The three races that comprise the historic Triple Crown series of races abounds with stories of both people and horses- names that inspire generations of racing fans to dive into the recounting of the tales of these essential moments.
As we get ever closer to the first Saturday in May, why not pass the days leading up to Triple Crown by revisiting the names and faces that make up the history of these iconic races?
Here’s just three that will give readers a new perspective on some of the sport’s icons, both equine and human. Enjoy.
The 1978 Triple Crown season is famous for more than just crowning the 11th Winner in AFFIRMED. That year’s classics went down as something more: a series of duels that made immortals of both Winner and loser- the image of AFFIRMED and ALYDER coming down to the wire, stride for stride in all three events is burned into the sport’s subconscious. Carroll and Rosner tell the story behind the rivalry, recounting the people, places, and races that made AFFIRMED and ALYDER inseparable in Triple Crown lore.
Willis Sharpe Kilmer pretty much ignored EXTERMINATOR – until he did what no one expected him to do, Win America’s biggest race. McGraw’s book details how EXTERMINATOR evolved from playing second fiddle to his stablemate, to first place in the Kentucky Derby, and hearts of racing fans everywhere.
Nearly 50 years after the record-breaking Triple Crown Win, Scanlan’s portrait of Big Red comes from the perspective of the person who know him best: his groom, Eddie Sweat. For those who loved the movie SECRETARIAT and enjoyed Bill Nack’s book on the ninth Triple Crown Winner, this book will give readers a new ground-level perspective on those two storied seasons.
