This is Part III of the Holy Bull Story. Parts I & II appear below.
Redemption in His Return
Holy Bull was off the Classic trail, but that didn’t mean, he was going to take an extended respite from the races. Jimmy Croll knew what the colt was capable of and that the disappointing performance was an anomaly. Where he pointed the son of Great Above next made believers of even the most stubborn cynics — and an authoritative win against a deep field of the nation’s best older horses, removed all doubts.
“We knew he wasn’t himself [on Kentucky Derby Day] and he had an excuse that day for whatever reason, and the only other time he had gotten beat was when he displaced in the Fountain of Youth,” said Bonnie Heath III. “We knew this was a special horse, and when he beat older horses in the Met Mile, we really knew he was special.
“Holy Bull jumped off the Triple Crown trail, and tried older horses five weeks later, not just trying them, but pounding the hell out of them,” said Bonnie Heath III. “How often does that happen? It just doesn’t happen. It was a very gutsy move, but Jimmy knew his horse or he wouldn’t have been there. As my dad used to say, ‘Jimmy didn’t chase many empty wagons.’ He knew what he was doing.”
The Met Mile served as an impetus for Holy Bull. It was an opportunity to redeem himself, to return to his previous form, the one that sent a clear message to his rivals that his last race was a piercing deviation, serving more as a catalyst and providing his connections with the necessary motivation to push forward and regain his stature not only as the top horse of his generation, but as the best horse in training.
He won convincingly by 5 1/2-lengths.
“He wanted to prove that his horse was better than even the good 3-year-olds and, after the Derby, it made him a little mad and got his guns up,” said Billie Croll. “He said, ‘I’m going to do what no one expects me to do. I’m going to put my horse against all of the best horses in the country, not just the best 3-year-olds and show this is a legitimate horse.”
Holy Bull continued his amazing sophomore campaign, one that kept the momentum going with a 6 ¾-length victory in the Grade II Dwyer Stakes at Belmont Park.
A win in the Haskell Invitational, at his home-base at Monmouth Park, continued to validate Holy Bull’s standing, but there were still doubts — his performance in the Kentucky Derby left some unanswered questions, his lack of a Classic victory and Tabasco Cat’s Preakness and Belmont Stakes wins were the prevailing thought in some people’s minds.
The Haskell served as the ideal prep for the Travers, although he did get a little tired in the race, said Smith.
Finding Something Extra
The Mid-Summer Derby would provide Holy Bull with another chance at redemption. His popularity would continue to grow, with large crowds on hand to witness each start. And it would be no different at Saratoga for the Travers Stakes. This time he would face a smaller group of adversaries, including his nemesis Tabasco Cat, a formidable rival in the somewhat underrated Concern, Jim Dandy (G2) winner Unaccounted For and Tabasco Cat’s rabbit and other half of the D. Wayne Lukas-entry, the speedy Comanche Trail.
Stamina would play a role in the Bull’s success that afternoon.
“We knew going into the Travers it was going to be a short field,” said Smith. “We knew it was going to be a very difficult field to beat, not to mention they were going to put some pace in there with him, so he couldn’t get away with an easy lead.”
The Heaths attended the Travers and, in the spirit of fun, decided to have their friend, the artist and sculptress Joyce Parkerson, draw the Bull in a playful manner prior to the race, in a humorous but competitive nature, showcasing his powerful essence but with the addition of horns on his head, and his rivals, Comanche Trail dangling from one horn and the talented and dangerous Tabasco Cat, depicted as a feline with a collar hanging from the other horn. They made the decision to put the caricature outside of the Bull’s stall in the stakes barn, a place where Comanche Trail and Tabasco Cat would also take up temporary residence.
“The gal who was hot-waking for Lukas, probably Tabasco Cat, had just arrived at the barn, and she’s hot walking the horses around the shedrow and she sees this big old drawing that we have in front of the Bull’s stall,” said Bonnie Heath III. “She turns stops and looks at it, and all of a sudden she gets upset. She shook her head, walks off, and we just laughed.”
However, the environment became a bit more intense as the race approached. The Heaths found themselves on the front row, by the eighth pole, and were witness to another brilliant performance. However, there was pause for concern, and aptly so, as a son of Broad Brush trained by Richard Small would provide the Bull with a formidable challenge, but when it was over, it helped to anoint the Bull as more than just the best 3-year-old in racing.
