Holy Bull - A Retrospective
{{monthName}} {{day}}, {{year}} {{hour12}}:{{minuteTwoDigit}}{{dayPeriod}}
Holy Bull was foaled in Florida by Rachel Carpenter’s Pelican
Stable. When Carpenter died in 1993, Holy Bull was one of 19 horses bequeathed
to Jimmy Croll, the stable’s long-time private trainer. Croll sold off 18 of the horses, but held on
to the strapping gray two year old. Jimmy Croll took out his trainer’s license in
1940 and trained for Pelican Stable for over 40 years. He spent much of his
time habiting the backstretch of Monmouth Park in the summer and Gulfstream in
the winter, gaining a reputation as a no-nonsense trainer with a skill for
developing two year olds and sprinters.
Holy Bull kicked off his career in August 1993, blasting out
of the gate to conquer maidens by 2 ½ lengths.
He traveled 5 ½ furlongs in a speedy 1:03 4/5. Two starts later, Holy Bull
faced the undefeated Grade 1 winner Dehere in the Belmont Futurity (G-1) beating
that rival by half a length. Despite
ending his two year old season undefeated, Holy Bull lost out on Champion Two
Year Old honors to Dehere because Holy Bull owned only one graded stakes
victory.
Holy Bull jumped onto the Kentucky Derby trail in January
1994 with a gritty decision in the Hutchinson Stakes (G-2). Breaking alertly
from post one, Holy Bull zipped to the front, getting his first quarter in
:21.78. He whipped around the turn, getting the half in :44.10 and six furlongs
in 1:08.21. Leg weary in the stretch,
Holy Bull was headed for the first time in his career by Patton. The gallant
gray fought back, flashing under the wire three-quarters of a length in front. His
final time was a spectacular 1:21.23 for seven furlongs.
A month later, perhaps tired after his efforts in the Hutchinson,
Holy Bull recorded the first defeat of his life in the Fountain of Youth
(G-2). After an early speed duel with
Halo’s Image, Holy Bull hit a wall after a half mile and checked in last, well
beaten by his nemesis, Dehere.
Undeterred, Croll brought Holy Bull back in the Florida
Derby (G-1) and was rewarded with a dominating 5 ¾ front running score. His 1
1/8 mile victory in 1:47.66 earned the three year old early favoritism for the
Kentucky Derby. Journeying to Kentucky in mid-April, Holy Bull stopped off at
Keeneland and stole the 1 1/8 mile Blue Grass Stakes (G-1) in a more moderate
1:50.
The owner/trainer Croll decided to skip the remaining Triple
Crown races and pointed his charge to the Metropolitan Mile. Barely three weeks
after his Derby humiliation, Holy Bull was back to his winning ways. Taking on
a strong group of older horses, the sensational colt dragged his jockey Mike Smith to the lead and never looked back. Holy Bull flew past the finish line 5 ½
lengths in front, recoding a mile in 1:33.98. His list of foes included
Cherokee Run, who would later be named 1994 Champion Sprinter, multiple Grade 1
winner Devil His Due and the previous year’s Belmont Stakes winner, Colonial
Affair.
After resounding victories in the Dwyer (G-2) and Haskell
Invitational (G-1), Holy Bull faced only four rivals in the Travers Stakes
(G-1). Once again, debates among racing fans erupted over whether the
free-running colt could carry his speed against the Preakness/Belmont hero
Tabasco Cat. They weren’t the only ones worried. Trainer D. Wayne Lukas entered the Grade 3
winning sprinter Commanche Trail as a rabbit for his more accomplished stablemate
Tabasco Cat.
Holy Bull took on his elders for the second time in the
Woodward Stakes (G-1), once again facing Devil His Due and Colonial
Affair. Also in the group was Kentucky
Derby winner Go For Gin and the speedy Bertrando. At the break, Bertrando took
the lead while Holy Bull proved that he could rate, sitting just off of the
front runner through a moderate :46.49 seconds. Around the far turn, Holy Bull’s
naturally long strides took him past Bertrando into the lead. Mike Smith pushed
the “go” button and Holy Bull cruised to a five length triumph while the rest
of the field were whipping and driving behind.
Proclaimed, “The best horse on dirt in America today,” by race caller
Dave Johnson, Holy Bull won the 1 1/8 mile Woodward in 1.49.89. Eclipse Award voters agreed with Mr. Johnson,
crowning Holy Bull as Champion Three Year Old and Horse of the Year for
1994.
Jimmy Croll could have retied Holy Bull after his
Championship season, but brought the game colt back for another year. Holy Bull began his four year old campaign in
the seven furlong Olympic Handicap. In typical Bull fashion, the colt dueled for
the lead and out kicked his over-matched competition by 2 ½ lengths. The race was an easy prep for the Grade 1
Donn Handicap.
