Legends

all in Legends

Holy Bull, Darley, Anne M. Eberhardt, BloodHorse

Holy Bull: An Enduring Legacy of Brilliance

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.

Hall of Fame jockey Isaac Burns Murphy, Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division

Isaac Murphy: The King of 19th Century Jockeys

He was the Eddie Arcaro, the Willie Shoemaker of his era. More than 145 years ago, the son of a slave began to carve his indelible mark on the tree of American Thoroughbred history.

A slight man, Isaac Burns Murphy was known for his soft hands and bowlegs. Weighing in at 70 pounds when he launched his career, Murphy rode upright, rather than in a crouch, and he was a superb judge of pace. His mounts tended to close with devastating speed, often winning by a head or less. Those tight finishes came to be known as "Murfinishes."

Scotty Schulhofer: A First-Class Horseman Who Aged Like Fine Wine

Flint S. “Scotty” Schulhofer spent almost all of his 80 years on this earth around horses and racetracks, but in a sense he was much like a fine wine.

Born as the son of a horse owner-riding academy operator, he went to work at the racetrack as a 17-year-old youth. Yet when he approached his 60s – at a time when most men would look to slow down and eye retirement – he enjoyed his greatest run of sustained success and assembled a stable that rivaled any in the sport.

Stuart S. Janney III, Eclipse Award of Merit, 53rd Annual Eclipse Awards

Stuart Janney to Receive Eclipse Award of Merit

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association announced Jan. 19 that Stuart S. Janney III will be honored with the Eclipse Award of Merit at the 53rd Annual Eclipse Awards Dinner and Ceremony at The Breakers Palm Beach in Florida on Thursday, Jan. 25.

The Eclipse Award of Merit is the Thoroughbred industry’s highest honor, bestowed upon an individual who has displayed a lifetime of achievement in service to the sport. Janney’s decades of involvement and leadership within the sport of Thoroughbred racing has bettered the sport for future generations.

Tom Hammond, Keeneland, BloodHorse Library, Eclipse Award

Tom Hammond to Receive Special Eclipse Award for Career Excellence

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association, Daily Racing Form, and the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters announced Jan. 18 that Tom Hammond, whose dynamic career of more than 50 years in broadcasting, television production, and numerous contributions to the Thoroughbred industry, will be honored with the Special Eclipse Award for Career Excellence at the 53rd Annual Eclipse Awards Dinner and Ceremony at The Breakers Palm Beach in Florida Jan. 25.

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