“The Bull never lost the lead,” said Bonnie Heath III. “When they went by us, Concern was cranking down pretty hard. I had my binoculars on when they went by. When Concern got right up on him, you could see the Bull drop down and really start running, he could wait it out. He must have dropped several inches in height, getting down low to the ground. He dug in.”
It was Holy Bull’s victory in the Travers that validated beyond any question the horse’s quality and character as a premier athlete in Jimmy Croll’s mind, said Billie Croll.
“He admitted when they turned for that final eighth, he thought he was beat,” said the younger Croll. “He couldn’t believe it when Holy Bull just powered down and held on for the finish line. My grandfather said, ‘I thought we were beat.’ I think even he was amazed when he won that race.”
It was the Bull’s ability to turn back a challenge of unrivaled ferocity, shift gears when asked and reach deep for his absolute best that set him apart from his peers.
“What an incredible race he ran that day, to have the fractions that he set early on in the race, withstand an outstanding challenge from Concern, who was flying on the outside,” said Smith. “He locked on him, and he wasn’t about to let him by. Tabasco Cat was a great horse in his own right, but I don’t think any horse was as talented as the Bull. When they all ran their ‘A’ race, the Bull just seemed to stand out.”
An Indelible Imprint in the Public’s Eye
A career defined by memorable performances including a sophomore campaign that could’ve been taken from a Hollywood script, featuring elation, disappointment, mystery, adversity, redemption and triumph. It was those variables that defined Holy Bull, but it was his character that won over a nation, who never lost belief in the big gray colt, despite the setbacks that would’ve crushed the spirit of a lesser individual. His popularity grew with his reputation, earning him the respect that only comes with overcoming the opinion of one’s harshest critics.
“My grandfather laughed,” said Billie Croll. “He said New Yorkers liked Holy Bull, because he said of the New York racing crowd, ‘If they didn’t like your horse, they’d boo you out of the paddock. And if they liked your horse, they’d be supportive.’”
A win against older horses In the Woodward Stakes at Belmont Park in September was the final start of his sophomore campaign, kept his name in the public eye, something he would need if he was going to be named the Horse-of-the-Year and 3-year-old champion, not having the luxury of being Breeders’ Cup nominated.
However, the Heaths did their part to increase his visibility, by running a full-page advertisement in the Thoroughbred Times in support of the Bull. The Bull was renowned for his powerful, rhythmic stride. Tom Durkin’s race call said it all, “Holy Bull winning like a champion, with devastating ease!” The Bull defeated a field by 5-lenghts that included Devil His Due, Colonial Affair, Bertrando, Brunswick, Pistols and Roses, Tinners Way and Derby champ Go for Gin.
“We got all the farm employees, 50 or 60, and a Brahma bull to stand long enough with all of the farm employees standing behind him,” said Bonnie Heath III. “Somebody made a Halo and put it on a stick, and held it above the Brahma bull, we took the picture, and the ad depicted that we were behind the bull.”
An Untimely End to a Brilliant Racing Career
His 4-year-old bow was eagerly anticipated, and a 2 ½-length victory in the seven-furlong Olympic Handicap at Gulfstream Park was redolent of continued success.
However, the race 20 days earlier would be the Bull’s last victory, unbeknownst to anyone, the Donn Handicap would actually serve as a passing of the torch, from Holy Bull to Cigar. The race would become a visceral moment, one that still resonates deeply with the connections.
“I was very confident that he was going to beat Cigar,” said Smith. “I truly believed he could. He never really got the opportunity to do it. We didn’t make it into the first turn. He bowed. He just took an off-step. He was about a half-length in front at the time. I just heard it pop — the tendon pop. You want to talk about the worst feeling in the world. My heart stopped beating until I got him stopped.”
Anxiety, dejection and disbelief, clouded the minds and colored the thoughts of not only those who knew him best, but that of racing fans across the nation.
“We were so blessed to get him stopped and pulled up, where he didn’t get injured any worse,” said Smith. “He didn’t break any bones. He just bowed real bad. The main thing was just saving his life at that point. I was so relieved when the news came back that they thought he was going to be OK. He would have to be monitored, but there was a great chance he was going to be fine. After all he had given us, we certainly wanted him to go out the right way.”
