Secretariat
By (Author) William Nack
HarperCollins Publishers
The Borough Press
1st March 2011
25th October 2010
United Kingdom
General
Non Fiction
Horse racing
Sports fiction
Biographical fiction / autobiographical fiction
Family life fiction
Modern and contemporary fiction: general and literary
Classic fiction: general and literary
Fiction based on or inspired by true events
798.4
Paperback
320
Width 129mm, Height 198mm, Spine 32mm
340g
The remarkable true story of Big Red, one of Americas finest racehorses.
When her beloved Meadow Stables is faced with closure following her fathers illness, housewife and mother Penny Chenery agrees to take over. Despite her lack of horse-racing knowledge she calls in assistance from trainer Lucien Laurin and a host of successful jockeys.
Pitted against the Phipps racing dynasty, Penny takes the decision to breed her mare Somethingroyal to the Phipps Bold Ruler, the nations favourite stallion. With the toss of a coin it is agreed that one family will take Somethingroyals first foal with the losing stable taking the colt out of Hasty Matelda and Somethingroyals second foal. Penny loses the toss, but the wait for the unborn foal proves fortuitous when a bright red chestnut colt is born, Secretariat. Nicknamed Big Red, with Laurins guidance, Penny manages to navigate the male-dominated business of horse racing, ultimately fostering the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years and what may be the greatest racehorse of all time.
Now, more than 30 years after its initial publication, the story of "Big Red" continues to be a classic. Secretariat is the tale of a great racehorse but also a testimony to the dedication of Penny Chenery. Following her triumph with Secretariat she was elected as the first female member of The Jockey Club, changing the face of American horse racing forever.
"Secretariat is an elegantly crafted, exhilarating tale of speed and power, grace and greatness, told with such immediacy that the reader is lost in the rush of horses and the clatter and ring of the grandstand." Laura Hillenbrand, author of Seabiscuit
William Nack is an American journalist and author. He started his journalistic career as a reporter for Newsday before progressing to become a senior writer at Sports Illustrated for over twenty years. With a passion for horse racing, he penned several sports titles including Secretariat: The Making of a Champion, which is soon to be released as a Disney feature film. He lives in Washington D.C. with his family.