Bull Lea (March 11, 1935 – June 16, 1964) was an American

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 ...

who is best known as the foundation

sire Sire is an archaic respectful form of address to reigning kings in Europe. In French and other languages it is less archaic and relatively more current. In Belgium, the king is addressed as "Sire..." in both Dutch and French. The words "sire" an ...

responsible for making

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 Bluegrass ...

one of the most successful racing stables in American history. In their article on Calumet Farm, the International Museum of the Horse in

Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city coterminous with and the county seat of Fayette County, Kentucky, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census the city's population was 322,570, making it the List of ...

wrote that Bull Lea was "one of the greatest sires in Thoroughbred breeding history."

Background

Bred by E. Dale Schaffer's Coldstream Stud in

, Bull Lea was sired by

Bull Dog The Bulldog is a British breed of dog of mastiff type. It may also be known as the English Bulldog or British Bulldog. It is a stocky, muscular dog of medium size, with a large head, thick folds of skin around the face and shoulders and a rel ...

and out of the

mare A mare is an adult female horse or other equidae, equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more th ...

Rose Leaves by Ballot. He was purchased as a yearling for $14,000 by Calumet Farm's

Warren Wright, Sr. Warren Wright Sr. (September 25, 1875 Springfield, Ohio – December 28, 1950 Miami Beach, Florida), was the owner of one of America's most successful Thoroughbred horse racing operations. Biography Wright was born in Ohio and raised in Chicago ...

and sent to race at age two under trainer Frank J. Kearns.

Racing career

Bull Lea make nine starts at age two, earning two wins, two seconds and two third-place finishes. The highlights were his runner-up performances in both the 1937

Hopeful Hopeful may refer to * Hopeful (Ami Suzuki song), "Hopeful" (Ami Suzuki song) * Hopeful (Bars and Melody song), "Hopeful" (Bars and Melody song) * Hopeful, Alabama * Hopeful, Georgia * Mount Hopeful, peak in the Shetland Islands See also

* Hop ...

and Champagne Stakes, two important races for his age group. At age three, Bull Lea recorded seven wins from sixteen starts. He set a new

Keeneland Race Course Keeneland Association, Inc. is an equine business based in Lexington, Kentucky. It includes two distinct divisions: the Keeneland Race Course, a Thoroughbred racing facility, and Keeneland Sales, a horse auction complex. It is also known for it ...

record for nine furlongs in winning the 1938

Blue Grass Stakes The Blue Grass Stakes, currently the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes due to sponsorship by the Toyota Motor Corporation, is a horse race for 3-year-old Thoroughbreds held annually in April at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Kentucky. The race is ru ...

. Made a 3:1 second choice by bettors for 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 ...

, he finished eighth and then ran sixth 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 ...

. The following year, the four-year-old's most important win came in 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. Initiall ...

Stud record

Bull Lea entered

stud Stud may refer to: Animals * Stud (animal), an animal retained for breeding ** Stud farm, a property where livestock are bred Arts and entertainment * Stud (band), a British progressive rock group * The Stud (bar), a gay bar in San Francisco * ...

in 1940 at

's operation in Lexington, Kentucky. He was the

Leading sire in North America The list below shows the leading Father, sire of Thoroughbred Horse racing, 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 Stallio ...

for 1947, 1948, 1949, 1952 and 1953. He also was Leading broodmare sire from 1958 to 1961. He was also the first sire in the history of American

Thoroughbred horse racing Thoroughbred racing is a sport and Horse industry, industry involving the Horse racing, 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 know ...

to have offspring with earnings of more than $1 million in a single season. Bull Lea sired fifty-eight stakes winners, seven of which are Hall of Fame members. His progeny includes: *

Armed Armed (May, 1941–1964) was an American Thoroughbred gelding race horse who was the American Horse of the Year in 1947 and Champion Older Male Horse in both 1946 and 1947. He was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in ...

(1941–1964): $817,475, U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee; 1947 U.S. Horse of the Year *

Twilight Tear Twilight Tear (1941–1954) was an American Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse. At age two, she won four of her six starts, finishing second and third in her other two starts. Her performances earned her the title of 2-year-old filly honors in ...