Horse-of-the-Year Honors
Holy Bull’s meteoric rise, non-paralleled success during his juvenile and sophomore campaigns and unwavering fan support was the culmination of a career that included Eclipse Awards and Horse-of-the-Year honors. The sport of thoroughbred racing provided the Crolls with far more than the actual races themselves. Holy Bull finished 1994 with five Grade I victories and three Grade II wins.
“It meant a lot,” said Billie Croll. “I was pretty much born on the racetrack. Going to watch my grandfather’s races was just a big part of what the family did. We went on our birthdays, we went on holidays, we were at the track supporting my grandfather and watching all of the great horses he raced. At that point in his career, he was getting older, starting to think about retirement and winding down, so it really was like a last hurrah, a big celebration of his whole training career.”
A Special Connection
The deep connection with Holy Bull’s breeder, Pelican Stable and Rachel Carpenter, made the incredible sojourn far more meaningful for the whole family, said Billie Croll. The five decade relationship between Rachel Carpenter and Jimmy Croll was one of great depth, based on trust and mutual respect.
“The funny thing about Mrs. Carpenter was that it was sort of ironic with Holy Bull, she gave my grandfather an open checking account,” said Billie Croll. “He could buy horses and he could claim horses, and do what he felt was good for her stable.”
The bond between Carpenter and the Crolls was incredibly strong, something that was palpable for those lucky enough to experience being part of an inner circle, one that held the same strength as a deep familial connection.
“She always thought that a gray horse was a lucky horse,” said Billie Croll. “She liked gray horses, so it just had a lot of meaning toward my family. Rae Carpenter had been supportive of my grandfather for many years. She was sort of the ideal owner. She didn’t question, she let him do as he wanted. She trusted him. He had always done right by her. They had a very special and different relationship that trainers and owners have with one another.”
The Horse of a Lifetime
Jimmy Croll was a Hall-of-Fame conditioner who boasted an impressive resume that included champions, stakes winners and horses that competed consistently at the elite level, but Holy Bull reserved a special place in the respected horseman’s heart.
“I think [Holy Bull] was his number one [in terms of the horse’s he trained],” said Billie.
It was a surreal moment, for a trainer who had conditioned horses for more than a half-century , was renowned for his humility and understood the pitfalls and adversity associated with a sport known for humbling the most confident, able and those with greatest number of resources. The 1995 Eclipse Awards ceremony took on added meaning and purpose for the veteran trainer.
“That was so special, my grandfather was beyond himself, “said Billie Croll. “
It was held in Washington D.C. that year. I remember going to the dinner. I think he was almost more in disbelief about it all, feeling that he earned it. It felt like a fairy tale to him. I think to the family it’s almost a fairy tale. Holy Bull did a lot. He paid for my college. He paid for my brother’s college. He got me my first car. Thank you, Holy Bull.”
A Lasting Impact
Holy Bull’s larger than life personality evokes visceral memories that still resonate with Billie Croll nearly 25 years later, providing a compelling narrative that defines the gray colt’s place among the immortals.
“I can remember going to visit my grandparents in Florida, and my grandfather letting me walk him around the shedrow,” said Billie Croll. “I was like, ‘really, you’re going to let me hold onto him?’ It was great taking pictures with him and stuff. It was definitely what the family talked about.”
The Heaths would make it part of their itinerary to visit the Bull every time they visited Lexington, Ky. stopping by Jonabell and then Darley at Jonabell, after he had been retired to stand as a stallion.
The connection between Kim Heath and the Bull was palpable, and probably more so during the Heaths initial visit with the Bull at Jonabell.
“We asked them to bring the Bull out,” said Bonnie Heath III. “They knew who we were. Philip Hampton was his groom. Philip brings him out, and Kim and I are standing there looking at him. Kim just walks straight up to the Bull, and puts her arms around his neck. I’m watching Philip’s face, and his eyes keep getting bigger. The closer she got, the bigger his eyes got. He couldn’t say anything. He was in shock. And about the time she wrapped her arms around Holy Bull’s neck, I thought he was going to pass out. I said, ‘That’s OK, Philip, they go way back.’ For years, I would go in the barn first and stay off to the side and watch. She would go in the barn and start talking, and his head would turn. He knew her voice. It was amazing.”
And like the Heaths, Mike Smith would stop by Jonabell and Darley at Jonabell to visit with the Bull. Smith’s connection with Holy Bull touched the lives of so many thoroughbred racing fans and enthusiasts. They were a team that seemed to transcend the routine that’s so commonplace in everyday life.
