This following a three-year-old campaign that included wins in the Preakness Stakes and Trenton Handicap, in which he defeated fellow Hall of Fame inductees Round Table and Gallant Man.
Bred by the Wheatley Stable of Gladys Mills Phipps, Bold Ruler was foaled on April 6, 1954, at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky.
[2][3] By coincidence, he and rival Round Table were foaled on the same night at Claiborne, and both returned to stand at stud there after their racing careers.
Bold Ruler was a big, leggy horse, standing 16.1 hands (65 inches, 165 cm) with a great shoulder, powerful hindquarter, and a distinctive long, sloping hip going down to a straight hind leg.
[3] The American foal crop of 1954 is considered to be one of the best of the twentieth century, containing three Hall of Fame horses: Bold Ruler, Gallant Man and Round Table, not to mention early standout Gen. Duke and Kentucky Derby winner Iron Liege.
[5] Bold Ruler stood out because of his raw speed, combined with courage that allowed him to overcome infirmities ranging from a tender mouth to chronic arthritis and soreness.
[5] Bold Ruler began his three-year-old campaign in Florida by winning the Bahamas Stakes on January 30, 1957 while equaling the track record.
[6] Bold Ruler was then shipped north to Aqueduct Racetrack in New York for the Wood Memorial Stakes, where he went off as the 1-2 favorite in a field of seven.
He opened up an early four-length lead, but Gallant Man gradually closed ground and surged to the front at the top of the stretch.
Bold Ruler then fought back and nosed out Gallant Man in the final strides while setting a new track record of 1:484⁄5 for 1+1⁄8 miles.
[9][10] Fitzsimmons later revealed that Bold Ruler was suffering from a sore mouth, dating back to an incident as a yearling when he nearly tore his tongue in two after catching it on something in his stall.
After the Derby, Fitzsimmons decided to use a strip of cloth to tie down the colt's tongue, relieving the pressure caused by the bit.
[11] In the Preakness Stakes on May 18, Bold Ruler responded with a front-running victory, with Iron Liege two lengths back in second.
With three furlongs remaining, Bold Ruler moved up to battle for the lead while Gallant Man and Dedicate started to close ground.
The four horses were tightly bunched at the eight pole before Dedicate took command to win by 1+1⁄2 lengths over Gallant Man, with Bold Ruler finishing third.
Jockey Bill Hartack, riding the third place finisher, commented after the race, "I don't know how good Bold Ruler is.
Arcaro then looked back and waved his whip at Bold Ruler, who responded to hold off Gallant Man by 2+1⁄2 lengths.
[5] Bold Ruler started the year in Florida, first targeting a seven-furlong sprint in January for his debut, then the Widener Handicap in February.
Gallant Man made a strong late run to finish third, but never threatened Bold Ruler, who drew off for a 1+1⁄2 length win.
[29] Gallant Man gained his revenge in the Metropolitan Handicap on June 14, closing from well back to overtake the front-running Bold Ruler in deep stretch.
Arcaro attributed the loss to the high weight of 135 pounds combined with a strong headwind, which took its toll in the final furlong of the one-mile race.
Down the stretch, Clem started to close ground and actually got a head in front before Bold Ruler rallied in the final strides to win by a nose.
Despite the apparent ease of the win, Fitzsimmons called it a "real hard race" and said that he might bypass the upcoming Brooklyn Handicap.
Arcaro felt that the bump did not cost Bold Ruler a chance to win, saying "he just wasn't operating right at any point in the race.
[36] Despite having made only two starts during the year at distances under a mile, Bold Ruler was still named the American Champion Sprint Horse of 1958.