“Ruler On Ice won when the spotlight was the brightest, and I know he’ll light up the faces of his fans now that he’s joining our three other Belmont Stakes winners,” said Old Friends Founder and President Michael Blowen. Since his retirement, Ruler On Ice has been residing at the Hall’s farm in Versailles, Ky. In the press at the time of his retirement, Breen noted that Ruler On Ice retired sound, but that “he and the Halls didn’t feel the horse could be competitive at the graded-stakes level anymore.” “He just didn’t have it,” Breen said. His final career race was a fifth-place finish in the Mountainview Handicap (Listed) on at Penn National.įollowing that race Roman Ruler retired with four wins, five seconds, three thirds, and $1,709,566 in earnings in 23 career starts. In all, Ruler On Ice raced 16 more times after his Belmont Stakes win, but only won once more, an allowance optional claiming race at Aqueduct on Jan. That same year he finished second in the Pennsylvania Derby (G2), and third in both the Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1), and the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1). The others were Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1) winners Silver Charm (1997), Charismatic (1999), and War Emblem (2002), along with Belmont Stakes winners Touch Gold (1997), Sarava (2002), and Birdstone (2004).īred by Liberation Farm and Brandywine Farm, Ruler On Ice was trained by Kelly Breen and raced by owners George and Lori Hall.Ī son of Roman Ruler–Champagne Glow, by Saratoga Six, Ruler On Ice had his biggest win in 2011 when he upset the field to win the Belmont Stakes as a 24-1 long shot. Ruler On Ice is the fourth Belmont Stakes (G1) winner and seventh overall Classic winner to be retired to Old Friends. The now 14-year-old gelding arrived December 5. 6, 2022 – Ruler On Ice, the 2011 Belmont Stakes winner, has been pensioned to Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Center in Georgetown, Ky.

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