“The way they took care of him was incredible,” said Smith. “Every time I went to town, I would stop by. He never let me down.”
Fan Favorite
Holy Bull possessed all of the traits one would expect to find in a superstar athlete, a celebrity who was larger than life, and whose legend would only grow in stature as the years went by. A devoted fan following came with his charismatic nature.
“He was a huge fan favorite, no question,” said Bonnie Heath III. “He had a catchy name. He was big, gray and fast. He had that type of personality, where everybody loved him.”
The Blood-Horse in their tome, Thoroughbred Champions Top 100 Racehorses of the 20th Century, had Holy Bull listed 64th, a position many believe is too low.
“You could arguably say that he’s in the top 10 greatest of all-time,” said Smith. “I’m a little prejudiced. I’m going to argue a whole lot closer than that. I’m going to say the top five of all-time. He’s certainly one of the greatest horses. In his time, there was no one who was going to beat him, when he ran his race, no one.”
A Life-Altering Experience
It’s an experience that Smith will forever hold close, having the opportunity to ride for a Hall-of-Fame trainer, be a part of the Croll family and pilot one of the most popular horses in thoroughbred racing history.
“He did so much for my career and so much for racing at the time,” said Smith. “He was a huge draw. He would draw 50,000 to 60,000 people.”
The Name Game
But how did the dual Eclipse Award winner get his name? A Hall-of-Famer in another sport, the 1950 American League Most Valuable Player, who was the starting shortstop for Major League Baseball’s most successful franchise, gave rise to the name as a broadcaster for the team.
“His name came from Rachel Carpenter, who was a huge Yankees fan, and Phil Rizzuto used to say ‘Holy Cow!’ Of course, it was a colt and it became Holy Bull,” said Bonnie Heath III. “That’s where the name came from.”
Journey’s End
On June 7, 2017, the world lost a great friend and athlete. As intense of a competitor as he was, Holy Bull couldn’t fight off the infirmities of old age and he was euthanized at the place he began his career as a stallion, Jonabell Farm.
“Holy Bull was an icon for the racing world, and a major beacon for Jonabell in the early days,” said Jimmy Bell, Darley USA president. “Few are privileged enough to be around true greatness — he truly was. [He was] a fierce warrior who loved to compete no matter the distance, the conditions or the competition. He was a crowd favorite respected by all. He was a lovely addition to the Darley roster in his later years, as he remained popular with the fans and breeders.”
***
Part II
High Expectations
With his impressive juvenile campaign came a wave of popularity among racing enthusiasts’ nationwide, along with praise and respect from the media. But Jimmy Croll stayed grounded despite the gray colt’s success, understanding the vagaries of the sport — one that often teaches humility.
“My grandfather was kind of funny about stuff like that,” said Billie Croll. “He was a very low-key, humble man. He wasn’t a bragger. I think he knew Holy Bull was going to be what he was. He was never one to shout it from the rooftops and get ahead of himself. He let the horse prove himself, more than blowing his own horn and saying what the horse was.”
Staying Focused
A strong sophomore campaign debut in the Hutcheson Stakes at Gulfstream Park kept Holy Bull’s connections Classic hopes alive.
“We were very confident that he was going to be a genuine horse,” said Bonnie Heath Jr. “You hope one will become a champion. You never know how good they’re going to be until they start trying graded stakes company. He was the real deal.”
A Temporary Setback
But even the greatest of athletes are vulnerable to not meeting expectations and what appears to be a sense of invincibility on the surface can quickly change for a multitude of reasons. After five consecutive victories, came the unimaginable — a lackluster performance in the Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
The Daily Racing Form’s chart said Holy Bull “stopped badly.” He was beaten by 24 1/2-lenghts. The win streak was over and Holy Bull showed he could be beaten. But the big gray had an excuse: he had displaced during the race.
“He got his tongue over the bit, and he had already done that before he went into the gate,” said Smith. “I could hear him. He had never made a noise like that before. And that’s when Jimmy put a tongue tie on him. He never did it again.”
Derby Dreams
But the Bull wouldn’t be denied, and won his next start, the Grade I Florida Derby authoritatively by 5 3/4-lenghts. The Heaths remained in Ocala, as it was the breeding and foaling season, but enthusiastically supported the gray colt from their base in Marion County, Fla.
