Ruler on Ice
Encyclopedia
Ruler on Ice is a Thoroughbred
racehorse that won the 2011 Belmont Stakes
. Ruler on Ice was bred and foaled in Kentucky
by Brandywine Farm in partnership with Liberation Farm on April 2, 2008. He is a chestnut
gelding
sired by Hill 'n' Dale Farms
' Roman Ruler out of the Saratoga Six-bred mare, Champagne Glow. The colt was consigned as lot 988 at the 2009 Keeneland September yearling auction where he was purchased by George and Lori Hall for $100,000.
and he is currently based out of Monmouth Park.
. On his next start, a six furlong
maiden race at Delaware Park on October 4, 2010, he won by head over four other horses and collected $22,800.
at Pimlico
, beaten by Concealed Identity. On March 27, 2011, he finished third in the Grade III
Sunland Derby to Twice the Appeal and Astrology.
, on June 11, 2011 without running in the Kentucky Derby
or the Preakness Stakes
. He was a 24–1 longshot to the favorites Animal Kingdom
and the Irish
colt, Master of Hounds, and he was wearing blinkers for the first time. The colt won the 2011 Belmont Stakes
in the slop, beating both Animal Kingdom winner of the 2011 Kentucky Derby
and Shackleford, winner of the 2011 Preakness Stakes
, who finished sixth and fifth, respectively. Thus being one of the few geldings to accomplish a Belmont Stakes win.
by two and a half lengths. Ruler ran with his stablemate, Pants On Fire, in a duo dubbed "Fire and Ice" by the press. Pants On Fire finished out of the money at fifth place. On August 27, 2011 Ruler on Ice came in fourth in the 2011 Travers Stakes
. On September 24, 2011 he finished second to To Honor and Serve in the 2011 Pennsylvania Derby
. He was third at the 2011 Breeders' Cup Classic
behind Game on Dude and the 2010 Belmont Stakes
winner Drosselmeyer
.
and won the Haskell Invitational Handicap
as a three-year-old, accumulating $1,220,800 in his racing career. Roman Ruler was sired by the 2000 Kentucky Derby
winner Fusaichi Pegasus
out of the unraced mare Silvery Swan by Silver Deputy. Silvery Swan also produced the 2000 Cigar Mile Handicap
and multiple Del Mar Mile Handicap winner El Corredor. Roman Ruler was the leading second-crop sire by cumulative earnings in 2010 and sired Champagne Stakes winner, Homeboykris
, in his first season at stud.
His dam, Champagne Glow (foaled in 1988) was second in the 1990 Frizette Stakes
and won the Schuylkill Stakes. Ruler on Ice was her thirteenth foal and she also produced the fillies Lost on Champagne and Champagne d'Oro (winner of the 2010 Grade I Acorn Stakes
and Grade I Test Stakes
), and both fillies were third place finishers in the Cinderella Stakes
. Champagne Glow was sired by Saratoga Six, who was undefeated as a two-year-old and was the 1984 Del Mar Futurity
winner. He also sired the Grade I winner Toga Toga Toga and Saratoga Gambler before dying in a 2006 barn fire at the JEH Stallion Station in Hondo, New Mexico
that also claimed the life of 1997 Horse of the Year Favorite Trick
. Champagne Glow's dam, Champagne Ginny, was a winner in eight of her starts and won the Boiling Springs Handicap. She produced five foals, four of which were winners.
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
racehorse that won the 2011 Belmont Stakes
2011 Belmont Stakes
The 2011 Belmont Stakes was the 143rd running of the Belmont Stakes and was won by Ruler on Ice. The race was run on June 11, 2011, and was televised in the United States on the NBC television network. The post time was EDT...
