Best Horses Not to Win a Championship Series: Bold 'n Determined

Best Horses Not to Win a Championship Series
Number 6: Bold ‘n Determined

Joseph Di Rienzi

This is the next installment of the occasional series that features those somewhat forgotten thoroughbreds who did not win any championship but ran exceptionally well and under different circumstances might have garnered awards. This issue discusses Bold ‘n Determined.

Bold 'n Determined at Keeneland in 1981
bloodhorse.com

The bay daughter of Bold and Brave had a three-year-old campaign in 1980 that would routinely garner a championship, even defeating in their lone encounter the eventual three-year-old filly champion. However, that rival was Genuine Risk who entered the thoroughbred history books as only the second female to win the Kentucky Derby.

Bred by Dr. Gordon Layton in Kentucky, Bold n’ Determined was purchased as a two-year-old by Corbin J. Roberston, owner of Saron Stable, for $70,000. Placed in the care of Neil Drysdale, the light bodied filly made her racing debut in May 1979 at Hollywood Park and came away with a victory. Advancing up the ranks with two allowance race victories, Bold ‘n Determined, concluded a perfect 4 for 4 juvenile season with a triumph in the Oak Leaf Stakes at Santa Anita Park.

Beginning 1980 with a victory in the Pasadena Stakes at Santa Anita, Bold ‘n Determined suffered her first loss in the Santa Ynez Stakes finishing fourth to Table Hands. She avenged that defeat in the 8½ furlong Santa Susanna Stakes rallying from far back to defeat Street Ballet and Table Hands by a ½ length and a neck, respectively. Shipping to Arkansas for the Fantasy Stakes, she faced the previous year’s two-year-old filly champion, Smart Angle. Bold ‘n Determined, under jockey Eddie Delahoussaye, went to the front early and controlled the pace drawing out in the stretch to a 2¼ length victory over Saint Ribera with Honest and True, 4 lengths back in third. Smart Angle, not feeling well, was eased up in the stretch. The capstone on Bold ‘n Determined’s spring campaign was the Kentucky Oaks which she won convincingly by 1½ lengths over Mitey Lively and Honest and True (1/2 length further back). Her margins of victory were never great, and her final times were rarely fast, but this smallish filly certainly lived up to her name in courage and tenacity.

While Diana Firestone’s Genuine Risk was heroically tackling males in the Triple Crown, winning the Kentucky Derby and finishing second in the both the Preakness and Belmont Stakes, Bold ‘n Determined, was in New York during the late spring and early summer competing in the New York Filly Triple Tiara.

She promptly added the Acorn Stakes at Belmont Park to her growing list of triumphs winning by 2¾ lengths over Mitey Lively with Sugar and Spice, who had previously won a division of the Ashland Stakes, finishing 1¼ lengths back in third place. In the 9 furlong Mother Goose Stakes run on a muddy track the day after the Belmont Stakes, Sugar and Spice engaged Bold ‘n Determined around the far turn, and the two battled the rest of the way with the Calumet Farm owned filly having a head advantage at the finish. Some 9 lengths further back was Erin’s Word with Weber City Miss finishing fourth. Denied a chance to sweep the New York filly triple series, Bold ‘n Determined nonetheless came back to face Sugar and Spice again in the 1½ mile Coaching Club American Oaks at Belmont. Truly living up to her name, she fought off stern challenges from Sugar and Spice, Erin’s Word, and Farewell Letter to eke out a narrow win with the last two mentioned, a head and a head away, respectively. Sugar and Spice, in a four way fight for the lead, gave way in deep stretch to finish 2¼ lengths back in fourth place. The time was lugubriously slow for the distance, but no one questioned Bold ‘n Determined’s courage and tremendous will to win.

The 1 mile Maskette Stakes in September at Belmont Park featured not only the previous year’s three-year-old filly champion in Calumet Farm’s Davona Dale, but the two sophomore fillies vying for this year’s championship - Genuine Risk and Bold ‘n Determined. The last two mentioned were coming off layoffs, Genuine Risk in the Belmont Stakes and Bold ‘n Determined in the CCA Oaks. Also, in the field, was Love Sign, who had won at Saratoga Race Track both the Test and Alabama Stakes. Bold ‘n Determined pressed Love Sign in the early going. Around the turn, Davona Dale challenged the leading pair. That move was quickly followed by Genuine Risk who surged past the Calumet filly and took a slight lead over Bold ‘n Determined. The Saron Stable color bearer, despite carrying 4 lb. more, displayed her resoluteness and regained the lead from the Kentucky Derby winner to triumph by a nose. Love Sign was 6¾ lengths back in third, and Davona Dale, in what would result in her swan song performance, finished a ½ length back in fourth.

In what would be Genuine Risk’s last race of the year, she defeated Misty Galore and It’s in the Air by a nose and a neck, respectively in the 9 furlong Ruffian Handicap. While this win was not definitive with Davona Dale being withdrawn due to a recurrent injury, and Bold ‘n Determined skipping the race to point for Keeneland Race Course’s Spinster Stakes, it was sufficient to remove any doubts that the Firestone star would be voted Champion Three-Year-Old Filly. 

Bold ‘n Determined did not give up the championship without a struggle. She did win the Spinster Stakes by a neck over Love Sign. But when asked to run on grass in the 10 furlong Yellow Ribbon Stakes at Santa Anita, Bold ‘n Determined could finish no better than fourth to the Irish bred Kilijaro.

Remaining in training in 1981, her four-year-old season was anti-climactic. At year’s beginning, Bold ‘n Determined was nosed out in the La Brea Stakes by Dynanite at Santa Anita and returned with an ankle injury that would force her out till early spring. When Bold ‘n Determined resumed racing, she would win her last 3 starts including the Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park and the Bewitch Stakes at Keeneland. However, subsequent to the Bewitch, Bold ‘n Determined suffered a reoccurrence of her ankle problems that forced her retirement. Her exemplary racing career resulted in 16 victories in 20 starts with 2 placings and 2 fourth place finishes.

After a fairly unsuccessful career as a broodmare, Bold ‘n Determined passed away at Gainsborough Farm in Lexington, Kentucky in 1997 at the age of 20.