Travel

It may not be the Kentucky Derby, but Saratoga Springs went to the horses long before Churchill Downs.

Since the inaugural meeting of August 1863, Saratoga Springs is home to one of the oldest sports venues in the country and has been the scene of memorable races, often featuring legends of the sport. Although some of the epic moments are still familiar today, such as Upset's defeat of Man o' War in the 1919 Sanford Memorial, many of the triumphs and defeats that were once famous have been forgotten. Few remember the filly Los Angeles, who thrived at Saratoga, winning sixteen stakes races, or the influential, sometimes suspicious, reasons why the track was closed three times for a total of six years. Authors Allan Carter and Mike Kane take a look back at these and other important but neglected stories and present statistics from the pre-NYRA years and a rundown of the greatest fields assembled at America's oldest track.

Never before seen photographs depict the interesting history of Delaware Horse Racing.

Although Delaware is a small state, it has a rich history of horse-related activities, one of them being horse racing. From the early 1900s, horses have been used for various reasons, including farm work, means of transportation, pasture ornament, pleasure riding, and the popular sport of horse racing. Delaware Horse Racing takes the reader back decades to the good old days of popular tracks, such as Brandywine Raceway, Georgetown Raceway, Delaware Park Raceway, Dover Downs Raceway, and Harrington Raceway, where Standardbreds and Thoroughbreds raced hard and fast on half-mile and five-eighths-mile dirt tracks. Gathered from the collections of horsemen and horsewomen, previously unpublished historical photographs show legendary owners, trainers, drivers, and racehorses.

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.

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.

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.

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.