This is the definitive history of thoroughbred racing's three premier events, which have never before been explored in such detail. This book gives the history of America's classic races from the inaugural Belmont Stakes in 1867 through 2013, identifying which equine participants were truly worthy of lasting acclaim and which were one-hit wonders. Perhaps even more compelling are the stories of the men and women who rode, trained, owned, or bred classic winners, including their exploits on the turf and their triumphs and failures in arenas far removed from horse racing.

He was always destined to be a champion. Royally bred, with English and American classic winners in his pedigree, Sir Barton shone from birth, dubbed the "king of them all." But after a winless two-year-old season and a near-fatal illness, uncertainty clouded the start of Sir Barton's three-year-old season. Then his surprise victory in America's signature race, the Kentucky Derby, started him on the road to history, where he would go on to dominate the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes, completing America's first Triple Crown. His wins inspired the ultimate chase for greatness in American horse racing and established an elite group that would grow to include legends like Citation, Secretariat, and American Pharoah. After a series of dynamic wins in 1920, popular opinion tapped Sir Barton as the best challenger for the wonder horse Man o' War, and demanded a match race to settle once and for all which horse was the greatest. That duel would cement the reputation of one horse for all time and diminish the reputation of the other for the next century -- until now. Sir Barton and the Making of the Triple Crown is the first book to focus on Sir Barton, his career, and his historic impact on horse racing. Author Jennifer S. Kelly uses extensive research and historical sources to examine this champion's life and achievements. Kelly charts how Sir Barton broke track records, scored victories over other champions, and sparked the yearly pursuit of Triple Crown glory. This book reveals the legacy of Sir Barton and his seminal contributions to Thoroughbred racing one hundred years after his pioneering achievement.

Looks at the notable jockeys, horses, and moments in the history of the Kentucky Derby, and describes the rules, strategies, and dangers of horse racing.

In more than a century of American Thoroughbred racing, only thirteen horses have won the Triple Crown--the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes..Veteran turf writer and racing historian Edward L. Bowen takes us through the rich history of one of the most formidable and exciting challenges in all of sport.

Beating The Odds: 82 Years At The Kentucky Derby is an Autobiography of a man who has attended 82 consecutive Kentucky Derbies and the ensuing unique lifestyle that accompanied this feat. Featured intermittently with an unusual childhood and later life experiences that very few people have had the privilege of being exposed to (good or bad). In addition, there are pictures and legacies of the immediately family that supported this endeavor.

Chock full of insider details to delight the race fan and drama to fire the reader's enthusiasm for the sport, this authoritative history carries rare photographs from private collections. Reveals the agonies and the ecstasies of the lives of the legends of thoroughbred racing.