Pumanaw na ang isa sa tinaguriang “one of best racehorses in the last quarter century” na si Holy Bull dahil sa katandaan sa kanyang retirement home sa Jonabell Farm.
“If you were putting together your fantasy horse stable for the last 25 years, you’d have to have Holy Bull in your top five. Horses like Holy Bull just don’t come along that often.
I’ve always said, he wasn’t a specialist—short, grass, long, or dirt. Just a fantastic racehorse.
You can’t mention his name without using such words as ‘fighter, determination, and guts. The whole story of Holy Bull, Mrs. Carpenter, and Jimmy Croll, jockey Mike Smith … it was just a sensational ride. No doubt, at the time, Holy Bull was an icon for our family farm,” ang sabi ni Jimmy Bell na president ng Godolphin USA.
Si Jimmy Croll ang nakalistang may-ari nang tumakbo si Holly Bull noong 1993, matapos na ipamana sa kanya ng orihinal nitong owner na si Rachel Carpenter ang lahat ng kanyang mga kabayo.
Napanalunan niyang lahat ang kanyang apat na karera bilang 2-year-old kabilang ang Grade-1 Futurity Stakes sa Belmont Park nang talunin niya ang kampeong 2-year-old na si Dehere.
Bilang 3-year-old, nanalo siya sa 5 Grade-1 events at naging best 3-year-old at Horse of the Year nang taong yun.
Nagretiro si Holy Bull na may 13 panalo sa 16 na laban at kabuuang premyong $2.48 million at na-induct sa Hall of Fame noong 2001.
Nakapag-produce si Holy Bull ng mga kampeong anak na mga Grade 1 winners tulad ng Kentucky Dery champion Giacomo, champion at Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Macho Uno, na ngayo’y isa nang successful sire tulad ni Flashy Bull.
Sinakyan pa ng kanyang regular jockey na si Mike Smith si Giacomo sa panalo sa Run For The Roses.