“We went to OBS to watch the Florida Derby,” said Kim Heath. “There was a lot of screaming going on at OBS.”
Holy Bull added to his legend with a victory in the Blue Grass Stakes, establishing himself as the favorite for the Kentucky Derby.
“We were confident going into the [Kentucky] Derby,” said Kim Heath.
The Triple Crown Trail can be demanding and takes its toll even on the best conditioned athletes. And with only 12 horses having successfully managed to win all three legs, the challenge of staying in peak condition brings its share of adversity. However, when you’re on a horse, one that consistently showed character in the face of difficulty, responding with a resilience of a champion, it’s hard not to have Derby dreams.
“Oh, definitely, you couldn’t help but think that [Kentucky Derby],” said Smith. “He went off as the favorite. That shows you how great he was, and for whatever reason, didn’t run his race that day. He didn’t run horrible. He had beaten that whole bunch before, and many times after, and not only beat them, but beat them with ease. For whatever reason, that day happened. He came back after that race and beat older horses that were much more seasoned and better horses with tremendous ease in the Met Mile.”
But as fate would have it, Smith would get his Kentucky Derby victory — ironically, on a son of Holy Bull — in 2005 with longshot Giacomo.
“We were awfully disappointed he got beat, because I thought at the time, ‘If I’m ever going to win the Derby, this is about the surest thing that you could get.’ It just didn’t happen. It wasn’t meant to be.” said Smith.
From Delirium to Disappointment
But fortunes can change in the blink of an eye, and then something happened — a palpable feeling that something was off, the Bull wasn’t himself the day before the Derby, said Kim Heath.
“Bonnie and I went to the barn,” she explained. “We were there with Jimmy watching the Bull go around the shedrow after he trained. The Bull was always very attentive and looked at everything with a great deal of confidence and no fear.
“He never missed anything. That morning after he trained, he was almost lethargic. He was walking the shedrow with his head hanging, his ears floppy and not paying attention to anything. So, we knew something was up. We couldn’t put our finger on it. Jimmy checked him out and couldn’t find anything wrong with him. It showed the next day in the Derby that something wasn’t right.”
A 12th-place finish, after being installed as the race favorite, left his connections dejected and scratching their heads, like many bettors and racing enthusiasts across the nation who couldn’t understand the outcome of what appeared to be the gray colt’s destiny.
“The press kept on saying he didn’t like the slop,” said Bonnie Heath III. “Well, he loved the slop. The Futurity was in the slop when he beat Dehere. It was knee-deep. Slop never bothered this horse.”
The lackluster performance befuddled those closest to him, as they tried to find a reason for the Bull’s regression.
“Nobody knew. Jimmy didn’t know what was wrong him,” said Kim Heath. “Nobody could figure it out. Dr. Pete Hall couldn’t figure out what was wrong with him, couldn’t find anything and, then, a couple of days later, he was back to himself.”
But the anomaly of Holy Bull’s performance was perplexing and unexplainable, and something that would stay with Jimmy Croll and make an indelible impression, said Billie Croll. It remains a mystery 23 years later, with unanswered questions as to why Holy Bull wasn’t at his best on the first Saturday in May of 1994.
“My grandfather went to his grave saying someone had gotten to his horse that day,” said Billie Croll. “[Holy Bull] emerged, but it made you wonder. He didn’t seem himself the day before the Derby. It was odd, with him being the favorite in the Derby. He didn’t go back to the barn, they didn’t test him or anything after the race, which at the time, my grandfather was too upset at what had happened to realize what had been left out and what had happened.
“He never talked about it. I know in the back of his mind, until the final day, he was pretty much certain that someone had gotten to the horse or something had happened.”
The Run for the Roses, the tension and drama leading up to thoroughbred racing’s most renowned race, and being part of a once in a lifetime occurrence, created an everlasting impression for Billie Croll, one that will never be replicated.
“It was definitely a special time,” she said. “Who doesn’t want to go to the Derby as the favorite? I always say, ‘I could never go to the Derby again after that experience.’ It wouldn’t be the same.”
Next: Holy Bull seeks redemption.
***
Part I
It all started with a phone call.
However, it was one with a lasting impact that touched not only the lives of those who were directly involved, but captured the spirit and imagination of thoroughbred racing fans throughout the nation.