. Ruler on Ice was bred and foaled in Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
by Brandywine Farm in partnership with Liberation Farm on April 2, 2008. He is a chestnut
Chestnut (coat)
Chestnut is a hair coat color of horses consisting of a reddish-to-brown coat with a mane and tail the same or lighter in color than the coat. Genetically and visually, chestnut is characterized by the absolute absence of true black hairs...
gelding
Gelding
A gelding is a castrated horse or other equine such as a donkey or a mule. Castration, and the elimination of hormonally driven behavior associated with a stallion, allows a male horse to be calmer and better-behaved, making the animal quieter, gentler and potentially more suitable as an everyday...
sired by Hill 'n' Dale Farms
Hill 'n' Dale Farms
Hill 'n' Dale Farms is a thoroughbred race horse breeding farm in Canada and the United States. It was founded in 1960 in Aurora, Ontario in 1960 by John Sikura, Jr., who died mysteriously in an unsolved 1994 car fire. The Canadian operation is now run by his son, R. Glenn...
' Roman Ruler out of the Saratoga Six-bred mare, Champagne Glow. The colt was consigned as lot 988 at the 2009 Keeneland September yearling auction where he was purchased by George and Lori Hall for $100,000.
Racing career
In his career, Ruler on Ice has been out of the money twice in eleven starts. He's raced eleven times on nine different tracks, and of his three wins, two were over sloppy tracks. His trainer for all of his starts is Kelly J. BreenKelly J. Breen
Kelly John Breen is a trainer of Thoroughbred racehorses. On June 11, 2011, Breen won the most important race of his career when Ruler on Ice won the third leg of the U.S. Triple Crown series, the Belmont Stakes....
and he is currently based out of Monmouth Park.
Two-year-old season
Racing as a two-year-old, Ruler on Ice's first start was in a maiden race at Monmouth Park on September 19, 2010. He finished fifth in a field of seven horses and was ridden by jockey Joe BravoJoe Bravo (jockey)
Joe Bravo is a jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing. The son and grandson of jockeys, he began his professional career in Thoroughbred flat racing at Calder Race Course in Miami Gardens, Florida during the latter end of 1988.According to his NTRA profile, Joe Bravo has dominated the New...
. On his next start, a six furlong
Furlong
A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and U.S. customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to 220 yards, 660 feet, 40 rods, or 10 chains. The exact value of the furlong varies slightly among English-speaking countries....
maiden race at Delaware Park on October 4, 2010, he won by head over four other horses and collected $22,800.
Three-year-old season
Racing as a three-year-old, Ruler on Ice was second at an optional claiming race and won an allowance race on February 22, 2011. On May 7, he was a fast closing second in the Federico Tesio StakesFederico Tesio Stakes
The Federico Tesio Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. Contested over a distance of one and one-eighth miles on dirt, it is open to three-year-olds horses....
at Pimlico
Pimlico
Pimlico is a small area of central London in the City of Westminster. Like Belgravia, to which it was built as a southern extension, Pimlico is known for its grand garden squares and impressive Regency architecture....
, beaten by Concealed Identity. On March 27, 2011, he finished third in the Grade III
Graded stakes race
A graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...
Sunland Derby to Twice the Appeal and Astrology.
Triple Crown races
Ruler on Ice went into the Belmont Stakes, the third leg of the US Triple CrownTriple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing consists of three races for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses. Winning all three of these Thoroughbred horse races is considered the greatest accomplishment of a Thoroughbred racehorse...
, on June 11, 2011 without running in the Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
or the Preakness Stakes
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ; fillies 121 lb...
. He was a 24–1 longshot to the favorites Animal Kingdom
Animal Kingdom (horse)
Animal Kingdom by the Brazilian-bred Leroidesanimaux out of the German mare Dalicia is a Thoroughbred race horse, notable for winning the 137th Kentucky Derby. The race was run on May 7, 2011 before a record crowd of 164,858...
and the Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
colt, Master of Hounds, and he was wearing blinkers for the first time. The colt won the 2011 Belmont Stakes
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds...
in the slop, beating both Animal Kingdom winner of the 2011 Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
and Shackleford, winner of the 2011 Preakness Stakes
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ; fillies 121 lb...
, who finished sixth and fifth, respectively. Thus being one of the few geldings to accomplish a Belmont Stakes win.
