Red Bullet, the 2000 Preakness Stakes champion and experienced sire, passed away on August 7 from complications related to colic, according to Horse Racing Nation. At 29 years old, the son of Unbridled had been living out his retirement in Ocala, Florida.
Bred and raised by Frank Stronach’s Adena Springs, Red Bullet began his racing career in January of his three-year-old season under trainer Joseph Orseno. He made an impressive debut by winning an Aqueduct maiden special weight by seven lengths, then went on to claim an allowance race at Gulfstream Park before securing victory in the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes back in New York.
His winning streak ended with a runner-up finish in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial Stakes, where he placed second to Fusaichi Pegasus, who later won the Kentucky Derby. Choosing to skip the Derby, Red Bullet returned to take his revenge against Fusaichi Pegasus in the Preakness Stakes. Ridden by Jerry Bailey, Red Bullet stayed near the back early in the race but made a decisive move on the outside approaching the final turn, ultimately outpacing the heavily favored Pegasus to win by 3 3/4 lengths.
Instead of facing Fusaichi Pegasus again in the Belmont Stakes, Red Bullet’s team targeted the Grade 3 Dwyer Stakes, where he finished third as the favorite in a field of four, marking the end of his three-year-old season. He came back in the summer of his four-year-old campaign to win an allowance race at Saratoga, and wrapped up that season with a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile Handicap. In his final season, he opened with a second-place finish in the Grade 2 Skip Away Handicap at Gulfstream Park and earned a victory in the Foggy Road Stakes at Delaware Park.
Red Bullet retired at the close of the 2002 season with six wins in 14 starts and career earnings totaling $1,161,920. He began his stud career at Adena Springs in Kentucky the following year. Over seven crops, he sired 107 winners, whose collective earnings exceeded $11.7 million.
His most successful offspring was Fatal Bullet, who was named Canada’s Horse of the Year in 2008. Fatal Bullet set a track record at Woodbine for 6 1/2 furlongs while winning the listed Bold Venture Stakes during his Sovereign Award-winning campaign. That same year, he broke another track record at Turfway Park for six furlongs by winning the Grade 3 Kentucky Cup Sprint and finished second in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
Red Bullet faced fertility challenges throughout his stud career, leading to his retirement from breeding after the 2011 season.
For more details, visit Horse Racing Nation.
This article was originally published by Paulick Report on September 23, 2026, first appearing in the News section. Add Paulick Report as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Fan Take: Red Bullet’s passing marks the loss of a storied champion who made a memorable mark in the Triple Crown series and passed on his talent despite challenges at stud. For horse racing enthusiasts, his legacy is a reminder of the sport’s enduring drama and how great Thoroughbreds continue to shape racing history through their offspring.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
