Bold Lad (USA)
April 23, 1962 – 1986
Bold Ruler (USA) x Misty Morn (USA), by Princequillo (IRE)
Family 5-f
April 23, 1962 – 1986
Bold Ruler (USA) x Misty Morn (USA), by Princequillo (IRE)
Family 5-f
One of the early great successes for the Bold Ruler/Princequillo cross that culminated in Secretariat, Bold Lad was big, handsome and blessed with abundant speed, making him an exceptional juvenile and later a top sprinter-miler. What he did not have was soundness, and he tended to pass on this failing. He had an uneven stud career while standing in Kentucky, France and Japan.
Race record
19 starts, 14 wins, 2 seconds, 1 third, US$516,465
1964:
1965:
1966:
Honors
American champion 2-year-old colt (1964)
Assessments
Weighted atop the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 1964 at 130 pounds, 3 pounds above second-rated Sadair.
Ranked eighth among American 3-year-old males of 1965 by The Blood-Horse.
Rated at 123 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old males of 1965, 6 pounds below champion Tom Rolfe.
Rated at 132 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American sprinters of 1966, 2 pounds above Gallant Romeo and 4 pounds above the official champion, Impressive (a 3-year-old).
As an individual
A big, strong chestnut colt (he measured 16.2-1/2 hands in November of his juvenile season), Bold Lad had excellent conformation and plenty of speed. He usually came from off the pace in his races, winning with a strong final run. He had trouble keeping sound after his juvenile season due to a chronic knee injury that may have started when he jarred himself while racing on unusually hard going in the 1964 Sapling Stakes. He had an excellent disposition while racing.
As a stallion
According to records maintained by The Jockey Club, Bold Lad sired 192 winners (49.0%) and 27 stakes winners (6.9%) from 392 named foals, but records regarding his Japanese-sired progeny may not be complete. Great Thoroughbred Stallions of the World (Churchill, Reichard and Rogers) credits him with having sired at least 30 stakes winners.
Sire rankings
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
Per Japanese Bloodstock Information Systems (https://www.jbis.jp/ranking/):
Notable progeny
Bold Fascinator (USA), Gentle Thoughts (USA), Marble Arch (USA), Rube the Great (USA), Sirlad (IRE)
Notable progeny of daughters
Back Bay Barrister (USA), Hurry Up Blue (USA), Instrument Landing (USA), Luv Luvin' (USA), Malevic (USA)
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Bold Lad was bred and owned by Wheatley Stable, also the breeder and owner of his sire and dam. He was trained by Bill Winfrey. After entering stud at Claiborne Farm in Kentucky in 1967, Bold Lad was sent to France in 1972. From there, he was exported to Japan in 1977.
Pedigree notes
Bold Lad is inbred 4x4 to 1930 Derby Stakes winner and 1941 American champion sire Blenheim II and 4x5 to 1923 English champion 2-year-old filly Mumtaz Mahal through the three-quarters sister and brother Mumtaz Begum and Mahmoud. He is a full brother to 1966 American champion 2-year-old male Successor; to 1963 Test Stakes winner Bold Consort, dam of Grade 2-placed stakes winner Quick Turnover (by Buckpasser) and second dam of French Group 3 winner La Durga; and to 1963 National Stallion Stakes (Fillies) winner Beautiful Day, dam of 1969 Schuylerville Stakes winner Bright Sun (by Tatán) and third dam of multiple European Group 3 winner Dictator's Song. Bold Lad is also a full brother to stakes producer Queen of the Sky and a half brother to 1963 Gallant Fox Handicap winner Sunrise Flight (by Double Jay) and to stakes producer Lovely Morning (by Swaps).
The American champion 3-year-old filly and co-champion handicap female of 1955, Bold Lad's dam Misty Morn was named the 1963 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year. She is one of nine stakes winners produced from the remarkable matron Grey Flight. Her siblings include 1967 Hopeful Stakes winner and two-time American champion sire What a Pleasure (by Bold Ruler); 1957 Remsen Stakes winner and useful sire Misty Flight (by Princequillo); 1962 Schuylerville Stakes winner Bold Princess (by Bold Ruler), who founded another notable branch of Grey Flight's family; and Clear Ceiling (by Bold Ruler), dam of 1980 One Thousand Guineas (ENG-G1) winner Quick as Lightning (by Buckpasser) and ancestress of American champions Kona Gold, Inside Information, and Smuggler.
Grey Flight herself was a juvenile stakes winner and is a half sister to Just-a-Minute (by Can't Wait), dam of 1950 Del Mar Futurity winner Patch (by Dogpatch), 1956 Las Flores Handicap winner On the Move (by Mafosta) and 1953 La Jolla Handicap winner Threesome (by Dogpatch). Grey Flight is also a half sister to Planetrix (by Ambiorix), dam of the minor stakes winner Son Duke (by Marcador) and second dam of Grade 2 winner Soft Victory and Grade 3 winner He's Vivacious. The dam of Grey Flight and her siblings is Planetoid (by Ariel), one of four stakes winners produced from the excellent broodmare La Chica (by Sweep).
Fun facts
Photo credit
Photographer unknown. From the private collection of Dale Wyatt; used by permission.
