Tales from the Triple Crown

by Steve Haskin

Steve Haskin takes readers behind the scenes to introduce them to the trainers, jockeys, and horses seeking the worlds most elusive sports prizethe Triple Crown. Haskins personal involvement, keen eye for a good story, and conversational writing style make readers feel like they are living the moment with him.

Genres: Horse Racing, Horses, Nonfiction

206 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2008

Reviews

[Joseph J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is still a good read despite the passage of years. Haskin is in the long tradition of print journalists who knew a great story was to be found on the backstretch. Largely covering the Triple Crown "drought years," the stories are funny an poignant. The last Preakness I attended was won by the ill fated Prairie Bayou, so that chapter really touched me. Return to the 80's and 90's, as our Triple Crown hopes were repeatedly dashed, but the backstories were rich.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Steve Haskin has been reporting on horse racing for many years. If you are interested in learning about the behind the scene lives of well known racehorses (Smarty Jones, Afleet Alex, Barbaro) and those not so well known (Jim French, Magic Weisner), this book is for you. Each chapter highlights a different horse and his entourage leading up to the Triple Crown races. If you love racing and horses, this will not disappoint.

[Constance · Rating 4 out of 5]

The majority of these stories are not of the same caliber of Haskin’s current column for the Bloodhorse but are interesting particularly if you know racing going back to Spectacular Bid’s days.

[Bonnie McDaniel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Horse racing is not as popular as it used to be. You have a flurry of publicity around the Triple Crown, and a lesser blip from the Breeders' Cup in the fall, and that's pretty much it. The last horse people outside the industry really rallied around was Zenyatta, the great mare of a few years back. (She was even the subject of a profile on 60 Minutes.) Of course, there's always the hard-core fans who like to throw away their money, but I don't do that; I follow the sport for the horses and the people behind them.

This book, therefore, seems like it would be right up my alley. Steve Haskin is one of my favorite writers for The Blood-Horse, and his column, Hangin' With Haskin, is a must-read. So why, though I enjoyed parts of this book, did it ultimately come off as unsatisfying? It isn't because of Haskin's skills as a writer; I've read plenty of wonderful pieces by him. The very first article in this book, "The One and Only Spectacular Bid," is one such. Most of the book's other chapters concentrate on more recent horses from the nineties and oughts.

Thinking about this, though, made me realize why this book ultimately didn't do it for me: its subjects. With a few exceptions, such as Zenyatta, today's Thoroughbreds don't hold a candle to the ones in the past. Spectacular Bid on his worst day could beat any Kentucky Derby winner of recent vintage. My two favorite horse racing books are Laura Hillenbrand's Seabiscuit and Bill Nack's Secretariat. These are two wonderfully written books that you should definitely read, but their subjects made them so; their stories are ones you just don't find nowadays.

Unfortunately, the horse racing industry is in a slump. Inferior horses with too-short careers won't bring in the new fans the sport badly needs. Steve Haskin, in writing books like this, tries his best to help out, and the book is certainly readable. Its stories just won't stick with you, like the unforgettable horses and people of the past.

[Keith McCormick · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic set of stories mostly from the1990's Triple Crown trail. I wasn't following racing closely in that era so it was great to catch up. Steve Haskin is a master of small details and intimate stories as well as putting the horses, the people and the races into a larger context. Bravo. It's hard to find these days so I'm glad I picked up the slightly battered copy I found at Belmont Park.

[Bree · Rating 2 out of 5]

Notes:
for 8th grade and up
writing style is too choppy for my liking
first hand accounts of different horses contending for the crown