Description
Book SynopsisThe story of one of history’s fastest racehorses, a humiliating defeat, the steep price of striving at all costs, and an American era in which getting everything you ever wanted could be the most empty and unfulfilling sensation of all.
Trade Review“The story we have here, in remarkable detail, [is] due in part to Mr. Gilden’s tenacity as a journalist and his willingness to search for the truth rather than pass along the same old stories.”—Max Watman,
Wall Street Journal"Although many have voiced their opinions on Spectacular Bid's loss, few have looked as closely at the explosive story, with its underlying threads of class and race, as Gilden, who turned to sources close to the subjects in order to get a clear picture."—Olive Fellows,
Christian Science Monitor"Not only is the ride a fast one, it’s a thrilling one."—Abby Loden,
Itawamba County Times"Every sports fan needs this book on their shelf to enjoy and to hear the results of this day in racing and how the future is altered for all involved."—Tom Knuppel,
Knup Sports"It's a complicated legacy, but Gilden, in a great read, has uncovered it in all its gruesome glory in his book."—Thom Loverro,
Washington Times"A fast ride and a shocking ride, indeed."—Jennifer Morrison,
Canadian Thoroughbred"
The Fast Ride is not a typical biography of a horse. . . . What it is is a riveting book about how a horse with a fairly modest pedigree and price tag, ridden by a young inexperienced jockey not equipped emotionally for such a big stage and trained by a brash Maryland hardboot, can go on to become one the all-time greats despite the shortcomings and self-destructive actions of those around him."—Steve Haskin, secretariat.com
"For those who value the sport and its past, for those who want to understand
why as much as
how, this is a book worth picking up. The gift of history is not simply stirring stories, but the recounting of the past so that we may understand the present, and, hopefully, plot out a future that has learned from who and what came before."—foxesofbelair.com
“Jack Gilden’s superb reporting turns the story of a great American racehorse into a riveting lesson about the difference between perception and reality. Spectacular Bid and his wild cast of human connections positively pulsate with energy.”—John Eisenberg, author of
The League: How Five Rivals Created the NFL and Launched a Sports Empire"Gilden takes the reader inside the stables and development of a jockey and a race horse in a manner that shows both the beauty and the ugliness of this sport. This is a book anyone interested in horse racing, especially during that era, must add to their bookshelf."—Lance Smith,
Guy Who Reviews Sports BooksTable of ContentsAuthor's Note
Introduction
1. A Steel Spine
2. The Crucible
3. Old Hilltop
4. The Beard
5. Middleburg
6. And They’re Off
7. Rough Riders
8. Follow the Money
9. Retribution
10. Coke Was It
11. Derby Days
12. Coming Home
13. Out of Control
14. A Fearful Ride
15. Moving On
16. Saying Goodbye
17. Crossing the Wire
Afterword
Acknowledgments
Selected Bibliography
Index
