General Sports

In the months leading up to the 1971 Kentucky Derby, Canonero II was an unknown horse with a Venezuelan trainer who spoke only Spanish.

The Derby ""experts"" laughed when an exercise boy rode the horse out on the track with no saddle or stirrups. But the laughter promptly ended when Canonero II charged to the front from twenty lengths back to win the Derby, followed by a victory at the Preakness Stakes in track record time. In recounting Canonero II's quest to become the first Triple Crown winner since Citation, award-winning turf historian Milt Toby tells the compelling story of how one man's wildly improbable dream became the dream of a nation and how a bargain-basement yearling born with a crooked front leg became the ""people's horse.""

Louisville and baseball share a long and strong bond that also happens to be one rollicking tale. From scandals and superstars, to Louisville Slugger® bats and beyond, Baseball in Louisville explores the ups, downs, eccentricities, and historic elements that define America's great pastime in Louisville. With names like Honus Wagner, Fred Clarke, Earle Combs, Pee Wee Reese, Adam Dunn, and Chris Burke in the line-up, this volume delivers a substantial and entertaining overview of baseball's past and present.

Central Kentucky is home to many magnificent horses and their farms. Although there are numerous places to witness these beautiful animals, including Keeneland, Churchill Downs, Pimlico, and Belmont, their history often gets overwhelmed by their statistics. Images of America: Kentucky's Famous Racehorses goes beyond the numbers and provides insight into the character of these beloved creatures by featuring stories straight from those closest to the horses--the grooms.

Bowling Green became the city of speed immediately after World War II as America began its love affair with the automobile. Stock car racing took the city by storm in its inaugural season of 1951, drawing crowds of up to 7,000 in a city of only 18,000. Soon thereafter, the city attracted the Chevrolet Corvette assembly plant followed by the National Corvette Museum. Images of Sports: Bowling Green Stock Car Racing documents the history of stock car racing in Bowling Green and the emergence of the raceway at Beech Bend Park.

Long associated with fine Thoroughbred horses, Kentucky's Bluegrass region is also home to America's oldest indigenous breed: the American Saddlebred horse.

A composite of several breeds, the Saddlebred was developed by 18th century colonists who sought a good looking, sensible, adaptable, and comfortable animal to ride and drive. These traits made it the mainstay of the Confederate cavalry during the Civil War and the choice mount of many generals on both sides. As the Industrial Revolution replaced the need for working horsepower, the Saddlebred evolved naturally into recreational activities. Affectionately known as ""peacock of the show ring,"" the Saddlebred's beauty, expression, and athleticism epitomize the essence of a show horse. In many ways, the breed's history parallels that of America and unfolds in pictures in Kentucky's Saddlebred Heritage.

Since 1936, Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky, has represented the gentility and excitement of Thoroughbred horse racing. To central Kentuckians, it is an enduring part of their culture and a fun place for all generations. For horsemen from all over the world, Keeneland is also an honest marketplace for the best Thoroughbred racing and breeding bloodstock to be found. Keeneland's world-class library is the repository of the largest collection of Thoroughbred racing information in the world; all the images in this book are from its vast collection. The book opens with photographs of the Kentucky Association racetrack that came before Keeneland and continues with images of the people who made Keeneland possible: jockeys, trainers, grooms, exercise riders, owners, track management, track workers, customers, and others. Photographs in the book also capture famous horses from the past, including Iron Leige, Round Table, Seabiscuit, Man o' War, Nashua, Whirlaway, Citation, and Bull Lea.

Ercel Ellis Jr. was born into the Thoroughbred horse business and has worked in it for seventy-five years.

He has been an owner, breeder, trainer, writer and radio broadcaster. His radio show, Horse Tales, has run for twenty years. For all his work, he won the Charles W. Engelhard Award for contributions to the industry. During his life, Ercel has amassed a trove of stories on some of the biggest names in Thoroughbred racing, like Mata Hari, Spy Song and world-famous Man o' War. He also includes stories of lesser-known horses like Dark Mirage, El Chico, Blue Peter and By Jimminy. Join Ercel as he entertains with fascinating stories from more than seven decades with Thoroughbreds.