(1941–1954): United States Racing Hall of Fame inductee; in 1944 she became the first filly to be voted U.S. Horse of the Year honors *

Faultless Faultless (foaled 1944 in Kentucky) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 1947 Preakness Stakes. Background He was bred and raced by Calumet Farm. His dam, Unerring, was the 1939 American Co-Champion Three-Year-Old ...

(1944): won 1947

Flamingo Flamingos or flamingoes () are a type of wading bird in the family Phoenicopteridae, which is the only extant family in the order Phoenicopteriformes. There are four flamingo species distributed throughout the Americas (including the Caribbe ...

Withers Withers are the ridge between the shoulder blades of an animal, typically a quadruped. In many species, this ridge is the tallest point of the body. In horses and dogs, it is the standard place to measure the animal's height. In contrast, catt ...

and

plus the American Classic, the

Bewitch Bewitch (1945–1959) was a Thoroughbred race horse born in 1945 at Calumet Farm, Kentucky, United States in the same crop in which the stallion Bull Lea produced Citation and Coaltown. Each of them was eventually inaugurated into the Thoroughb ...

(1945–1959): $462,605, United States' Racing Hall of Fame inductee; 1947 U.S. Champion 2-Yr-Old Filly; 1949 U.S. Champion Older Female Horse *

Citation A citation is a reference to a source. More precisely, a citation is an abbreviated alphanumeric expression embedded in the body of an intellectual work that denotes an entry in the bibliographic references section of the work for the purpose o ...

(1945–1970): $1,085,760, United States Racing Hall of Fame inductee; 1947 U.S. Champion 2-Yr-Old Colt; 1948 U.S. Triple Crown Champion, 1948 U.S. Horse of the Year; rated #3 - Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century *

Coaltown Coaltown (1945–1965) was an American Hall of Fame Champion Thoroughbred racehorse of whom ''The New York Times'' said "was probably the most underrated Thoroughbred of the 20th Century." Coaltown was nicknamed "The Goose" by the stable empl ...

(1945–1965): $415,676, United States Racing Hall of Fame inductee; 1948 U.S. Champion Sprint Horse; 1949 Handicap Horse of the Year; 1949 Co-United States Horse of the Year; rated #47 - Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century *

Two Lea Two Lea (1946–1973) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the 1949 Champion Three-Year-Old Filly and 1950 Champion Older Female. Background Born at Calumet Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, her sire was Bull Lea whose progeny ...

(1946–1973): United States' Racing Hall of Fame inductee, 1949 Co-Champion 3-Yr-Old Filly, 1950 U.S. Champion Older Female Horse *

Bull Page Bull Page (1947 – 1976) was a Canadian Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame, Hall of Fame Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse and an important sire. Bred by Woodvale Farm in Kentucky, he was out of the mare Our Page, winner of the historic Spin ...

(1947):

Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame was established in 1976 to honour those who have made a significant contribution to the sport of harness racing, harness and Thoroughbred racing, Thoroughbred horse racing in Canada. It is located at Woodbine ...

inductee; 1951 Canadian Horse Of The Year *

Next Move {{Infobox racehorse , horsename = Next Move , image = , caption = , sire = Bull Lea , grandsire = Bull Dog , dam = Now What , damsire = Chance Play , sex = Filly , foaled = 1947 , country = United States , colour = Brown , breeder ...

(1947–1968): 1950 Champion 3-Yr-Old Filly; 1951 U.S. Champion Older Female Horse *

Hill Gail Hill Gail (April 19, 1949 – May 27, 1968) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. One of the leading American two-year-olds of 1951, Hill Gail recorded his most important success the following spring when he won the 1952 Kentucky Derby. He was ...

(1949–1968): won 1952

Santa Anita Derby The Santa Anita Derby is an American Grade 1 thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run each April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. It is currently run at a distance of miles on the dirt and carries a purse of . It is one of t ...

, Kentucky Derby * Mark-Ye-Well (1949–1970): multiple stakes winner including the

Arlington Classic The Arlington Classic Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three year old horses over a distance of miles on the turf held annually in late May at Arlington Park race track near Chicago. History The event was inaugurated ...

American Derby The American Derby is an American Thoroughbred horse race first run at Chicago's old Washington Park Race Track on the city's South Side and raced there until 1905 when the facility was closed following the state's ban on gambling, and horse ra ...

