Regular print version previously published by Ballantine Books. Includes bibliographical references (pages 481-514).
Contents:
Rebirth -- Warfield's prophecy -- The Metairie -- Outmaneuvered -- Getting there -- Lost light -- Kentucky's horse -- Lecomte -- Time is a mighty good horse -- The waving flag of Lexington -- The fall -- The King's horses -- Robert Alexander's purchase -- Woodburn farm -- War -- The she-devil -- The undefeated asteroid -- Smoke screens -- The height of Woodburn -- Louisville -- The bequest -- The four-mile horse -- Catalog no. 16020 -- Standing on all fours: ninety-five years later.
Summary:
"The early days of American horse racing were grueling. Four-mile races, run two or three times in succession, were the norm, rewarding horses who brandished the ideal combination of stamina and speed. The stallion Lexington, named after the city in Kentucky where he was born, possessed these winning qualities, which pioneering Americans prized. Lexington shattered the world speed record for a four-mile race, showing a war-torn nation that the extraordinary was possible even in those perilous times. Horses from his bloodline won more money than the offspring of any other Thoroughbred - an annual success that led Lexington to be named America's leading sire an unprecedented sixteen times. With the Civil War raging, Lexington's years at a Kentucky stud farm were far from idyllic. Confederate soldiers ran amok, looting freely and kidnapping horses from the top stables. They soon focused on the prized Lexington and his valuable progeny. Kim Wickens, a lawyer and dressage rider, became fascinated by this legendary horse when she learned that twelve of Thoroughbred racing's thirteen Triple Crown winners descended from Lexington. "-- Provided by publisher.
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