Though long associated with fine bourbons, riverboats and champion Thoroughbreds, Louisville, Kentucky, is home to another icon--the Louisville slugger. The Louisville Baseball Almanac presents the first-ever comprehensive look at the rich history of professional teams, ballplayers and managers, a history that runs deep within the city. Originally a major-league city that won a pennant in 1890, the early Louisville teams gave rise to a host of legends and eccentrics, in equal measure. And ever since, Louisville has maintained a strong position in baseball history as a top-flight minor league city. Red Sox, Yankee, Dodger, Reds and Cardinals fans--baseball fans --have Louisville to thank for launching the careers of some of the game's most memorable players. Louisville baseball historian Philip Von Borries recounts the breadth of Louisville's ballplaying heritage, his text complemented by numerous vintage photographs.

In a handicap, horses are assigned weights based on their past performances as a way to try to create evenly matched fields. The better the horse, the heavier the weight assigned. In the United States, handicaps once accounted for the majority of stakes races and were known to boast large purses attracting the leading horses of the day. Kentucky-bred horses such as Discovery, Equipoise and Kelso won under the heaviest of weights, dominating the handicap division year after year, and were immortalized in the hall of fame. These equine stars brought recognition to the Sport of Kings and became renowned athletes for their courage, fortitude and durability. Join author and turf historian Melanie Greene as she recounts the harrowing tales of these noble steeds.

Old Friends provides a dignified retirement to Thoroughbreds whose racing and breeding careers have come to an end. Hear their stories in this heartwarming book.

Like many before him in the Bluegrass State, Michael Blowen, a former Boston Globeentertainment writer, fell in love with horses, specifically Thoroughbreds. The reality beyond the racetracks, he knew, was that each day a Thoroughbred was in the spotlight, for some of these distinguished athletes, their days were numbered.

For that reason, he dreamed of finding a way to give them a dignified retirement after they completed their rigorous racing careers. When he opened the Thoroughbred retirement farm Old Friendsin Kentucky in 2003, he never dreamed his idea would grow so big, so fast. Today, Old Friendsis home to more than 130 horses, many of them stallions, as well as geldings, mares and one loveable miniature horse named Little Silver Charm.

Join journalist and horse lover Rick Capone for the story of Old Friendsand the horses that call the farm home.

Over the last decade Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Facility in Georgetown, KY, has put a new face on the concept of equine aftercare.

When Michael Blowen first dreamed of creating Old Friends, he envisioned a place where Thoroughbred stallions could retire with dignity following their racing or breeding careers. He also wanted people to visit the iconic horses.

In 2003, Old Friendsopened on leased land with a miniature horse named Little Silver Charm, a gelding named Invigorate and a mare named Narrow Escape. Today, the two-hundred-plus-acre farm in Georgetown has more than 160 retired Thoroughbred stallions, geldings and mares, including two Kentucky Derbywinners. It even welcomed two satellite farms, one in New York and one at Kentucky Downsracetrack.

In his follow-up to History of Old Friends, Rick Capone revisits the unforgettable history of this horse retirement home.

Few high school football programs can match the success of Highlands. Having captured 17 state championships since 1960, the school ranks fifth in total wins among all high schools in the United States. The program has produced many outstanding college and professional players, including Jared Lorenzen of the New York Giants and Rob Smith of the Kansas City Chiefs. Legendary coach Homer Rice led Highlands to its first state championships in 1960 and 1961 before going on to coach Rice University and the Cincinnati Bengals. Fort Thomas Highlands Football highlights the program through the 2007 championship season and pays tribute to the teams and players since 1915.

Untold tidbits of equine history is revealed by historian and seventh generation Kentuckian Foster Ockerman Jr.

Horse racing and the Commonwealth of Kentucky are synonymous. The equine industry in the state dates as far back as the eighteenth century, and some of that history remains untold. The Seventeenth Earl of Derby made the trip from England to Louisville for the famed Kentucky Derby. Many famous African American jockeys grew up in the area but fled to Europe during the Jim Crow era. Gambling on races is a popular pastime, but betting in the early days caused significant changes in the sport. Hidden History of Horse Racing in Kentucky details the rich and the lesser-known history at the tracks in the Bluegrass State.

On May 4, 1968, Dancer's Image crossed the finish line at Churchill Downs to win the 94th Kentucky Derby. Over forty years later, questions still linger over the origins of the substance and the turmoil it created.

Yet the jubilation ended three days later for the owner, the jockey and the trainers who propelled the celebrated thoroughbred to victory. Amid a firestorm of controversy, Dancer's Image was disqualified after blood tests revealed the presence of a widely used anti-inflammatory drug with a dubious legal status. Veteran turf writer and noted equine law expert Milt Toby gives the first in-depth look at the only disqualification in Derby history and how the Run for the Roses was changed forever.