Remainder of the season
On July 31, 2011 Ruler finished third in the Haskell Invitational to Coil and ShacklefordShackleford (horse)
Shackleford is a chestnut Thoroughbred race horse who won the 2011 Preakness Stakes. His pedigree traces to major sires of significance, including his grandsire Storm Cat and his damsire Unbridled as well as numerous fourth generation who were champion breeders...
by two and a half lengths. Ruler ran with his stablemate, Pants On Fire, in a duo dubbed "Fire and Ice" by the press. Pants On Fire finished out of the money at fifth place. On August 27, 2011 Ruler on Ice came in fourth in the 2011 Travers Stakes
Travers Stakes
The Travers Stakes is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York.First held in 1864, it was named for William R. Travers, the president of the old Saratoga Racing Association. His horse, Kentucky, won the first running of the Travers...
. On September 24, 2011 he finished second to To Honor and Serve in the 2011 Pennsylvania Derby
Pennsylvania Derby
The Pennsylvania Derby is a race for thoroughbred horses run at Parx Racing and Casino each year. The track's premiere event is open to horses, age three, willing to race on the dirt and as of 2007, offers a purse of $1 million...
. He was third at the 2011 Breeders' Cup Classic
Breeders' Cup Classic
The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade I Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3 year olds and older run at a distance of 1¼ miles on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships...
behind Game on Dude and the 2010 Belmont Stakes
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds...
winner Drosselmeyer
Drosselmeyer
Drosselmeyer is an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the third leg of the 2010 U.S. Triple Crown series and the 2011 Breeders' Cup Classic.-Background:...
.
Pedigree
Ruler on Ice's sire, Roman Ruler (foaled in 2002), was the winner of the 2004 Norfolk Stakes and Best Pal StakesBest Pal Stakes
The Best Pal Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held annually at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California. The race is open to horses, age two, that are willing to race six and one-half furlongs on Polytrack. A Grade II event, it carries a purse of $150,000.Inaugurated in 1967 as the...
and won the Haskell Invitational Handicap
Haskell Invitational Handicap
The Resorts Casino & Hotel Haskell Invitational is an American Grade I race for thoroughbred horses. In 1968, the Board of Directors of Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey honored its former President and Chairman Amory L. Haskell with the Amory L. Haskell Handicap, a race for older...
as a three-year-old, accumulating $1,220,800 in his racing career. Roman Ruler was sired by the 2000 Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
winner Fusaichi Pegasus
Fusaichi Pegasus
Fusaichi Pegasus was purchased as a yearling for $4 million by Fusao Sekiguchi. His name is a combination of his owner's name, "Fusao," and the Japanese word for one, "ichi," to mean #1 or the best. The second half is the winged horse of Greek mythology. Fusaichi Pegasus won the Kentucky Derby...
out of the unraced mare Silvery Swan by Silver Deputy. Silvery Swan also produced the 2000 Cigar Mile Handicap
Cigar Mile Handicap
The Cigar Mile Handicap is an American race for thoroughbred horses at Aqueduct Racetrack in New York. Run annually in late November, it is named in honor of the U.S. Hall of Fame horse Cigar, who won the race in 1994 when it was known as the NYRA Mile. Renamed in 1997 following Cigar's retirement,...
and multiple Del Mar Mile Handicap winner El Corredor. Roman Ruler was the leading second-crop sire by cumulative earnings in 2010 and sired Champagne Stakes winner, Homeboykris
Homeboykris
Homeboykris is a racehorse bred in Maryland in the United States. A son of Roman Ruler, he was purchased privately by a group headed by restaurateur Louis Lazzinnaro and includes Los Angeles Dodgers manager Joe Torre and turned over to Richard Dutrow for training...
, in his first season at stud.
