"The Race for the Triple Crown" is not in the usual run of amiable puff jobs about Thoroughbreds and their owners.For one thing, the author is an award-winning sportswriter for the "New York Times."For another, he is a dedicated horse-player---Damon Runyon; bettin' on da gee-gees; bookies; "The Daily Racing Form"---that sort of scene.Finally and perhaps most importantly, he owned and raced a Quarter Horse named Oh Desperado, who turned out to be a whiz at dressage.Joe Drape begins his story in June, 1999 when the big, beautiful Charismatic, a former claiming horse fractured his foreleg in the Belmont, just seconds away from becoming the first Thoroughbred in twenty-one years to win the Triple Crown.The book ends with Tiznow's victory in the 2000 Breeder's Cup Classic and the death of his eighty-three-year-old owner, Cecilia Straub-Rubens, three days later.
In between, Thoroughbred owners "spent $510,834,975 on 8,779 yearlings at auctions in the United States in hopes that one of them was the right horse for the 2002 Triple Crown."
The author writes primarily of the owners and trainers, by turns foolish, determined, and hopeful, and some of whom were real S.O.B.s.One of the prominent players is the trainer D. Wayne Lucas, who won the first two races in the Triple Crown in 1999, and then won the third leg in 2000.He is also one of the aforementioned S.O.B.s---one might even call him the Patton of Thoroughbred training.I finished this book with a tremendous admiration (although not liking) for Lucas, especially for winning the 2000 Belmont with a mediocre horse and sheer tactical brilliance.The author is still kicking himself for not betting on Lucas's horse in that race.It would have been his fifth winner on a Pick-Six ticket.
"The Race for the Triple Crown" is rich in the detail of what it takes to purchase a Thoroughbred at auction (lots of money, lots of testosterone, and lots of research).It portrays the agony and ecstasy of owning, training, and riding a potential Triple Crown horse.Here is the true story of the relationship between D. Wayne Lucas and Charismatic's jockey, Chris Antley.Here's what it feels like to try and outbid a Maktoum at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.Here are the reasons why you shouldn't plan a celebratory dinner in advance of a Thoroughbred race.Here is Bob Baffert, "intoning, `Houston, we got a problem' into the microphone at the 1996 Preakness when his horse Cavonnier was on his way to a fourth-place finish."
This is an absolutely riveting story for readers who are already somewhat familiar with Thoroughbred racing.I loved it.However, I disagree with the cover blurb that says it is "a delight for both aficionado and novice."If you're looking for a starter book on Thoroughbred racing, try "Secretariat: The Making of a Champion" by William Nack, or "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand."The Race for the Triple Crown" has so much insider detail that a newcomer to racing might become totally confused if he or she doesn't already recognize some of the players, e.g. Pat Day, More Than Ready, Sheik Maktoum bin Rashid al-Maktoum, Jenine Sahadi, and The Deputy (for starters).
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