Bonnie and Kim Heath arrived back home in Ocala, Fla., after being at the 1991 January Keeneland Sale. Bonnie made a phone call to his father, Bonnie McCoy Heath, to let him know they were back in town, not knowing what was about to transpire.
The elder Heath and Jackson Curtis Dudley’s D&H Stable campaigned the 1956 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner Needles, the first Florida-bred to win the Run for the Roses and the phone call pertained to the younger Heath and his wife taking over the reins of the operation bearing the family name.
“Kim and I had been talking with my dad on and off about running his farm,” said Bonnie Heath III, who acknowledged his father was reticent and certainly not much for small talk and frivolous conversation. “We talked to him for several years about this and kind of forgot about it. When we came back and called him. We’re talking for a second, and he said ‘Let me ask you something, that deal about you and Kim running the farm, do you still want to do it?’”
It had been some time since the Heath couple had given the thought serious consideration.
“I looked across the house at Kim, and I said, ‘I guess so [to his father].’ He said, ‘Good! Be here in the morning.’ He hung up, that’s the way he was, he didn’t say goodbye to anyone. He would just hang up when he was through talking.”
The Birth of a Champion
But that phone call would serve as a harbinger, one so propitious that it would alter their lives forever. It was only four days after the Heaths took on the responsibility of managing the farm that they would begin a sojourn taking them and the world of thoroughbred racing on an unforgettable journey whose historical imprint still resonates powerfully today — one that has created a legacy sure to grow greater with the distance of time.
An extremely tall colt was foaled on Jan. 24, a son of Great Above, out of the broodmare Sharon Brown, whose size at the time, seemed to be the most remarkable quality the future Horse-of-the-Year possessed. Kim Heath had the good fortune of having been there from the beginning, having participated in the foaling of the gray colt.
The Heaths were faced with the challenge of also trying to hire more employees and, at a time when cell phones were more of an exception rather than the rule, communication and convenience had its limitations and restrictions, something that’s hard to entertain and conceive of in today’s world.
When Sharon Brown began to foal, Kim took it upon herself to make sure the delivery was as seamless as possible. The Heaths normally didn’t have anyone living in their barn tack rooms, but good fortune smiled on them on Jan. 24. Kim woke the groom, who was asleep at the time Holy Bull made his way into the world, related Bonnie Heath, Jr.
“She said, ‘Wake up.’ And he said, ‘I don’t know anything about foaling mares.’ She said, ‘I don’t care what you know. I need your strength.’
“The first foot was out and it was big enough that she was probably going to need some help,” said Bonnie Heath III. “And about that time, the maintenance guy came driving in, and he came in, so there were these two guys and Kim.”
Holy Bull’s initial experience with the world, and his first steps, were taken in Ocala, Fla. at Bonnie Heath Farm.
“And here comes Holy Bull and, when he stood up, his withers was in my armpit,” said Kim Heath.
Finding His Way
The gray colt was bred by Rae Carpenter’s Pelican Stable. The Heaths had a unique opportunity, having an intimate window to watch the son of Great Above develop from his nascent stages until leaving for the racetrack as a 2-year-old, to embark on his juvenile campaign.
“He wasn’t a remarkable colt,” said Kim Heath. “He was a little bit aloof.”
There wasn’t anything that distinguished him from the other horses as a yearling, until later that year, continued Kim Heath, who started the yearlings in the middle and end of September in 1992. However, signs of his personality, one that would endear him to a legion of fans, began to surface.
“The first time a rider went up on him, he laid down, said Kim Heath. “It wasn’t out of being a bad boy or anything. He just wasn’t sure what it was, somebody was getting on his back, and he thought, ‘Golly, I’ll just lie down. Maybe they want me to lie down.’ So, that was rather entertaining about him.”
However, his sense of curiosity would belie a professionalism and competitive ferocity that was masked by a playful personality. It was that sense of wonder, an innate part of his character, that enabled him to progress and grow as an athlete and individual. But he brought humor and joy to the lives that he touched — something that was apparent throughout his training.
“I used to ride the pony, and would lead them all through the gate, going and coming off the track,” said Kim Heath. “We were using Tartan Farm’s track because Bonnie’s dad sold that piece to Tartan, retaining the right to use the track.”
It was while leading Holy Bull to the starting gate, that Kim Heath experienced a unique part of the future stakes winner’s personality. It was the colt’s complex curiosity and depth of understanding that took on a greater dimension.