Last updated: September 24, 2024
Race record
19 starts, 14 wins, 2 seconds, 1 third, US$516,465
1964:
- Won Champagne Stakes (USA, 8FD, Aqueduct)
- Won Futurity Stakes (USA, 6.5FD, Aqueduct; equaled track record 1:16)
- Won Hopeful Stakes (USA, 6.5FD, Saratoga; equaled track record 1:15-3/5)
- Won Sapling Stakes (USA, 6FD, Monmouth)
- Won Tremont Stakes (USA, 5.5FD, Aqueduct)
- Won National Stallion Stakes (Males) (USA, 5.5FD, Belmont)
1965:
- Won Derby Trial Stakes (USA, 8FD, Churchill Downs)
- 3rd Wood Memorial Stakes (USA, 9FD, Aqueduct)
1966:
- Won Metropolitan Handicap (USA, 8FD, Aqueduct)
- Won Roseben Handicap (USA, 7FD, Aqueduct)
Honors
American champion 2-year-old colt (1964)
Assessments
Weighted atop the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 1964 at 130 pounds, 3 pounds above second-rated Sadair.
Ranked eighth among American 3-year-old males of 1965 by The Blood-Horse.
Rated at 123 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old males of 1965, 6 pounds below champion Tom Rolfe.
Rated at 132 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American sprinters of 1966, 2 pounds above Gallant Romeo and 4 pounds above the official champion, Impressive (a 3-year-old).
As an individual
A big, strong chestnut colt (he measured 16.2-1/2 hands in November of his juvenile season), Bold Lad had excellent conformation and plenty of speed. He usually came from off the pace in his races, winning with a strong final run. He had trouble keeping sound after his juvenile season due to a chronic knee injury that may have started when he jarred himself while racing on unusually hard going in the 1964 Sapling Stakes. He had an excellent disposition while racing.
As a stallion
According to records maintained by The Jockey Club, Bold Lad sired 192 winners (49.0%) and 27 stakes winners (6.9%) from 392 named foals, but records regarding his Japanese-sired progeny may not be complete. Great Thoroughbred Stallions of the World (Churchill, Reichard and Rogers) credits him with having sired at least 30 stakes winners.
Sire rankings
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
- 7th on the Japanese general sire list in 1984.
Per Japanese Bloodstock Information Systems (https://www.jbis.jp/ranking/):
- 7th on the Japanese general sire list in 1984.
Notable progeny
Bold Fascinator (USA), Gentle Thoughts (USA), Marble Arch (USA), Rube the Great (USA), Sirlad (IRE)
Notable progeny of daughters
Back Bay Barrister (USA), Hurry Up Blue (USA), Instrument Landing (USA), Luv Luvin' (USA), Malevic (USA)
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Bold Lad was bred and owned by Wheatley Stable, also the breeder and owner of his sire and dam. He was trained by Bill Winfrey. After entering stud at Claiborne Farm in Kentucky in 1967, Bold Lad was sent to France in 1972. From there, he was exported to Japan in 1977.
Pedigree notes
Bold Lad is inbred 4x4 to 1930 Derby Stakes winner and 1941 American champion sire Blenheim II and 4x5 to 1923 English champion 2-year-old filly Mumtaz Mahal through the three-quarters sister and brother Mumtaz Begum and Mahmoud. He is a full brother to 1966 American champion 2-year-old male Successor; to 1963 Test Stakes winner Bold Consort, dam of Grade 2-placed stakes winner Quick Turnover (by Buckpasser) and second dam of French Group 3 winner La Durga; and to 1963 National Stallion Stakes (Fillies) winner Beautiful Day, dam of 1969 Schuylerville Stakes winner Bright Sun (by Tatán) and third dam of multiple European Group 3 winner Dictator's Song. Bold Lad is also a full brother to stakes producer Queen of the Sky and a half brother to 1963 Gallant Fox Handicap winner Sunrise Flight (by Double Jay) and to stakes producer Lovely Morning (by Swaps).
The American champion 3-year-old filly and co-champion handicap female of 1955, Bold Lad's dam Misty Morn was named the 1963 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year. She is one of nine stakes winners produced from the remarkable matron Grey Flight. Her siblings include 1967 Hopeful Stakes winner and two-time American champion sire What a Pleasure (by Bold Ruler); 1957 Remsen Stakes winner and useful sire Misty Flight (by Princequillo); 1962 Schuylerville Stakes winner Bold Princess (by Bold Ruler), who founded another notable branch of Grey Flight's family; and Clear Ceiling (by Bold Ruler), dam of 1980 One Thousand Guineas (ENG-G1) winner Quick as Lightning (by Buckpasser) and ancestress of American champions Kona Gold, Inside Information, and Smuggler.
Grey Flight herself was a juvenile stakes winner and is a half sister to Just-a-Minute (by Can't Wait), dam of 1950 Del Mar Futurity winner Patch (by Dogpatch), 1956 Las Flores Handicap winner On the Move (by Mafosta) and 1953 La Jolla Handicap winner Threesome (by Dogpatch). Grey Flight is also a half sister to Planetrix (by Ambiorix), dam of the minor stakes winner Son Duke (by Marcador) and second dam of Grade 2 winner Soft Victory and Grade 3 winner He's Vivacious. The dam of Grey Flight and her siblings is Planetoid (by Ariel), one of four stakes winners produced from the excellent broodmare La Chica (by Sweep).
Fun facts
- Bold Lad was one of two juvenile champions of that name sired by Bold Ruler. The other was an Irish-bred colt out of the Democratic mare Barn Pride who became the English and Irish champion 2-year-old male of 1966; this second Bold Lad was bred by Beatrice Forbes, Countess of Granard, who was the sister of Wheatley Stable owner Gladys Mills Phipps. Although the two Bold Lads were physically dissimilar to one another, there were plenty of opportunities for confusion in records as their stud careers in Europe overlapped. This case of the same name being used for two high-profile horses in different nations at the same time led to racing nations around the world adopting the convention of adding the country code in parentheses after a Thoroughbred's name to indicate where a non-native animal was bred.
Photo credit
Photographer unknown. From the private collection of Dale Wyatt; used by permission.
Last updated: September 24, 2024