Product Description

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #367963 in Books
• Published on: 2008-05-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 224 pages

Customer Reviews

Fresh Tales From The Trio Of Gems
Veteran turf writer Steve Haskin strides past the typical coverage surrounding the rich history of the Triple Crown to pen this enjoyable romp for racing fans or those who follow the sport during the Kentucky Derby, The Preakness and the Belmont Stakes.

The 21 stories feature the extreme highs and frustrating lows from the backside, with the roller-coaster ride life can bring off the track.

There are fresh angles to older stories, like the disappointment of trainer Bud Delp after Spectacular Bid lost his bid for the Triple Crown due to a safety pin; along with new gems, with a chronicle of jockey Angel Cordero's misadventures in trying to get home after winning the 1985 Kentucky Derby aboard Spend a Buck.

There are also nice features on the recent heroes, Afleet Alex and Smarty Jones, along with a moving piece on Barbaro.

This is a solid example on how a book does not have to run according to form to be a fun read.

Wonderful
Steve Haskin's always does a wonderful job of making you see his love of the sport through his eyes and experiences. All the way through to Barbaro. The only thing missing is Eight Belles but obviously this book was done before her tragedy.

A unique collection of Triple Crown stories
Steve Haskin, an award-winning writer for "The Blood-Horse" tells lively, little-known tales of the most elusive prize in Thoroughbred racing: America's Triple Crown. I've been reading this writer's racing reports with pleasure ever since he became a senior correspondent for "The Blood-Horse" in 1999, but all the stories in this book are new to me. Haskin does not attempt to write a history of the races, rather "Tales from the Triple Crown" deals with the intimate, human-interest side of training a Thoroughbred up to one or more of these difficult races.

Some of the horses in this book don't make it all of the way through the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont. The stories of Prairie Bayou and Barbaro remind the reader of the bleaker side of horse racing. There was also a trainer who almost didn't make it through the three races: Charlie Wittingham (the `Bald Eagle') was kicked in the head by Sunday Silence, who must have inherited a mean streak from his sire, Halo. This near-black colt won the Derby and the Preakness but the Belmont was taken by his rival, Easy Goer.

One of my favorite stories in "Tales from the Triple Crown" concerns a Maryland-bred claimer, who was sent off at odds of 45-1 in the Preakness and fell ¾ of a length short of beating the million-dollar Kentucky Derby winner, War Emblem. The horse was Magic Weisner and his trainer was Nancy Alberts, a small-time workaholic Maryland horsewoman who, according to the author, "when she wasn't training and taking care of her horses, she was repairing horse blankets, making nosebands (shadow rolls), and clipping horses."

Not all Triple Crown trainers stroll into the winner's circle wearing Armani suits and Prada sunglasses!

Haskin also includes an Afterward of "Quotes, Quips, and Quickies" plus a gallery of photographs of Triple Crown participants. My favorite was taken by the author himself and shows the champion, Davona Dale pinning her ears back as Spectacular Bid passes her stall.

And speaking of `the Bid,' Haskin verifies the story of the safety pin that lost this spectacular gray Thoroughbred his chance of winning the Belmont, and therefore of winning the Triple Crown.