United States. It is owned by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority and is operated under a five-year lease as a partnership with ...

in a time of 1:09. In 1978 the event was scheduled to be run in early spring in April and it was raced at that time of the year until 2002. That year the event was moved to

and held in May and was duly held then until 2009. In 2009 the event was moved to the Aqueduct Fall Meeting and has been held in late October or early November and at times returning to be scheduled at Belmont Park. In 1982 the event was classified as Grade III, upgraded to Grade II in 1985 for five runnings before being downgraded back to Grade III in 1990. In the 1998 running, Kelly Kip, ridden by

Jean-Luc Samyn Jean-Luc Samyn (born November 6, 1956, in Bailleul, Nord, France) is a jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing. The son of a pastry chef, Jean-Luc Samyn was one of three children. At age thirteen, he went to work for the stable of trainer ...

, set an Aqueduct rack record of 1:07.61 for the six furlongs distance. Samyn and Kelly Kip returned the following year to break that record, running the six furlongs in 1:07.54. In 2009 the Bold Ruler was increased in distance to 7 furlongs. In 2019 Maximum Security set a new stakes record for the seven furlong distance en route to being crowned the US Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse. In 2022 the conditions of the event were changed to a stakes race with allowances. Also the event in 2022 was moved to

due to infield tunnel and redevelopment work at

and run at a shorter distance of six furlongs.

Records

Speed record: *7 furlongs: 1:20.76 – Maximum Security (2019) *6 furlongs: 1:07.54 – Kelly Kip (1999) Margins: * lengths – No Dozing (2018) Most wins: * 2 – Dave's Friend (1980, 1981) * 2 – Kelly Kip (1998, 1999) * 2 – Runninsonofagun (2022, 2024) Most wins by a

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used ...

: * 3 – Ángel Cordero Jr. (1976, 1985, 1987) * 3 –

(1977, 1998, 1999) * 3 – John R. Velazquez (1994, 2001, 2010) * 3 –

Jose Lezcano Jose Lezcano (born April 20, 1985) is a Panamanian jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing. He rides in New York in the spring, summer and fall and spends the winter in Florida. His big break came in 2008 when he won a Breeders' Cup race. Ca ...

(2009, 2011, 2013) * 3 –

Joel Rosario Joel Rosario (born January 14, 1985) is a Dominican jockey who mainly competes in American thoroughbred horse racing, originally from the Dominican Republic. In the space of five weeks in 2013 he rode the winners of the Dubai World Cup and the Ke ...

(2017, 2020, 2024) Most wins by a trainer: * 4 –

H. Allen Jerkens Harry Allen Jerkens (April 21, 1929 – March 18, 2015) was an American thoroughbred race horse Hall of Fame horse trainer, trainer. Jerkens' father owned a riding academy on Long Island that led to his interest in horse racing, and in the spri ...

(1995, 1998, 1999, 2009) Most wins by an owner: * 3 – Hobeau Farm (1995, 1998, 1999)

Winners

''Notes:''
§ Ran as an entry
† In 2024, My Buddy B won the race but was disqualified to second after stewards ruled she had bumped and interfered with Runninsonofagun in the stretch run.

References

{{reflist, 2 Graded stakes races in the United States Grade 3 stakes races in the United States Open sprint category horse races Horse races in New York (state) Horse races established in 1976 Belmont Park 1976 establishments in New York (state)

History

Records

Winners

See also

References