Red Bullet, winner of the 2000 Preakness Stakes (gr. I), has been pensioned at age 14 due to declining fertility. He stood at Frank Stronach’s Adena Springs near Paris, Ky.
According to Adena Springs general manager Eric Hamelback, Red Bullet is “very happy and healthy and he will continue to live with us at Adena Springs in Kentucky. He will be available to all of his fans and continue to enjoy the same treatment as all of our active stallions.”
Bred by Adena Springs and raced by Stronach Stables, Red Bullet (Unbridled--Cargo, by Caro) began his racing career as a 3-year-old, winning his first three starts including the Gotham Stakes (gr. III). In his fourth start, he ran second to eventual Kentucky Derby (gr. I) winner Fusaichi Pegasus in the Wood Memorial Stakes (gr. II) before defeating that rival in the Preakness.
Red Bullet was retired from racing with six wins from 14 starts and earnings of $1,161,920. He was remembered fondly by his trainer Joe Orseno who said, “Red Bullet was a great racehorse and a pleasure to train. I will always remember his Preakness victory. It was one of the most thrilling days I have enjoyed in racing.”
“Red Bullet’s accomplishments exemplify the breeding program that Adena Springs has established,” said Frank Stronach. “He was a tough and talented racehorse, and although his crop sizes were limited, you could see that his offspring possessed those same qualities.”
Red Bullet, who began his stud duty in 2003 at Adena Springs South in Williston, Fla., has sired 11 stakes winners, including Canadian Horse of the Year and champion sprinter Fatal Bullet and multiple stakes winners Royal Currier, Red Lead, and Cool Bullet. Red Bullet’s runners have earned more than $9.1 million.