As usual, Holy Bull was the favorite in the Donn Handicap. Nine
rivals lined up to take a shot at the Champ. Included in the field was a horse
named Cigar, who had won the previous year’s NYRA Mile (G-1) in only his second
race over dirt. Cigar had toiled on the lawn in former years, but by the time
the Donn Handicap rolled around, the Bill Mott trainee was hinting at future
stardom.
Breaking alertly, Holy Bull and Cigar mixed it up early and
began to separate themselves from the rest. Suddenly, a step past the ½ mile
pole, Mike Smith heard a loud pop. Holy Bull faltered and the jockey pulled him
up. Holy Bull sustained injured the
tendon and ligaments in his left foreleg. He would go on to regain his health,
but his racing career was over. The
Champion retired with a 16-13-0-0 ($2,481,760) record. During his colt’s racing career, Jimmy Croll
sold a ¼ share interest to Darley and Holy Bull retired to Darley's Jonabell Farm
to stand at stud for an initial fee of $25,000.
Despite his modest pedigree, Holy Bull (Great Above – Sharon
Brown, by Al Hattab) carries bloodlines crucial to the Thoroughbred breed.
Unlike most stallions standing at stud, Holy Bull is free of the genes of Northern
Dancer, Bold Ruler, Raise A Native and Hail To Reason. Instead, his sire line traces back to the
Florida foundation sire Rough’N Tumble, and farther back, to 1898 Kentucky
Derby winner Plaudit. After starting off with a humble $250 stud fee in
Maryland, Rough N’ Tumble was relocated to Ocala Stud in Florida, where his fee
gradually rose to $10,000. He sired 24 stakes
winners, including the great Dr. Fager, 1968 Horse of the Year and Minnesota
Mac the grandsire of Holy Bull, Housebuster and Preakness winner Codex. Rough’N
Tumble was honored as a Brilliant/Classic Chef-de-race, as he passed along both
speed and stamina to his descendants.
With little blacktype in her make-up, Holy Bull’s dam Sharon
Brown gave no hint that she would bear a Champion. She started her career
winning a maiden claiming race, and spent three years on the track as an allowance
level runner. The Pelican Stables homebred racked up a 32-3-6-5 ($45,860)
record under the tutelage of Jimmy Croll. Two years before Holy Bull arrived on the
scene, Sharon Brown foaled her only other stakes winner, a Crafty Prospector filly
named Winnie D. In 1995, Jimmy Croll
sold Sharon Brown for at auction for a bargain $13,000. At the time, her son Holy Bull had yet to
compete at the races. Purchased by the son of George Steinbrenner, Sharon Brown
bore Brandy Rose, (by Distinctive Pro). That filly would later produce Alabama
Stakes (G-1) winner Sweet Symphony.
Holy Bull’s damsire Al Hattab competed against the top runners
of his generation from 6 ½ furlongs to 1 1/8 miles. He was better as a
broodmare sire and besides Holy Bull, his daughters produced Breeders’ Cup
Classic hero Black Tie Affair and Win Crafty Lady, dam of Florida sire Graeme
Hall.
Holy Bull is a large, well-built horse with a mind of his
own. He passed along his conformation, temperament and pretty gray coat to many
of his progeny. The stallion was off to a quick start at stud, siring five
stakes winners, including Frizette (G-1) winner Confessional in his first
season. Two years later, Holy Bull’s son Macho Uno burst upon the scene with a
victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and earned Champion Two Year Old Honors. In
2005, Holy Bull’s son Giacomo vindicated his sire by becoming a shocking longshot
winner of the Kentucky Derby. In all, Holy Bull sired one Champion, 14 graded
stakes winners and 45 stakes winners from 16 crops to race. His offspring won going short, long, and over
every surface. Holy Bull is represented
as a damsire by multiple graded stakes veteran Going Ballistic, G-2 winning
sprinter Munnings, San Raphael (G-3) winner Conveyance and 20 other stakes
winners.
Now white from age and recently retired from stud to live
out his days in the pastures of Jonabell Farm, the 21 year old Holy Bull
remains a sentimental fan favorite. The
racing world wishes him a long and happy life rolling in the bluegrass.
By HRN Pedigree Analyst, Laurie Ross
Read More
Nine of the best older horses in training will enter the starting gate this Saturday for the Grade...
The Grade 1 Fourstardave Stakes has it all: Grade 1 winners, horses stretching out, horses cutting back, pace...
2024 Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan took to the grass for the first time Friday over Saratoga’s Oklahoma...
Rabbit season has nothing to do with my 49th annual campaign to stamp out August. My yearly call...
Puca , who has produced two classic winners and a highly regarded colt in the current 3-year-old crop,...