Steve Haskin

No racehorse of modern times was so good for so long. Racing until the age of nine, Kelso won thirty-nine of sixty-three races. Much like Seabiscuit thirty years earlier, Kelso kept getting better as he got older, earning legions of fans with every passing year.

In Tales from the Triple Crown, award-winning racing writer Steve Haskin takes readers behind the scenes to introduce them to the trainers, jockeys, and horses seeking the world’s most elusive sports prize. Feel the keen disappointment of trainer Bud Delp after Spectacular Bid loses his Triple Crown bid because of a stray safety pin. Witness Angel Cordero’s frustration after winning the Kentucky Derby aboard Spend a Buck only to encounter a series of misadventures on his way home. Mourn the untimely loss of Barbaro in a Preakness that shook the racing world. Their stories are among the 24—including three that are new to this paperback edition—that bring a new dimension to the repertoire of Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes reporting. Triumph and tragedy are no strangers to horse racing, and in Tales from the Triple Crown Haskin shares both the adrenaline charge of victory and the disappointment of close losses. Haskin’s personal involvement, keen eye for a good story, and engaging writing style make readers feel like they are living the moments with him.

"Percival's dogs howled all night, howled like pain itself coming in over the hills."So begins twelve-year-old Madeline Ellis's journey to save Percival Parrant's dogs from the horrible abuse--dog fights staged in his barn, leaving his poor pit bulls, Blackie and Red, battered and bloody and trapped in a cage on Percival's farm. Madeline and her best friend, Larue, sneak out at midnight to find out why the dogs cry all night and discover the dog fight in progress. Madeline intervenes, trying to save the dogs, but is chased from the farm with the dogs still in danger. Madeline and her father report the crime to the sheriff of their small Arkansas town, only to find the sheriff is in cahoots with Percival. The Humane Society calls in the State Police. The dogs are rescued and given to Madeline to care for, but she finds that Percival is involved with even worse crimes, and she vows to stop him. Percival's Dogs is a coming-of-age story full of action, chases, and the bravery and determination of a young woman.

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.

With a trademark powerful stride amid a blaze of red and yellow silks, Justify emphatically crossed the finish line at the 2018 Belmont Stakes and became just the 13th winner of horse racing's elusive Triple Crown. One of the most charismatic and talented runners in the history of the sport, Justify was also one of its most unlikely champions; the late-blooming chestnut colt made his competitive debut only 111 days prior to that legendary victory. In Justify: 111 Days to Triple Crown Glory, veteran scribe Lenny Shulman (BloodHorse magazine) provides an insider account of this Thoroughbred’s rise to greatness. Through extensive interviews and first-hand accounts, readers will discover the fascinatingly disparate cast of characters who were crucial to Justify’s success, including trainer Bob Baffert, whose innate ability to identify equine talent also produced American Pharoah; Mike Smith, the 52-year-old jockey asserting himself in the miraculous third act of his career; and breeders John and Tanya Gunther, who believed in Justify’s ability despite the developmental imperfections that drove buyers away. Packed with riveting action, keen insight, and behind-the-scenes perspectives on quieter figures like silent investors, international stakeholders, and unheralded training staff, Justify is an illuminating look at the modern Thoroughbred industry and an essential story for the ages.