The Most Glorious Crown: The Story of America's Triple Crown Thoroughbreds from Sir Barton to Affirmed [Hardcover]

Marvin Drager (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2005

After nearly 130 years of trying, only 11 colts have swept the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes to earn the Triple Crown—the grand slam of Thoroughbred racing. These 11 were more than just magnificent Thoroughbreds—they were stars, and their stories are full of the drama, passion, and courage associated with stardom. These champions’ stories are found in The Most Glorious Crown, the most entertaining and comprehensive work on the Triple Crown winners ever assembled.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

A sweep of Thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown is among the rarest and most difficult feats in all of sport. It requires defeating the very best three-year-olds in the land in three grueling racings--the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont--run over three different tracks at three different distances, all within the span of just five weeks. In 130 years, only 11 horses have become Triple Crown champions. Drager tells the stories of the elite 11, from Sir Barton in 1919 to Affirmed in 1978, managing to recapture the almost unbearable drama and pressure that accompanied each of their quests. As if to underline to difficulty of the accomplishment, Drager's final chapter details the failed attempts of the 17 horses--including such greats as Northern Dancer and Spectacular Bid--who won the Derby and Preakness only to fall short in the Belmont, aptly called the Test of Champions. This is an authoritative and comprehensive account, replete with rare photographs and including an index, a glossary, and a compact disc on the history of Thoroughbred racing. Dennis Dodge
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

From the Inside Flap

Horse racing’s Triple Crown is one of the most coveted, elusive, and celebrated achievements in sports. Every Thoroughbred racing season over the past century and a quarter has opened with the hope of unearthing the next Triple Crown winner, but the prestigious Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes have been awarded to a single victor only 11 times since 1875. The members of this exclusive club are forever immortalized in racing lore, and their individual stories are as remarkable as their incredible athletic feats.

The Most Glorious Crown is a fascinating account of the races that led to each horse’s coronation. It is also a true biography of the champions—detailing what preceded and what followed their amazing victories; how each Triple Crown winner was bred, trained, and raced; and how each fared at stud and in retirement. From Sir Barton in 1919 through Affirmed in 1978, each Triple Crown winner has exhibited a charisma befitting of superstardom, and those attributes unique to each champion come alive on these pages. In the course of this history the men and women—owners, trainers, and jockeys—who inhabit the colorful world at this pinnacle of American sport are also unforgettably brought to life. And because the journalism of the turf has been used as a primary source, their utterances—of despair, hope, and joy—have the immediacy of today’s sports pages, as well as the patina of classic stories well told. The author also devotes an entire chapter to the most notable Triple Crown aspirants to fall excruciatingly short or to be otherwise derailed.

The Most Glorious Crown includes the most complete collection of photographs of the Triple Crown champions ever assembled in a single book. It also includes a concise history of the Thoroughbred breed and of Thoroughbred racing in England and the United States, a glossary of racing terms, a wealth of statistical and technical information, and a comprehensive index. The Most Glorious Crown is the indisputably definitive work on this rare achievement.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Triumph Books; Har/DVD edition (April 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572437243
• ISBN-13: 978-1572437241
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 9.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #449,143 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mr. Long-tail and Mr. Banana-nose, May 25, 2006

By 

E. A. Lovitt "starmoth" (Gladwin, MI USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Most Glorious Crown: The Story of America's Triple Crown Thoroughbreds from Sir Barton to Affirmed (Hardcover)

I read "The Most Glorious Crown" after Barbaro won the Kentucky Derby, then didn't have the heart to write a review until after he was back on his feet, cleaning up his hay rack, nickering at nearby mares, and scratching at his ear with his leg cast. I'm just a fan. I have no right to my affection for him, being neither owner, nor trainer, nor even hotwalker. However, it's terribly saddening to see one of these beautiful, spirited creatures break down, especially one who had a chance to win the most glorious crown.