Lawrence Realization Stakes The Lawrence Realization Stakes was an American horse race first run on the turf in 1889. The race, for three-year-old Thoroughbred colts, geldings and fillies, was last run in 2005. History Inaugurated at the Sheepshead Bay Race Track at Grave ...

Santa Anita Handicap The Santa Anita Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in early March at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. It is a Grade I race for horses four years old and up and was once considered the most important race for old ...

Real Delight Real Delight (1949–1969), was an American Thoroughbred race horse. Background She was bred by the famous Calumet Farm of Lexington, Kentucky. Her sire was one of America's foundation stallions, the influential Bull Lea (sire of seven Hall of ...

(1949–1969): 1952 Champion 3-Yr-Old Filly; 1952 U.S. Co-Champion Older Female Horse * Gen. Duke (1954–1958): won

Everglades Stakes The Everglades Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Hialeah Park in Hialeah, Florida. For three-year-old horses, the mile race was run on dirt until 1994 when it was converted to a race on turf. It was elevated to Grade ...

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 ...

Fountain of Youth Stakes The Fountain of Youth Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida in late February. A Grade II event open to three-year-olds willing to race one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt, it ...

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 ...

(1954–1972): won 1957 Kentucky Derby Damsire of: *

Tim Tam Tim Tam is a brand of chocolate biscuit introduced by the Australian biscuit company Arnott's Biscuits Holdings in 1964. It consists of two malted biscuits separated by a light hard chocolate cream filling and coated in a thin layer of textur ...

(1955–1982): United States' Racing Hall of Fame inductee, won 1958 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes * Idun (1955): 1957 U.S. Champion 2-Yr-Old Filly; 1958 U.S. Champion 3-Yr-Old Filly *

Flaming Page Flaming Page (April 24, 1959 – 1984) was a Canadian Thoroughbred who was a Champion racehorse and then an outstanding broodmare. She is best known as the dam of English Triple Crown Races, English Triple Crown winner Nijinsky (horse), Nijinsky. ...

(1959) :

inductee; won 1962

Queen's Plate The King's Plate (known as the Queen's Plate from 1860 to 1901 and 1952 to 2022) is Canada's oldest thoroughbred horse race and the oldest continuously run race in North America, having been founded in 1860. It is run at a distance of for a ma ...

; dam of English Triple Crown Champion,

Nijinsky Vaslav or Vatslav Nijinsky (12 March 1889/18908 April 1950) was a Russian ballet dancer and choreographer of Polish ancestry. He is regarded as the greatest male dancer of the early 20th century. Nijinsky was celebrated for his virtuosity and f ...

Gate Dancer Gate Dancer (1981–1998) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known as a winner of an American Classic Race, the Preakness Stakes, and for his part in a three-horse finish in the inaugural running of the Breeders' Cup Classic. Bred in F ...

(1981–1998): won 1984 Preakness Stakes Grandsire of: *

Fabius In Roman mythology, Fabius was the son of Hercules and an unnamed mother. In "The Life of Fabius Maximus" from the ''Parallel Lives'' by Plutarch, Fabius, the first of his name, was the son of Hercules by a nymph or a woman native to the country, ...

(1953): won

Silver Spoon The English language expression silver spoon is synonymous with wealth, especially inherited wealth; someone born into a wealthy family is said to have "been born with a silver spoon in their mouth". As an adjective, "silver spoon" describes som ...

(1956–1978): United States Racing Hall of Fame inductee; 1959 U.S. Co-Champion 3-Yr-Old Filly *

New Providence New Providence is the most populous island in The Bahamas, containing more than 70% of the total population. On the eastern side of the island is the national capital, national capital city of Nassau, Bahamas, Nassau; it had a population of 246 ...

(1956–1981): Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee; Canadian Triple Crown Champion Bull Lea died on June 16, 1964, aged 29, at Calumet Farm and is buried there with a statue overlooking his grave.

Pedigree

References

{{Reflist 1935 racehorse births 1964 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States United States Champion Thoroughbred Sires American Champion Thoroughbred broodmare sires Thoroughbred family 9-f Chefs-de-Race