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Never Say Die: A Kentucky Colt, the Epsom Derby, and the Rise of the Modern Thoroughbred Industry - Hardcover | Diverse Reads

Never Say Die: A Kentucky Colt, the Epsom Derby, and the Rise of the Modern Thoroughbred Industry

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A quarter of a million people braved miserable conditions at Epsom Downs on June 2, 1954, to see the 175th running of the prestigious Derby Stakes. Queen Elizabeth II and Sir Winston Churchill were in attendance, along with thousands of Britons who were all convinced of the unfailing superiority of English bloodstock and eager to see a British colt take the victory. They were shocked when a Kentucky-born chestnut named Never Say Die galloped to a two-length triumph at odds of 33–1, winning Britain's greatest race and beginning an important shift in the world of Thoroughbred racing.

Never Say Die traces the history of this extraordinary colt, beginning with his foaling in Lexington, Kentucky, as well as the stories of the influential individuals brought together by the horse and his victory—from the heir to the Singer sewing machine fortune to the Aga Khan. Most fascinating is the tale of Mona Best of Liverpool, England, whose well-placed bet on the long-shot Derby contender allowed her to open the Casbah Coffee Club. There, her son met musicians John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison, later joining their band.

Featuring a foreword by the original drummer for the Beatles, Pete Best, this remarkable book reveals how an underdog's surprise victory played a part in the formation of the most successful and influential rock band in history and made the Bluegrass region of Kentucky the center of the international Thoroughbred industry.

ISBN-13: 9780813141671

Media Type: Hardcover

Publisher: University Press of Kentucky

Publication Date: 05-04-2013

Pages: 232

Product Dimensions: 6.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.10(d)

Age Range: 18 Years

James C. Nicholson is the author of numerous books including The Kentucky Derby: How the Run for the Roses Became America's Premier Sporting Event, The Notorious John Morrissey: How a Bare-Knuckle Brawler Became a Congressman and Founded Saratoga Race Course, and Racing for America: The Horse Race of the Century and the Redemption of a Sport. He lives in Versailles, Kentucky.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations viii

Foreword Pete Best xi

Preface xiii

1 A Historic Derby Triumph and a Wager That Changed History 1

2 The Unusual Origins of a Sewing Machine Fortune 13

3 Robert Sterling Clark 33

4 The Aga Khan 49

5 Robber Barons Robbing Barons 61

6 An Unlikely Horseman 87

7 A Derby-less Trainer 111

8 The First Kentucky-Bred Champion of the Epsom Derby 119

9 An American Invasion at Epsom 135

10 A Global Sport and Industry 153

Acknowledgments 177

Notes 179

Bibliography 199

Index 211