Holy Bull

American bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Holy Bull (January 24, 1991 – June 7, 2017) was a champion Thoroughbred racehorse. Although he finished a disappointing twelfth in the 1994 Kentucky Derby, his major wins that year in the Florida Derby, Blue Grass Stakes, Metropolitan Handicap, Haskell Invitational, Travers Stakes and Woodward Stakes earned him American Horse of the Year honors. He suffered a career ending injury in the Donn Handicap soon after the beginning of his four year old campaign in 1995. Subsequently, retired to stud, he was the sire of Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo and champion two year old Macho Uno. Holy Bull was ranked #64 on the Blood Horse magazine's list of the Top 100 U. S. racehorses of the 20th Century and was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2001.

Holy Bull was a gray stallion who was bred in Florida by Rachel Carpenter's Pelican Stables. When Carpenter died in 1993, she bequeathed her horses to her long time trainer Warren A. Croll, Jr. Croll was previously best known as the trainer of the brilliant sprinter Mr. Prospector. Holy Bull was sired by Great Above, whose dam was the U. S. Racing Hall of Fame filly Ta Wee. Unlike most modern sire lines, Great Above did not descend from either Nearco or Native Dancer but instead from the now rare line of Plaudit, the Kentucky Derby winner of 1898. Holy Bull, nicknamed "The Bull", stood high. He was known for his brilliant speed and was able to win from the front or off the pace. Daily Racing Form caricaturist Peb captured his somewhat split personality by portraying him as a raging bull with a halo above his head. On the one hand, Holy Bull was aggressive on the track and inclined to bite. On the other, he loved people, leading Croll to call him a ham. "Whenever he sees a photographer," said Croll, "he'll stop and pose. He's getting smarter by the day."

Holy Bull was unbeaten in his four races as a two year old, including the Grade I Belmont Futurity. He made his racing debut on August 14, 1993 in a maiden special weight race at Monmouth Park, displaying "super speed" despite racing greenly. In his next start on September 2 in an allowance race at Belmont Park, he led from start to finish, winning by seven lengths. On September 18, he made his stakes debut in the Belmont Futurity, where he faced the previously undefeated Dehere, the eventual champion two year old colt of 1993. Over a muddy track, Holy Bull went to the early lead with Dehere tracking the pace in third place. As they entered the stretch, Dehere moved into second and started to close ground on Holy Bull but could not get past. Holy Bull hung on to win by half a length in a time of 1:23.31 for seven furlongs. Holy Bull had not been nominated as a foal to the Breeders' Cup and his Croll declined to supplement at a cost of $120,000 to race in the Juvenile. Instead, Holy Bull finished his two year old season by winning the In Reality Stakes, part of the Florida Stallion series.