His dam, Champagne Glow (foaled in 1988) was second in the 1990 Frizette Stakes
Frizette Stakes
The Frizette Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race for two-year-old fillies raced annually at Belmont Park in the late fall. It is currently a Grade I stakes race at as distance of one mile. The Frizette is the female counterpart of the Champagne Stakes.The race is currently part of the...
and won the Schuylkill Stakes. Ruler on Ice was her thirteenth foal and she also produced the fillies Lost on Champagne and Champagne d'Oro (winner of the 2010 Grade I Acorn Stakes
Acorn Stakes
The Acorn Stakes is an American Grade I race at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies. It is raced on dirt over a distance of one mile with a current purse of $250,000. It is the first leg of the US Triple Tiara and is followed by the Coaching Club American Oaks...
and Grade I Test Stakes
Test Stakes
The Test Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race open to three-year-old fillies and run each summer at the Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. It is contested at a distance of seven furlongs on the dirt and is an influential race in shaping the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint...
), and both fillies were third place finishers in the Cinderella Stakes
Cinderella Stakes
The Cinderella Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California. It is open to two-year-old fillies and is contested on Cushion Track synthetic dirt over a distance of five and one half furlongs...
. Champagne Glow was sired by Saratoga Six, who was undefeated as a two-year-old and was the 1984 Del Mar Futurity
Del Mar Futurity
The Del Mar Futurity is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California. A Grade I event since 2007, the race is open to horses, age two, willing to race seven furlongs on Polytrack synthetic dirt and offers a purse of $250,000.The race is currently...
winner. He also sired the Grade I winner Toga Toga Toga and Saratoga Gambler before dying in a 2006 barn fire at the JEH Stallion Station in Hondo, New Mexico
Hondo, New Mexico
Hondo is an unincorporated community in Lincoln County, New Mexico, United States. It is located about five miles downstream from Ruidosos Downs, where the Rio Bonito and Rio Ruidoso rivers join together to form the Rio Hondo. It is located at the point where U.S. Route 70 is joined by U.S. Route...
that also claimed the life of 1997 Horse of the Year Favorite Trick
Favorite Trick
Favorite Trick was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who in 1997 became the first 2-year-old in twenty-five years to be voted United States Horse of the Year....
. Champagne Glow's dam, Champagne Ginny, was a winner in eight of her starts and won the Boiling Springs Handicap. She produced five foals, four of which were winners.
Racing statistics
| Date | Age | Distance | Race | Grade | Track | Surface | Odds | Time | Field | Finish | Margin | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Citation |
| Sept 19, 2010 | 2 | furlong Furlong A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and U.S. customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to 220 yards, 660 feet, 40 rods, or 10 chains. The exact value of the furlong varies slightly among English-speaking countries.... s (11/16 mi) |
Maiden Special Weight | Maiden | Monmouth Park | Dirt | 1.60 | N/A | 7 | 5 | N/A | Joe Bravo Joe Bravo (jockey) Joe Bravo is a jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing. The son and grandson of jockeys, he began his professional career in Thoroughbred flat racing at Calder Race Course in Miami Gardens, Florida during the latter end of 1988.According to his NTRA profile, Joe Bravo has dominated the New... |
Kelly Breen Kelly J. Breen Kelly John Breen is a trainer of Thoroughbred racehorses. On June 11, 2011, Breen won the most important race of his career when Ruler on Ice won the third leg of the U.S. Triple Crown series, the Belmont Stakes.... |
George and Lori Hall | |
| Oct 04, 2010 | 2 | 6 furlongs (3/4 mi) |
Maiden Special Weight | Maiden | Delaware Park | Dirt | 2.30 | 1:12.19 | 5 | 1 | Head | Joe Bravo | Kelly Breen | George and Lori Hall | |
| Feb 04, 2011 | 3 | 8.3 furlongs (1 mile and 70 yards or 1,673 m) |
Allowance Optional Claiming | None | Aqueduct Racetrack Aqueduct Racetrack Aqueduct Racetrack is a thoroughbred horse-racing facility and racino in Ozone Park, Queens, New York. Its racing meets usually are from late October/early November through April.-History:... |
