The Lucky Thirteen: The Winners of America's Triple Crown of Horse Racing

by Edward L. Bowen

Overview

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, all won in the same season). 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. Bowen covers the trainers, owners, and jockeys who etched their names into the annals of thoroughbred racing, and the “lucky thirteen” who captured all three jewels of the Triple Crown, racing’s most prestigious prize.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781493039678
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	06/01/2019
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	943,014
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 8.50(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Edward L. Bowen is the author of twenty-one books on Thoroughbred racing history. He was a staff member of the weekly trade publication The Blood Horse for some thirty years, including seventeen as managing editor and five as editor-in-chief. He was also editor of The Canadian Horse for two years. Bowen served as president of the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation from 1994 through 2018. Bowen has received various honors within the world of Thoroughbred and sports journalism and authorship, including an Eclipse Award for magazine writing, the Charles Engelhard Award from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association, the Old Hilltop Award from Pimlico Race Course, the Walter Haight Award from the National Turf Writers Association, and the gold medal designation in Foreword's sports category. He resides in Versailles, KY.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

1 Sir Barton (1919) 7

2 Gallant Fox (1930) 31

3 Omaha (1935) 47

4 WAR Admiral (1937) 71

5 Whirlaway (1941) 103

6 Count Fleet (1943) 119

7 Assault (1946) 137

8 Citation (1948) 159

9 Secretariat (1973) 183

10 Seattle Slew (1977) 209

11 Affirmed (1978) 235

12 American Pharoah (2015) 263

13 Justify (2018) 279

Appendix: Winners of Two Triple Crown Jewels, 1978-2015 294

References 295

Index 297

About the Author 302

Editorial Reviews

"Author Edward Bowen reaches the winner’s circle with this thorough, enthralling look at the magnificent horses who have won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes… Bowen’s captivating book brims with history, drama and characters." —Chris Enss, Cowgirl Magazine

"Ed Bowen is a real horseman. His influence permeates every aspect of the Thoroughbred industry. Ed is generous with his time and talents, and generations of horse people have benefited from his expertise. In The Lucky Thirteen he has compiled a history of the Triple Crown, with the stories of the horses and characters we all know and love. It is a pleasure to read." —Charlotte C. Weber, owner, Live Oak Stud, board trustee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association and trustee of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame

“I'm so appreciative of Ed Bowen for writing this book. It can be daunting to research horses, one at a time. What?! All the Triple Crown winners compiled together in one comprehensive volume? Thank you, thank you, thank you!” —Donna Barton Brothers, author, Inside Track: Insider's Guide to Horse Racing and horse-racing analyst and on-air commentator for Television Games Network and Triple Crown telecasts.

“Through his many years of writing about Thoroughbred racing, Ed Bowen has maintained the standards of the racing writers and historians he has admired since his youth. The subject of the Triple Crown winners also brings out his reverence for any champion race horse, past or present. That's what makes it special! “ —Brereton C. Jones, owner of Airdrie Stud and former governor of Kentucky

From the Publisher