“I was leading the horses through the gate and all the other yearlings went through behind me,” said Kim Heath. “Holy Bull kept staying back. The other horses went on through. It came time for him to go on through and he looked up and topped the gate. He crouched down and scooted through the gate like he wouldn’t fit. He was really big, so maybe he thought he wouldn’t fit.”
Signs of Promise and Professionalism
As his training progressed, so did his evolution, becoming more noticeable as time went on.
“There wasn’t too much of a difference from the other horses — that was until his second run down the lane,” said Kim. “We would let them run down the lane, an eighth-of-a-mile for their first time and, then the next time, in a set, two or three going easy. And the second time, he was stronger than the other horses. The rider really had to hold him.”
Holy Bull began to exhibit the promise you often hear about, but seldom see unless you’re with the horse daily. His potential was becoming more noticeable as he matured, demonstrating the traits that would later stamp him as one of the best horses of his generation.
Bill Croll, Warren A. “Jimmy” Croll’s son, came by the Heath’s farm to watch the racing prospects train, but he never envisioned what he was about to witness.
Holy Bull would be among the horses going to the Hall-of-Fame conditioner’s barn at Monmouth Park that spring. Jimmy Croll had trained champions Parka, Forward Gal, dual Eclipse Award winner Housebuster, Classic winner Bet Twice, stakes winner Al Hattab, the sire of Sharon Brown, and arguably the greatest dirt sire of all-time, the immortal Mr. Prospector.
“We were going to breeze, I think it was a three-eights-of-a-mile breeze, and Holy Bull just drew off and ran several lengths in front of the other horses in the set of three,” said Kim Heath. ”Bill looked at me and said ‘wow’ or something like that. I don’t remember his exact words.”
Leaving the Farm Behind for Life at the Racetrack
Still, although Holy Bull’s precocity suggested talent and potential, until he left the farm for the racetrack, it was hard to know exactly how good he actually was.
When the Heath horses began breezing a half-mile, they were prepared for the next chapter in their lives, one that would find them on the Jersey Shore, in Oceanport, New Jersey, where Holy Bull and his comrades arrived the week after the Kentucky Derby in 1993.
Jimmy Croll was renowned for his reserved nature and humility, so it came as somewhat of a welcome surprise when he breezed Holy Bull at Monmouth Park.
“He called me and said, ‘this is a good one,’” said Kim Heath. “And for Jimmy to say that…”
It was from those early learning experiences that an elite athlete would emerge, and his progression would be mercurial. When Rachel Carpenter bred Great Above to Sharon Brown, the intent was to breed a turf horse. However, a different surface would hold the key to success for the gray horse with the versatile running style.
The colt was renowned for his huge stride, one that he would adjust in his first few jumps out of the starting gate, said Kim Heath.
A Bittersweet Victory
As fate would have it, Holy Bull’s breeder wouldn’t be able to share in his success. Rae Carpenter would pass away the night prior to his maiden bow. But the big gray horse’s connections had an incredibly strong bond with Carpenter and her spirit was almost palpable throughout the son of Great Above’s racing career. The Bull would often be the primary topic of discussion around the Crolls’ dinner table and elsewhere, as the tale of his career began to unfurl. Carpenter would bequeath the Bull to Croll.
“I was at his first race, his maiden race,” said Billie Croll, Jimmy Croll’s granddaughter. “My middle name is Rae. I was named after her [Mrs. Carpenter]. I never actually met Mrs. Carpenter. She was a bit of a recluse. I grew up knowing her name. When Holy Bull broke his maiden, it was an emotional thing for the whole family, with Mrs. Carpenter’s passing.”
It was those early experiences shared by the Croll family that helped strengthen their connection with the Bull, forging an intimate bond, one that can only be understood by those who knew the horse best.
“My father went to see him as a yearling and 2-year-old at Bonnie Heath Farm,” said Billie Croll. “My father came back from that trip and told my grandfather that Holy Bull, out of the entire crop from that year, was going to be the best of the group.”
Any doubts about the Bull’s ability were quickly dismissed with an impressive performance in his debut at Monmouth Park, where he set blistering fractions and won by 2 ½ lengths. But by the time he made his first start, those who were intimately connected with the Bull, weren’t surprised at how easily he won. Jimmy Croll’s comment about the colt provided all of the encouragement they needed to hear.