At age three Holy Bull won eight out of ten starts, five of which were Grade I events. His average Beyer Speed Figure over the course of the year was 115. He suffered his first loss in the Fountain of Youth Stakes when he was caught in an early speed duel and then tired, finishing last. The loss was subsequently blamed on Holy Bull getting excited and breathing through his mouth instead of his nose, thus not getting enough air. Croll subsequently fit him with a new nose band and bit to keep his mouth closed. After his unexpectedly poor performance, Holy Bull was made the third betting choice in the Florida Derby in a field of fourteen that included favorite Go For Gin. Holy Bull took the early lead and set a solid early pace, then started to draw away in the stretch to win by nearly six lengths. His time of 1:47.96 for 1 1/8 miles was the fastest Florida Derby since Alydar in 1978 and earned him a "lofty" Beyer Speed Figure of 115. "This," said jockey Mike Smith, "was the real Holy Bull." "The most exciting thing I ever saw was him alone on the lead Saturday," Croll said. "After the race, he cooled out in 15 minutes and was screaming for his dinner. He cleaned out every oat and the following morning was as bright as the sun." Holy Bull was the favorite in the 1994 Kentucky Derby but after breaking poorly, he finished a distant 12th on a sloppy track. Croll later claimed that the horse must have been tampered with, as he had behaved in an uncharacteristically lethargic manner before the race. Holy Bull was treated for several days after the race with antibiotics against a possible infection and missed a few days of training. Croll chose to skip the Preakness Stakes on May 21 and instead entered Holy Bull in the prestigious Metropolitan Handicap, popularly known as the Met Mile, against older horses on May 30. The field included the 1993 Belmont Stakes winner Colonial Affair, multiple stakes winner Devil His Due and the fast improving Cherokee Run, who would go on to be named the champion sprinter of 1994. In one of his best performances, Holy Bull quickly took the lead and drew off to win by 5 1/2 lengths, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 122. "I still can't explain the Derby," said Smith. "But today he came out and showed what he is, like he always does – except for the first Saturday in May. He broke well and, every time I asked him to pick it up, he picked it up." As the Belmont Stakes was held only 12 days after the Met Mile, Croll elected to bypass it to focus on races later in the year. "The last thing I want to do is jeopardize his future," he said. Holy Bull returned in the Dwyer Stakes at Belmont Park on July 3, where he faced only three rivals. Once again, he went to the early lead then pulled away in the stretch to win by 6 3/4 lengths. "He's an amazing horse," said Croll, who had shipped Holy Bull in from Monmouth Park on the day of the race. "This morning, getting on the van, he knew exactly where he was going. If I hadn't put him on the van, he'd have been disappointed." He was next entered in the Haskell Invitational Handicap at Monmouth Park on July 31, in which he conceded at least eight pounds to each of his rivals. He once again led from the start, then turned back a brief challenge by Meadow Flight down the stretch to win by 1 3/4 lengths. "I just tightened him up a little bit in the stretch and let him cruise on home," said Smith. "I felt no pressure at all." In his next start on August 20, Holy Bull faced his toughest challenge in the Travers Stakes, held at the same 1 1/4 mile distance as the Kentucky Derby. The field of five included Preakness and Belmont Stakes winner Tabasco Cat and Arkansas Derby winner Concern, who would later win the 1994 Breeders' Cup Classic. Trainer D. Wayne Lukas also entered Commanche Trail to act as a "rabbit" for stablemate Tabasco Cat, hoping to force Holy Bull into a speed duel and set the race up for Tabasco Cat to close in the stretch. As planned, Commanche Trail went straight to the lead, completing the first quarter mile in :224/5 and the half mile in :461/5. Holy Bull was right alongside and then pulled into the lead down the backstretch, completing the first three quarters in 1:103/5. In the long history of the Travers, only the great Man o' War had ever run a faster six furlongs and held on to win the race. Rounding the far turn, Holy Bull opened up a large lead but then Concern, at one point more than 20 lengths behind, started to close ground rapidly. As they neared the finish line, Concern looked the likely winner but Holy Bull refused to let him by, prevailing by a neck. Tabasco Cat finished 17 lengths behind in third; Commanche Trail finished last, "distanced" by the field. "They thought he didn't have the breeding to go a mile and a quarter," said Croll. "They said he couldn't go around two turns. They thought he could win only on the lead. They had a rabbit up front and a closing horse chasing him at the end of a mile and a quarter. Well, he did what he had to do. He answered all the questions." Holy Bull finished the season in the Woodward Stakes on September 17 against a field that included Grade I winners Devil His Due, Colonial Affair, Go For Gin, Tinners Way and Bertrando. This time Holy Bull rated behind the early pace set by Bertrando then drew off to win by five lengths. Smith said, "I'm in awe of him. I thought he grew wings at the quarter pole." Holy Bull was voted the Eclipse Award for Outstanding 3 Year Old Male Horse and American Horse of the Year, earning 241 out of 245 votes for the latter award. The Daily Racing Form weighted Holy Bull at 130 lbs., most for a 3 year old in 15 years (Spectacular Bid in 1979).

Date Age Distance Race Grade Track Odds Field Finish Winning Time Winning(Losing)Margin Jockey Ref 1993 2 5 1/2 furlongs Maiden Special Weight Maiden Monmouth Park *1.10 9 1 1:03.93 2 1/2 lengths 1995 4 7 furlongs Olympic Handicap listed Gulfstream Park *0.40 6 1 1:22.04 2 1/2 lengths 1995 4 1 1/8 miles Donn Handicap I Gulfstream Park *0.30 9did not finish

Holy Bull was retired to stud at Jimmy Bell's Jonabell Farm, His offspring include 2000 Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner and U. S. Champion 2 year old male Macho Uno, 2005 Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo, 2007 Stephen Foster Handicap winner Flashy Bull, and graded stakes race winners Bwana Bull, Confessional, Bishop Court Hill, Woke Up Dreamin, Eishin Boone, and Sunny Ridge. Holy Bull's chances of extending the Plaudit sire line depends mainly on Macho Uno, who has also proved a moderate success at stud. Macho Uno's descendants include Breeders' Cup Classic winner Mucho Macho Man. In 2001, he was inducted in the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Holy Bull was euthanized due to the infirmities of old age on June 7, 2017, at the age of 26.