Dirt | 2.50 | 1:43.02 | 5 | 2 | length | Jose Valdivia, Jr. Jose Valdivia, Jr. Jose Valdivia, Jr. is a jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing. The son of a top South American jockey, he is the nephew of retired jockey Fernando Toro and trainer, Juan Suarez. He and his family moved to the United States in 1989 and settled in the West Palm Beach, Florida area where his... |
Kelly Breen | George and Lori Hall | |
| Feb 22, 2011 | 3 | furlongs ( mile or 1,710 m) |
Allowance | None | Parx Racing | Dirt | 0.80 | 1:45.28 | 7 | 1 | length | Jose Valdivia, Jr. | Kelly Breen | George and Lori Hall | |
| Mar 27, 2011 | 3 | 9 furlongs ( mile or 1,810 m) |
Sunland Derby | 3 | Sunland Park Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino is a racino located in Sunland Park, New Mexico, a suburb of El Paso, Texas.Opened in 1959 as a thoroughbred racing track, Sunland Park was the only legalized gambling venue in the region for many years... |
Dirt | 6.50 | 1:50.91 | 11 | 3 | lengths | Jose Valdivia, Jr. | Kelly Breen | George and Lori Hall | |
| May 07, 2011 | 3 | furlongs ( mile or 1,710 m) |
Federico Tesio Stakes Federico Tesio Stakes The Federico Tesio Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. Contested over a distance of one and one-eighth miles on dirt, it is open to three-year-olds horses.... |
None | Pimlico Race Course Pimlico Race Course Pimlico Race Course is a horse racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland, most famous for hosting the Preakness Stakes. Its name is derived from the 1660s when English settlers named the area where the facility currently stands in honor of Olde Ben Pimlico's Tavern in London... |
Dirt | 1.50 | 1:45.67 | 7 | 2 | 2 lengths | Jose Valdivia, Jr. | Kelly Breen | George and Lori Hall | |
| June 11, 2011 | 3 | 12 furlongs ( mile or 2,414 m) |
Belmont Stakes Belmont Stakes The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds... |
1 | Belmont Park Belmont Park Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse-racing facility located in Elmont in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island adjoining New York City. It first opened on May 4, 1905... |
Dirt | 24.75 | 2:30.88 | 12 | 1 | length | Jose Valdivia, Jr. | Kelly Breen | George and Lori Hall | |
| July 31, 2011 | 3 | 9 furlongs (1+1/8 mi) |
Haskell Invitational | 1 | Monmouth Park | Dirt | 6.90 | 1:48.20 | 8 | 3 | lengths | Jose Valdivia, Jr. | Kelly Breen | George and Lori Hall | |
| August 27, 2011 | 3 | 10 furlongs (1+1/4 mi) |
Travers Stakes Travers Stakes The Travers Stakes is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York.First held in 1864, it was named for William R. Travers, the president of the old Saratoga Racing Association. His horse, Kentucky, won the first running of the Travers... |
1 | Saratoga Race Course Saratoga Race Course Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. It opened on August 3, 1863, and is the oldest organized sporting venue of any kind in the United States. It is typically open for racing from late July through early September.-History:John... |
Dirt | 7.30 | N/A | 10 | 4 | N/A | Jose Valdivia, Jr. | Kelly Breen | George and Lori Hall | |
| Sept 24, 2011 | 3 | 9 furlongs (1+1/8 mi) |
Pennsylvania Derby Pennsylvania Derby The Pennsylvania Derby is a race for thoroughbred horses run at Parx Racing and Casino each year. The track's premiere event is open to horses, age three, willing to race on the dirt and as of 2007, offers a purse of $1 million... |
2 | Parx Racing | Dirt | 4.80 | 1:47.34 | 9 | 2 | lengths | Garrett Gomez | Kelly Breen | George and Lori Hall | |
| Nov 5, 2011 | 3 | 10 furlongs (1+1/4 mi) |
Breeders' Cup Classic Breeders' Cup Classic The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade I Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3 year olds and older run at a distance of 1¼ miles on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships... |
1 | Churchill Downs Churchill Downs Churchill Downs, located in Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, is a Thoroughbred racetrack most famous for hosting the Kentucky Derby annually. It officially opened in 1875, and held the first Kentucky Derby and the first Kentucky Oaks in the same year. Churchill Downs... |
Dirt | 17.20 | 2:04.27 | 12 | 3 | 3 Lengths | Garrett Gomez | Kelly Breen | George and Lori Hall |