My Guy Barbaro: A Jockey's Journey Through Love, Triumph, and Heartbreak

(Paperback)

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A new superstar appeared on the American sports landscape in the spring of 2006. Barbaro, a three-year-old racehorse, won the Kentucky Derby by the largest margin of victory in sixty years, stirring talk of a possible Triple Crown. But in the opening yards of the Preakness Stakes two weeks later, the magnificent animal suffered a catastrophic leg injury that ended his un-defeated career and left him fighting for his life.

One of the world's top jockeys, Edgar Prado rode Barbaro to glory and then stood beside him for months as the horse valiantly struggled to survive. My Guy Barbaro is the true story of the dream that carried Prado from an impoverished childhood in Lima, Peru, to the winner's circles of the world's greatest racetracksand is the heartwarming account of his love for a beautiful, talented, irreplaceable teammate.

Reviews

"Barbaro was one tough horse - winning the Kentucky Derby by 6 1/2 lengths. But it was his courageous, ultimately futile battle after a horrific leg injury in the Preakness that really captured the nation. Veteran jockey Prado touchingly takes readers inside racing and his bond with Barbaro." -- New York Post

"A moving testament to the power a sport can have on both its fans and its participants." -- American Way

"Edgar Prado's unadorned prose beautifully captures the trajectory of two lives: his own and that of the horse he would come to describe as a 'friend, teammate and hero.' After reading this book, it is difficult to predict who you will love more: Prado or his beloved mount, Barbaro." -- Susan Richards, New York Times bestselling author of CHOSEN BY A HORSE Susan Richards, New York Times bestselling author of CHOSEN BY A HORSE

"Told firsthand by Edgar Prado, the hardest-working jockey in the game, My Guy Barbaro takes you on an emotional roller coaster ride that will make you feel like you were there with Barbaro every step of the way. I couldn't put this book down." -- Gary Stevens, three-time Kentucky Derby Winning Hall of Fame Jockey, NBC Sports Analyst

"This inside look at how a racehorse and jockey communicate and care for each other is at once heartbreaking and harrowing; it chronicles the relationship of two of the sport's most compelling figures -- Barbaro and Prado. Their tale is wonderfully told, and makes you understand why people love horses." -- Joe Drape, author of BLACK MAESTRO and THE RACE FOR THE TRIPLE CROWN

Author Bio

EDGAR PRADO is one of the worlds premier jockeys; in February, 2008, he became the 16th North American jockey to win 6,000 races, including the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes. He was born in Lima, Peru, and now splits his time between Hollywood, Florida, and Elmont, New York. JOHN EISENBERG is a former sports columnist for the Baltimore Sun and the author of six books, including the acclaimed NATIVE DANCER and THE GREAT MATCH RACE..