“[The victory] just kind of bolstered what we thought about him,” said Kim Heath. “We thought he might be a nice colt. What Jimmy said, was the equivalent of Baffert and Lukas being on the front page of the Daily Racing Form. That’s about how understated Jimmy was.”
Beginning of an Everlasting Bond
However, a significant adjustment loomed on the horizon and Croll wanted to match the spirited gray horse with a rider that fit his style — but the jockey he had in mind was committed to another horse. The horseman named to pilot the Bull had established a strong reputation in the Southwest and Midwest and was enjoying success on the tough New York Racing Association (NYRA) circuit, capturing riding titles in consecutive years (1991-92) and setting a record for the number of stakes won during a year in 1992 with 62. Nonetheless, the eventual Hall-of-Famer hadn’t achieved the notoriety that’s now synonymous with his career and the sport of thoroughbred racing. But the decision to select the rider, the one best suited for the Bull, was made by Roberta “Bobbie” Croll, Jimmy’s wife. (Luis Rivera Jr. had ridden the Bull in his victorious maiden race.)
“My grandmother used to brag, because she picked Mike Smith as the rider,” said Billie Croll. “Another jockey was supposed to ride him and they chose a different horse over Holy Bull in his second race. My grandfather was going over jockeys names and kind of [mulling it over] and my grandmother was like, ‘I like Mike Smith. We should put Mike Smith on him.’ She gave Mike Smith the mount on him. He’s a great guy too. He stays in touch with the family. Holy Bull was kind of the culmination of my grandfather’s career and the jump start of Mike Smith’s career. He went on from there. He listened to my grandmother every now and then. She was right for that call.”
Bobbie Croll’s intuition and perceptiveness would pay dividends, uniting a horse and rider to achieve greatness and eventually reach the pinnacle of the sport. However, if things had worked out differently, it would’ve been the 1990 Eclipse Award winning jockey Craig Perret in the irons. A fortuitous set of events had Smith and the Crolls partner a short time earlier with impressive results.
“It was Bobbie,” said Mike Smith, who broke his own record with 66 stakes wins in 1993, 20 in Grade I company, garnering his first Eclipse Award as outstanding jockey. “I was fortunate to ride a horse for Jimmy a few months earlier in New Jersey, and we won the stake. Bobbie just liked the way I rode the horse and got along with it. Craig Perret was supposed to ride but was obligated to another colt in New York. Bobbie said, ‘Let’s use Mike again. I really like the way he rode our last horse.’ That’s how I winded up getting on him. I’ll thank her for that for the rest of my life. The family was great to me. The horse really got my career going. Who knows where I would’ve ended up; he put me on the national map.”
The bond between the horse and rider began to develop from its embryonic stages, with Smith piloting Holy Bull to a 7-length victory in a 6 ½-furlong allowance race at Belmont Park on Sept. 2, a prep for the Grade I Futurity 16 days later, a race he would win over a sloppy track by a half-length, turning back the challenge of the 1993 Eclipse Award 2-year-old champion Dehere. The potential and the promise were evident early during his sophomore campaign, demonstrating a precocity that would continue to evolve as he matured, said Smith.
“Jimmy was so high on him,” said Smith. “But when I was blessed enough to ride him the first time, I knew the kind of ability he had. And of course Jimmy did, and we were all hoping for everything to go well. He stayed sound, and he had some big things to come. We were really looking forward to it. We were always so happy to get to the next race because we knew how good he was.”
Close Connections
The Heaths had the opportunity to be part of the festivities for his next start, the Florida Stallion Stakes’ In Reality Division at Calder Race Course. Holy Bull wasn’t Breeders’ Cup nominated, so he ended his 2-year-old campaign at the Miami Gardens-based racetrack.
“Jimmy and Bobbie were so kind to us, and they included us in everything that they did,” said Bonnie Heath. He and Kim were in the In Reality Stakes win picture. “We were always invited and part of the team. We were able to go to the barn whenever we wanted and that was just wonderful.”
The Heaths and Holy Bull’s paths would be interwoven, enjoying a journey seldom few get to experience. It was after the Florida Stallion Stakes, they decided to send out Christmas Cards from the Bull, a fitting way to cap off his juvenile campaign. Everyone realized how talented Holy Bull was, but they had no idea of what was yet to come…