In its 40-plus years, the Breeders’ Cup World Championships has produced many stretch duels that have become part of racing’s lore, from the very first Classic in 1984 to Tiznow’s back-to-back Classic wins in 2000 and 2001, and on through Blame’s defeat of Zenyatta in the 2010 Classic and
Here’s a question to ponder: Suppose that you’re an up-and-coming young jockey, not yet 25 years old and less than a decade into your career. Out of the blue, you’re called upon to ride arguably the greatest horse of all time in the final start of his illustrious career. Could you handle the pressure?
It sounds like something out of a movie, but for jockey Edward “Eddie” Maple, this opportunity was real. And for the record, Maple did handle the pressure, which was arguably the turning point in what would become a legendary Hall of Fame riding career.
Holy Bull was that rare horse who could win one-turn races like the Hutcheson Stakes and the Grade 1 Metropolitan Mile as though sprinting were his life’s calling, and also capture a testing 1 ¼-mile race like the prestigious Travers Stakes, holding off no less than the eventual winner of that year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic.
He was owned and trained by top New Jersey-based horseman Warren A. “Jimmy” Croll. And how he came to own Holy Bull is a story in itself.