The eleven horses that did win the Crown exemplified the highest qualities of speed, stamina, and heart, but each of them had his own character and peculiarities. The author shares rare photographs and anecdotes with a lavish hand, bringing each of these special Thoroughbreds to life along with the people surrounding him. I was especially taken by the story of Whirlaway, Calumet's first Triple Crown winner (who also figures prominently in the accompanying DVD).

'Mr. Longtail' was quite a character: "Dumb, half-witted, willful, knuckleheaded, stubborn, unmanageable--these and similar adjectives were sprinkled in the reams of copy written about him." If it weren't for the combined efforts of Ben Jones, his trainer, and Eddie Arcaro, his jockey, Whirlaway might never have won a race, much less the Derby, Preakness, and Belmont.

Martin Drager also includes a chapter of near misses, ending with Birdstone's defeat of Smarty Jones in the 2004 Belmont. In his epilogue, "They Were Only Human" he includes the usual statistics on the triple crown winners and also (just to prove that there is no such thing as the 'perfect' horse) mentions that four of the glorious eleven were challenged to match races...and lost (Sir Barton to Man O'War, War Admiral to Sea Biscuit, Whirlaway to Alsab, and Assault to Armed.)

The History Channel DVD "Win Place or Show" that accompanies this book is a miscellany of American Thoroughbred racing, including some rare footage of Man O'War's races, plus clips of many of our Triple Crown winners. Calumet Farm is featured, as well as Hall of Fame trainer Woody Stephens, best remembered for his 5 consecutive Belmont wins in the 1980s. The commentary by various owners and trainers, including Jimmy Jones is priceless. The DVD alone is worth the price of this book.

Be certain to buy the updated, 2005 reissue of this book in order to get the History Channel DVD.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must for Triple Crown Fanatics, August 16, 2005

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Mary Neville (Chicago) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Most Glorious Crown: The Story of America's Triple Crown Thoroughbreds from Sir Barton to Affirmed (Hardcover)

If you adore the yearly triple crown thoroughbred races, you gotta get this book. I was born in a triple crown year,1948, and of course learned much more about the wonderful colt, Citation, in 1973, when the media kept saying about Secretariat, "the first triple crown winner since Citation 25 years ago".Since I was so wowwed by that gorgeous creature Secretariat, I wanted to learn more about the great Citation. What a gem he was! Eddie Arcaro said "he was a doll to ride," meaning he did exactly what the jockey wanted and more. Then I wanted to learn about ALL the T.C. winners, since there are only 11 of them! This isn't a book you read like a novel, though you can; it's more like a reference book that a fanatic has to have; plus it may be the only such book in print, if I recall. There's even a DVD by the History Channel on the inside front cover. Need any more encouragement? If ya love or own horses, or just yearn to watch them on TV, like me, you will adore this book. The photos are wonderful - all B & W, but that doesn't bother me one bit. I find that most color photos of horses markedly distort their color: dark browns look black, blacks may have a reddish cast, etc. Ya gotta go to the track to see the REAL color of the horse, I guess. I digress. The statistics presented are so interesting, like triple crown "near misses". I'm so glad this book was published for the likes of me. It's a beaut!

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must have for casual and hard-core fans alike, May 22, 2005

By 

E. Dillard "War Eagle" (Georgia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Most Glorious Crown: The Story of America's Triple Crown Thoroughbreds from Sir Barton to Affirmed (Hardcover)

When this book was first released in 1975, I read it cover-to-cover so many times it finally fell apart. It's a great way for casual fans to learn about America's Triple Crown winners;even the most hard-core of fans will enjoy all the pictures of these spectacular thoroughbred stars. The 2005 edition is updated to include Seattle Slew and Affirmed. If you already have the book without these additions, don't bother spending the money unless you want the DVD. You can get better information on Affirmed and Slew in the Thoroughbred Legends series. But if you don't have this book and you love horse-racing, I highly recommend it. The DVD is nice, too. I enjoyed seeing Man o'War, Whirlaway and of course, Slew.